Advertisement

Movies & TV

Every Little Step

EVERY LITTLE STEP (Sony, 2008) D: Adam Del Deo, James D. Stern, w/ Bob Avian, Baayork Lee. Rating: NNNN DVD package: NNNN Rating: NNNN


Every Little Step is about dancers auditioning for a Broadway revival of A Chorus Line, itself a Broadway musical about dancers auditioning for a Broadway musical. If this sounds too precious for words, don’t be deterred.

[rssbreak]

Everything grows directly from 1974 taped interviews with real dancers. Directors Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern lay that out up front so that the Chorus Line characters resonate with the auditionees and the original cast (on archival footage), one of whom is the choreographer for show’s new incarnation.

From the first open call that draws 3,000 hopefuls through more than a year of callbacks, loads of high-energy dancing and singing give us a clear look at how the audition process works, how different performers interpret a role and the incredible stress they’re under. Check out the occasional disconnects between the dancers’ faces and their words. Pure terror.

Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch shares interesting insights on the commentary, and there are lifetimes of accumulated wisdom in the interviews with dancer/choreographer Donna McKechnie and the Chorus Line team of producer John Breglio, director Bob Avian and choreographer Baayork Lee.

EXTRAS Directors and Hamlisch commentary, McKechnie, Breglio, Avian and Lee interviews, deleted scenes. Widescreen. English, French subtitles.

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.