In 1976 A Chorus Line debuted on Broadway. A show about dancers trying out for a show- it celebrated the work and passion of countless hopeful young men and women who have traveled to New York City to pursue their dreams of making it on Broadway.
Every Little Step follows the audition process for the revival of A Chorus Line. A documentary about people auditioning for a show, which itself is a psuedo-documentary about people auditioning for a show doesn't sound fun to you? Me either, actually- and I'm a theater junkie! I went because it was the only thing playing when I happened to be at the theater but in the end I was glad I did.
The documentary incorporates audio of the original tape recordings of the all-night conversations that became the basis for A Chorus Line, video footage of the original production, interviews with the original cast members and footage from the casting process for the revival. The multi-layered storyline brings to light the genius of A Chorus Line. We see the struggles and triumphs of the characters in the performers auditioning to portray them. While audio of the original Broadway cast sings "God I hope they like me!", we see hundreds of triple-threat actor/singer/dancers with that sentiment written all over their sweaty, overly made-up faces.
With so many people, names and stories to remember I was amazed that I truly started to care about the cast. The auditions for the role of Paul were shown I was surprised that none of the men seemed willing to really embrace the role of a self-proclaimed effeminate drag queen. That is, until Jason Tam delivered his outstanding performance. Not only did he show the softness required of the role, but his vulnerability was heartbreaking. You know you nailed it when your audition makes two of the panel members cry. Later in the movie we see video footage of the original Paul delivering the same monologue, and while it was a good performance it was obvious Jason brought it to a higher level.
Every Little Step is an intriguing look at culture and lifestyle far removed from what most of the country experiences. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in dance or theater.
