Students from the School of Music are performing their own rendition of the Broadway musical A Chorus Line. A Chorus Line premiered on Thursday, October 27 at 8 p.m. in the Kresge Recital Hall, which is located in the College of Fine Arts building.

The show tells the story of twenty-five men and women who are auditioning for eight spots on a chorus line. During the process of elimination, the dancers are panicking over how Zach, the director, will choose the final eight. After the dancers go through several dance sequences in order to win over Zach, Zach asks them to tell him about themselves, promising that it will help him determine who he wants to keep in the end. While some of the dancers are alarmed, others rise to the challenge.

Throughout the musical, the audience learns about the personal lives of the characters, which makes them all the more human. It's discovered that many of the dancers had a hard time while growing up and turned to dancing as a method of escaping their horrible lives at home.

A Chorus Line is a very realistic story, and relates especially to those who are interested in the entertainment business since it deals with many of the uncertainties that all performers face. After one of the dancers is injured, Zach asks the other dancers, "What do you do when you can't dance anymore?" and, "If today were the day you had to give it up, how would you feel?" This is a question that the dancers admit that they have often pondered upon, however it is still difficult for them to come up with an answer.

Given the complexities of each of the characters of A Chorus Line, the School of Music students do a wonderful job bringing their roles to life. CFA senior Chris Moyer brings energy and charm to the character Mike in the first musical number "I Can Do That," which explains how his interest in dancing began with watching his sister "go pitterpat" from her dance lessons. Correspondingly, CFA senior Melanie Goerlitz as Val brings humor to "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three," a song that describes how important physical appearance is in the entertainment industry. CFA senior Tyler Reubensaal is convincing as the character Paul, especially when he tells about his past. Reubensaal gives a believable interpretation of the hesitance his character initially feels and the emotions he goes though as he tells his story. CFA senior Monica Thakkar, who plays Diana, sings a very heartfelt version of "What I Did for Love" as the story concludes. As a whole, the finale is quite enjoyable to watch. The dances choreographed by Chet Walker give the students an opportunity to show off more than just their vocal talent. The hard work and training that went into the dances is evident in the production of A Chorus Line.

The brief bits of lightheartedness surrounding serious issues addressed in A Chorus Line make for a successful musical. If you haven't yet had the chance to see it, the final show of A Chorus Line is today, Sunday October 30, at 2 p.m. in Kresge Hall. Tickets are $10 for Carnegie Mellon students, $12 for senior citizens, and $15 for adults.

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