Joining the chorus

It’s the performance for and about performers, but for a show so widely successful and undergoing an international renaissance, it’s strange that A Chorus Line has taken until 2012 to return to the Australian stages that so desperately need it.

After a well-received Broadway revival and a wide-release documentary that was as entertaining as it was postmodern in its chronicling of the casting of a show about casting, A Chorus Line hits Melbourne next month.

Currently in Adelaide, the show has already seen audiences severely lacking from recent musical ventures in Melbourne.

Two and half weeks down, there’s already talk of extensions to Brisbane and Sydney, not to mention New Zealand and parts of southeast Asia.

But why the interest?

The show’s producer, Tim Lawson, sees the explosion of reality talent competitions on Australian television as one possible answer to the renewed intrigue. It’s something one of the show’s stars doesn’t discount.

“We had a show the other night that was surprising in its young demographic and they enjoyed it just as much as they do in the blue-rinse Saturday matinees,” Will Centurion said.

“All those [reality] shows have their pros and cons, but I think one of the positives is they put the spotlight on being on stage and being a performer in front of a live audience.”

Centurion, who plays the character of Al, said A Chorus Line remains a deeply personal show for its cast, decades on from its creation.

“I think a show like this is timeless. It sparks a lot of nostalgia in people who’ve ever been on the stage in any shape or form.”

Centurion, who lives with his partner in Darlinghurst when not touring, said the realities of the characters’ lives remain as valid for him today as they did for the typical ’70s chorus line from which the show drew its inspiration.

“My partner’s also in the business and he’s often away in shows too. But there’s a lot of understanding between us that this is what we’ve chosen to do and as long as it lasts, we’ll support each other,” he said.

“A lot of us on tour deal with that issue, some people have children. It’s not all stars and sequins, but we dedicate ourselves to it.”

INFO: A Chorus Line opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne on February 4. Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au