‘Chorus’ Is Mostly Out of Step

Despite its obvious sentimentality and Etch-A-Sketch-grade playwriting, Michael Bennett’s “A Chorus Line” shook up mid-’70s Broadway with its detached, almost documentary look at dancers struggling to get a job in a Broadway show.

Like a dispatch from the front lines, “A Chorus Line” struck audiences as something more than another backstage musical; it was a tribute to a neglected craft, a nakedly personal look at a business as calculating of the bottom line as Hollywood is.

It still is, though the ‘70s feel of “A Chorus Line” is beginning to fray a bit, at least in Sheryl Donchey’s respectful revival at Santa Ana College’s Phillips Hall Theatre. The key to any “Chorus Line” revival is the quality of dancers, and much of Donchey’s cast, to rephrase the Marvin Hamlisch/Edward Kleban song, scores “heart, 10; dance, 3.”

Unlike a lot of shows, “A Chorus Line” doesn’t lend itself to suspension of disbelief. Actor John De Mita understands this as the chorus line director, Zach, who takes charge, commanding, swift and consummately professional.

Too many of the dancers under him, though, don’t look or feel like dancers. The early numbers, such as “I Hope I Get It” and “And,” when Zach winnows down the field, pose a dilemma because the cast hasn’t mastered basic moves. Randy Rock as Bobby can’t twirl or pirouette. (But in Bobby’s outlandish monologue, Rock shows off a stand-up comic’s timing.)

Others, including Keiliel-DeLeon Duane Frazier as Richie, can dance but not sing. Donchey is lucky to have a few who can all. Molly Prather’s Diana makes emotional substance out of “Nothing,” perhaps the best of the show’s this-is-my-life tunes, and dominates as soloist on the chorus line’s valedictory “What I Did for Love.”

Carrie Anderson makes perky Val her own, combining a dancer’s skills with a comic self-pride. Melisa Halfman’s Sheila, Bethanie Kneiser’s Bebe and Michelle Marie’s Maggie combine for a pretty, three-part “At the Ballet,” despite some weak moves.

As Cassie, the once-rising star on her last legs--and, by the way, Zach’s ex-lover--Shannon Page embodies this production’s strengths and weaknesses. Striking an experienced air that sets her apart from her younger competitors, Page’s modest delivery of Cassie’s big number, “The Music and the Mirror,” undermines her star quality.

Musical director Rob Blaney’s confident band (highlighted by the fine keyboard work of Blaney, Rachel Parker and Kim Le) sounds taped, even though it’s live and offstage. Donchey, as choreographer, has added a nice touch by inserting a curtain-call bow for each chorus line member at the finale, “One.”

BE THERE

“A Chorus Line,” Santa Ana College, Phillips Hall Theatre, 1530 W. 17th St. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Ends Sunday. $8-$10. (714) 564-5661. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.