Every Little Step

Awesome “reality “ rendering of auditioning for Nroadway.

I watched this as a fan of documentaries; not the musical itself, or the art form. So, I've never seen "A Chorus Line" in its entirety. As a viewer I was at a loss and struggled to keep the character parts sorted with the actors who are auditioning for specific roles. The film considers you may be such a viewer and fleshes out the roles of the musical with backstories from those who inspired them. But you will struggle if you come at this film with no history with the musical. The film fleshes out some roles for the viewer notably "Connie and Cassie". Additionally, you'll hear the backstory about the creation of the musical and its creator Michael Bennett. The film does a fantastic job of weaving him in throughout the production but doesn't allow him to cast too big of a shadow. The real the lynch pin of the film is the production itself and it stays on target. I was totally enthralled by the overwhelming talent so many of these performers have, some of them are top tier and it shows. Because of the flood of performers you really start to see what the production team sees. They perform the herculean task of whittling down 3,000 plus performers to just the performing cast. Auditions jump right out at you and you're amazed. One actor is even more phenomenal than the source material he eventually portrays bringing the production staff to tears. And then there's something I'm totally a sucker for which is showcased in the film, and that is the concept of, "hard work trumps talent; when talent stops working hard". Two performers; one who even performed her part previously, the other who allows his arrogance to trip him up, miss the mark and are cut from the production. You'll see a difficult performance described as being, "the Four Minute Mile" live up to it's difficult reputation as performers crash and one nails it. One fair critique is the absence of the many male roles in "Every Little Step". But as I'm not familiar with the musical it's based on, it really didn't stand out to me as it did other reviewers. Maybe because this film stays tight. It covers months of production, past histories, human interest stories, and the effects of ruthless competition in just 96 minutes. It has a great story to tell and it neither meanders of sprawls off into needless homages into the difficulty of making it big. It delivers for me and it's worth anyone's time if they have even just a passing interest in the performing arts.

If you are a fan of musical theatre in general or even just A Chorus Line in particular, this documentary is a must-see. It flips back and forth between looking at the original creation and staging of the show, and the audition process for the 2006 Broadway revival. Lots of wonderful interviews from old and new cast members, and of course great clips from different stage productions. The movie adaption of this groundbreaking show was simply awful---this documentary will erase all that from memory and bring the magnificent original stage show front and center.I was already pretty familiar with the backstory of the show's beginnings with choreographer Michael Bennett, so I most enjoyed the in-depth look at the revival audition part of this film. Dancers lined up in the rain for hours, waiting to see if they can survive the first cut (after performing just one double-pirouette!). Pass the dance cuts, then you have to prove you've got the singing voice for the part. Dance yes, voice yes---now you need to act. "100 nos to 1 yes," as one person says of the life of a Broadway dancer. When the final callbacks are finished, you'll despair or celebrate along with them.One star off for some minor reasons: The filmmakers chose to focus on just a couple of roles in the revival audition process, and I would have loved to get even a small glimpse of the finalists for some other critical parts. The archival footage from the original Broadway production could have been expanded, with perhaps some comparison between those dancers and the revival wannabes. I definitely would have loved to see an extended "director's cut" with as much dancing, singing, and discussion as they had on hand!

Too many years ago, I used to stand in line at TKTS, hoping to get half-priced tickets, especially for my favorite show, A Chorus Line. I've seen it quite a few times, even a couple times from the lighting booth. So yes, I know the original show quite well.I wasn't sure what to expect, or how any revival cast could possibly compare with the original that was so absolutely set in my mind, but the moment this film began with that cattle call, seeing the lines down the block of all those dancers hoping for some chance, and knowing the real number that would be cast, I found the thrill once again, reliving all those times, all those faces filled with hope, all those tears I so often saw from backstage.Of course, I had my favorites in this new cast, and quickly felt I knew the final cast. Sometimes I was right. Surprisingly, I was often wrong in unexpected ways, just as those sitting at that table were surprised by the changes over those many months, for the better, for the worst.And that is why this film was so good. I was there again, just like you will be there if you've ever been part of a theatrical production.Bravo for such a wonderful documentary that shared such a personal inside view to the triumphs, devastation, and resolve to try again, because, 'maybe next time I'll get it'.

EVERY LITTLE STEP is a documentary that was shot and produced during the casting and audition process of the revival of A CHORUS LINE on Broadway.The auditioners were interviewed and accompanied from day one until the final callbacks almost a year later.It is highly interesting to see* how ACL was developped by Michael Bennett and Marvin Hamlisch* what a Broadway audition looks like* what dancers have to go through in order to get a jobit shows revealing details about the private lives of the dancers and their struggles they need to face until they they have their actual break on Broadway.Just Beautiful!

As a musicals buff and erstwhile performer, this DVD is especially interesting to me. I saw this in the cinema and loved it, hence why I bought it.

Gift for my musical theatre daughter...she loved it.

Excellent

Now this is A Chorus Line