The central premise of the Kirkwood-Dante-Kleban-Hamlisch Broadway musical A Chorus Line is by now overly familiar, examining as it does the 17 actors auditioning for spots in a chorus line on the Great White Way. Recalling Donn Pennebaker's Moon Over Broadway and other similar efforts, documentarians Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern's film Every Little Step travels behind the scenes of the auditions for 2006 revival of A Chorus Line to investigate the goings-on and the interplay among the
hopefuls. The film thus establishes a neat corollary between the events of the play itself and the offstage experiences of the aspiring tryouts. On top of this, Stern and Del Deo work in a layer that pertains to the original genesis of the show, and its evolution from an idea by Michael Bennett, who recorded an ensemble of dancers speaking confessionally and used that as the basis for everything else. Here, the filmmakers play those original tapes back, on-camera, thus resurrecting old ghosts; score composer Marvin Hamlisch also turns up and revokes the past, courtesy of a revealing and racy little nugget about the history of the tune "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three." Above all else, the film works in extensive footage of the auditions themselves, on songs such as "At the Ballet" and "I Can Do That" -- thus interweaving an aura of suspense throughout the narrative over who will eventually wind up in the production itself. The title of the documentary, of course, is a reference to the lyric of the seminal tune "One" ("One singular sensation, every little step she takes"). ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
I was thrilled and moved by Every Little Step, despite the abundance of bad dancing pouring out of reality television these days, because it's about the real thing, and offers marvellous insights into of the process of creating a Broadway hit.
Every Little Step is a terrific documentary history lesson about how Michael Bennett rounded up a bunch of New York singing, acting dancers, interviewed them and found out what they 'did for love,' back in January of 1974.
You can't judge A Chorus Line by its film version; it's one of the lousiest movie musicals ever. But you can assess the stage original's influence by the wonderful new documentary Every Little Step.
It's hard not to develop a little attraction. You'll find yourself rooting for favorites, and feeling the same elation or crushing disappointment as they do when they get the word.
A film that's a bit Chorus Line and a bit American Idol, with hopefuls finding themselves auditioning for the very people who created the landmark show in which they wish to appear.
All the dancers who move towards the final cut are so good that the line between success and failure seems cruelly arbitrary and the disappointment of those who don't make it is acute. But nobody's giving up.
There is something piercingly affecting about this film and it's mainly to do with how much this particular musical means to the dancers and singers whose lives it represents.
This fascinating American made documentary tracks a disparate group of dancers trying out for a range of roles in a Broadway revival of the iconic stage musical A Chorus Line.
A Chorus Line is about how hard it is to get that dream gig on Broadway, and this documentary looks into that as well, as thousands audition for a turn in the 2008 revival of A Chorus Line. You watch as casting directors make the tough decision, actors and dancer and singer oh my are cast asunder or make their big
break, and history is revived and made in that instant. Beautiful film.
Very intriguing backstage look at the entire audition process for a revival of "A Chorus Line". It's unafraid to show that it's a tough business trying for that break to what is hopefully the big time.
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