Students’ showbiz dreams come alive in A Chorus Line

Students from the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music will be drawing back the red curtains of showbusiness as they strut their stuff in a new production of A Chorus Line.

Performed by aspiring stage stars who are on the cusp of graduation, this award-winning musical is a funny, heart-breaking, and refreshingly honest look at the reality of showbusiness.

The musical rolls out at the University’s Scott Theatre, with visiting Director Matt Hyde at the helm.

"There is something uniquely special about A Chorus Line. It touches the heart and soul of anyone who is brave enough to pursue a career in the arts,” said Mr Hyde, who trained in London and has performed both internationally and across Australia.

"I think every performer has an internal chant, like the famous scene, of ‘God, I hope I get it’ before every audition.”

Set on an empty audition stage, A Chorus Line examines one day in the lives of seventeen desperate dancers, all vying for a spot in the limited chorus line of a musical. Each character is stripped emotionally bare, their pasts revealed, and their future hopes explored, in a moving testament to the struggle of performers worldwide.

Final year musical theatre student Sophie Tzioumis plays the character of Cassie, who embodies every performer’s raw joy and passion for dance.

“My character’s seven-minute dance solo, choreographed by our amazing visiting creative Luke Alleva, is one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done as a dancer. It has taken all my grit, sweat and tears. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to help bring this show to life,” said Sophie.

“The special thing about A Chorus Line is that you can always find a piece of yourself in the characters. They are based on real life experiences of performers during the 1970s, and yet explore universal human emotion that resonates with the modern audience.

“As a graduating student, it’s particularly poignant to be doing a show about the highs and lows of professional theatre, as it’s the reality of the industry we are about to enter.”

First premiered on Broadway in 1975, A Chorus Line was a box office and critical hit, winning nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. With music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, the musical became the longest-running production in Broadway history until it was surpassed by Cats in 1997.

“The show is about chasing a dream that only you can see and the huge amount of courage and resilience it takes. The fact these incredibly talented students are about to graduate into this industry makes this production extra powerful."Matt Hyde, visiting Director