Review: A Chorus Line at The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays*

[Ad-gifted] A Chorus Line arrived at the The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays last night and you could certainly tell from the crowds that this was a hit Broadway Show that was making its move into the North West of the UK! We were sent up to the rafters to watch this show! I have never sat so high up and the perspective of the night was amazing. I felt like I could see everyone on stage at all times. But this spot certainly isn’t for you if you don’t like heights as you are high up and getting to your seat leaves you on the edge!

If you want to know what we thought of A Chorus Line – which was originally written in 1975 as a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante keep reading…

This is for me an unusual musical – it doesn’t have the wow of some of the past musicals I have been to like Legally Blonde (at The Regent Theatre) or Strictly Ballroom (The Lowry) amongst just some. It is a more subdued ensemble. You don’t have as much breakout into dance and song as you might be used to. Firstly I have to say my husband wasn’t a fan of this musical – he prefers a typically classic – song and dance style – that you might have seen in 1950’s Hollywood, whereas I did enjoy this. (I feel like he’d have loved 42 Balloons which was my last visit to The Lowry, where my daughter tagged along – oops!). But this for me told a story and the added music was a bonus.

A Chorus Line is about the behind-the-scenes of the performers/dancers waiting to be cast for the next Broadway Show. You are introduced to each of them as they are called out to take part in the final casting. You initially meet 17 dancers and learn of their stories, they each reveal the strains and struggles in their lives that have led them into the life of dancers, ultimately giving them the passion and drive to seek out Broadway! All the dancers want to work in theatre and each understands the pressures of being part of the chorus line.

The musical has an almost soap opera approach telling you the back story of the dancers, how their lives have not been simple and when we come to see them on the stage, all we – the audience – are privy to, is the life of the cast they are portraying, we most often don’t think about how they got there in the first place and who they are as people.

The musical is thought-provoking and has been well cast. I did struggle at times with the lack of clear connection between the dancers, each story is portrayed as a monologue and other than one couple of newlyweds and a loose link between three that attended the same ballet school – in the cast, no one appeared to be truly connected, so no rivals, ex-lovers or friendships in the group. That being said, I was still captivated by all their individual tales of their lives with some making you laugh out loud, while others made you empathize and feel sad.

The stand-out performers for me, were Rachel Jane Picar, playing Connie Wong and Lydia Bannister, playing Bebe Benzenhemeir – their roles were comical and stories a little more light-hearted. However, the deeper/darker tale told by an iconic cast member was Manuel Pacific, playing Paul San Marco – the Porto Rican with a sad story. The rest of the performers were also great but as you can imagine with a full cast of 17 plus people, there are too many to mention individually so, please check out the cast list below.

One other thing to note is the band – they were amazing and so tight. The music score was great to listen to so having such a talented group of musicians playing it made it all the more pleasurable.

Finally, a little thing to note – there is NO INTERVAL – I found it strange not having an interval and I am not sure what the reason behind this is – but the audience had a bit of restlessness around halfway through when we, kind of, naturally expect a break. That being said, the time didn’t drag and you didn’t feel the necessity for a break, as such. But remember to make a bathroom visit prior to the event, as this show was busy and interrupting the row of people in our seating would have been a nightmare.

But with all this, this is a great show and I would recommend going to see it. It’s different and interesting and not a classic musical which I found quite liberating. Check out how you can get your tickets below.

Cast

Creatives

Conceived & Originally Directed & Choreographed by Michael Bennett
Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Co-choreographed by Bob Avian
Director Nikolai Foster
Choreographer Ellen Kane
Set Designer Grace Smart
Musical Supervisor David Shrubsole
Costume Designer Edd Lindley
Lighting Designer Howard Hudson
Sound Designer Tom Marshall

How much are the tickets?

Tickets are priced from £23 to £114.50.

To book tickets please call The Lowry at 08432086000 or via their website here.  To book accessible performances, please email access@thelowry.com or call 0161 876 2183.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

The show will be running until Sat, 27 July 2024 with performances 7.30pm and matinee at 2pm on Thu and Sat.  There is a Signed (BSL) and Audio Described Show on Sat, 27 July at 2pm. The show will have an approximate running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes no interval.

Where will the performance be held?

The Lowry
Pier 8
The Quays
Salford
M50 3AZ
Manchester
Tel: 0843208 6000

Notes:

• The Lowry welcomes all visitors regardless of their disability and strives to meet all individuals needs where possible.
• They welcome assistance dogs.
• The Lowry website is fully accessible and features BrowseAloud.  Browsealoud adds speech, reading and translation support, facilitating access and participation for those people who need support reading print, dyslexia, low literacy, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. To use this feature, simply click on the grey ear logo located in the footer.

• If you are driving to the show, we would recommend for you to park at The Lowry Outlet which is opposite the theatre, but be aware as there is lack of signage from the car park area to the theatre, so best to ask someone or use google maps to find your way.

  Pre paid car parking tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your performance. Please note they are unable to sell pre paid tickets on your performance date, and you will need to pay at the ticket machines in the car park. The tickets can be booked at the same time as your seats via their website, or over the phone on freephone 0343 208 6000.

About The Lowry Theatre

The Lowry is a registered charity committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives. They present audiences with a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike.  At the heart of their work is a commitment to the local communities and young people.

Tapping into the work on their stages and in their galleries, they offer thousands of free creative participation opportunities each year. They are passionate about nurturing talent, developing creative professionals of the future and raising aspirations.

Review by: Lex Ward

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Photo Credit: The Lowry Theatre/Darren Thomas