Entertainment

Corn Stock production full of show stoppers

Corn Stock Theatre’s "A Chorus Line" is a singing and tap dancing wonder – with moments of dazzling spectacle, dance and performance.

As it unfolds, some of the wistful, celebratory spirit of this 1970s classic comes through: the spirit of the dan-cers themselves, who persevere and sacrifice almost everything to pursue their dreams in spite of personal setbacks in a field where talent outstrips job openings.

Directed and choreographed by Tamra Challacombe – with assistance from Claire and Sophie Challacombe and with vocal and musical direction from Nick Myers and Marty Fredericksen – the cast admirably tackles the triple threat of dancing, acting and singing posed by this show.

Although some of the dan-cing is a little uneven, especially in the opening moments, key numbers deliver a punch. When audition leader Zack (the effective Charles Brown) tells his young wannabe Broadway stars that he expects razor-precision dancing, each arm and leg perfectly synchronized, he very nearly gets it on stage.

And during the show’s closing moments, the entire cast – first the men, then the women – parade while clad handsomely in gold, waving their top hats, kicking their legs. It’s quite a sight.

Stephen Stone as Mike waves his arms and swings his legs in "I Can Do That," a bravura tap-dancing number. Another splendid moment is supplied by Erica Franken, playing Cassie. Dressed in eye-catching red, she spins, twirls, kicks, rolls to the ground and springs to her feet in a particularly intense number.

There’s a type of desperation in the energy poured into these athletic moves that fits the character of Cassie – a former star who can’t find work, who is tiring of the ultra competitive atmosphere of dance and just wants to be working again. In a way, she’s dancing for her life. During Friday’s show, this number received a lot of applause – so much that the show paused for a moment, a literal show stopper.

It wasn’t the only instance. Sustained applause interrupted the show again after Nyk Sutter’s monologue as Paul, which tells the story of Paul’s growing awareness of his own homosexuality, his estrangement from his family and how he ends up in a seedy New York drag show. It’s a wrenching story, and on Friday night the audience seemed genuinely moved.

The singing, too, is pretty effective throughout the show, especially in the chorus numbers. For my money, though, Rachael Waldon is the highlight of the evening. She has a wonderful voice – powerful, pretty, a little dark hued and well controlled. She really pulls you into "What I Did for Love," one of the show’s closing numbers.

Toss in the spare, well-lighted set design (Evan Rooney and Cathy Earleson) and some eye-popping costumes (Paula Graves), and you have some finishing touches on what amounts to an exceptionally well-wrought community theater production. Don’t miss this one.

Gary Panetta can be reached at 686-3132 or moc.ratsjpnull@attenapg.