A Chorus Line rehearsals: week two
Step inside the rehearsal room of our Made at Curve Christmas production of A Chorus Line with De Montfort University Journalism student Maykel Valladares. As the team prepares for the musical to hit our stage on Friday 3 December, Maykel will be sharing insights on the rehearsal process, giving you exclusive access to the creation of this smash-hit Broadway musical here at Curve.
Read on to find out what happened in the second week of rehearsals when the cast perfect their harmonies.
As I walked into the rehearsal room, I was greeted by the harmonious voices of the Chorus Line cast.
Everyone was sitting in a circle while musical director, Tamara Saringer, was on the piano. She would play out the melody in small sections for each singing range. If needed, she would have them repeat the same section until it met her standards. You know what they say: practice makes perfect.
After they got their part down, she would have everyone sing together. My goodness, listening to them gave me chills. Layering all of those parts together created a mille feuille of beautiful music
As they sang, I noticed that some were practicing choreography in their seats and some were recording voice memos on their phones.
Wait, why was everyone recording themselves?
“Everyone is recording their harmony lines so they can get home and practice it,” said Redmand Rance, who plays Mike Costa, “When I record it, it helps to hear it in my ear so that when I come in, I know my line and I can do it.”
Although the actors spend many hours rehearsing at Curve, they also must put in additional time at home in order to perfect their roles. People in the cast would ask Tamara to repeat their notes on the piano so that they could record it and have material to practice when they got home.
“It’s just about feeling the groove and having fun with it,” said Tamara.
Although practicing can be repetitive, the music in this show is fun. A Chorus Line is an homage to the art of musicals and what it takes to create them.
Director Nikolai Foster praised the cast during rehearsal, but also told them not to forget what this show was about. It’s a story about growing up, facing challenges, and saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future. The only way that the music can successfully tell this story is if the actors remember what it’s really all about.
Growing up and facing challenges, this is something we can all relate to. That’s what makes A Chorus Line the perfect show to present during the holiday season. The holidays are a time for people to come together. I can’t think of a better way to come together than with a show that highlights the struggles that come with growing up and overcoming challenges in order to follow our dreams.