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What They Did For Love (Of Theater)

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By KATHY GREENBERG

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 1, 2009

The 17 young dancers who filed on stage in 1975 likely had no idea their ensuing performance would usher in a new era of theater.

"A Chorus Line," so simple in design, redefined the hierarchy among performers without sacrificing quality or impact. The show was nothing less than a singular sensation.

And it still is.

A revival of the groundbreaking musical will come to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center for eight performances beginning Tuesday. It's a chance for audiences to see the show that choreographer Baayork Lee claims to have stepped up the bar for, demanding that performers be a "triple threat."

"In the '70s, you were either a singer, a dancer or an actor," said Lee, who originated the role of Connie. "Now actors have to be triple threats when they come to New York. 'A Chorus Line' pulled it all together. We changed the face of theater. But when we were doing it, we didn't know that. We were just unemployed dancers looking for work."

Michael Bennett, who died in 1987, created the show about dancers auditioning for spots in a Broadway chorus line. He broke some steadfast rules here, calling dancers by name instead of number and putting the chorus dancer in the front of the line. The songs express each character's inner dialogue and fierce ambitions: "I Hope I Get It," "I Can Do That," "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three," "What I Did For Love" and "One."

Bennett wrote the role of Connie based on Lee's life.

"It was frightening. I had only been a dancer. I had never really sung in a show alone. I had never had anybody write anything for me. My life was on the stage.

"Connie Wong was my story: the short, Asian girl who wanted to be a ballerina. I said to Michael, 'Who wants to know about that?' He said, 'No, I think people would be interested.' And they were. I'm happy that my life became a part of the show," said Lee.

First a dancer in Bennett's stable, Lee later became his dance captain in "Promises, Promises" and "Seesaw." In the current playbill for "A Chorus Line," she's cited as restaging the show's choreography, which suggests she changed the original dance moves. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, she's paying Bennett the highest compliment by keeping his vision intact.

"Why change something if it's not broken?" she said. "Michael Bennett's choreography was ahead of its time."

ON STAGE

A Chorus Line

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Carol Morsani Hall, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa

HOW MUCH: $38.50 to $72.50; (813) 229-7827; www.tbpac.org

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