The famous kick line from A Chorus Line with the 2012 Berkshire Theatre Festival/Group cast. . Photos by Chris Reis.
A Chorus Line has begun previews this week at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield and the word-of-mouth appearing on the online social media sites like Facebook and Twitter is very positive. With its formal press opening on Saturday July 7, the critics will soon weigh in as well. Ticket sales are reportedly brisk.
the nine-time Tony winning musical originally called “tremendous, or perhaps terrific,” by The New York Times, plays at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Colonial Theatre until July 21.
The landmark musical that anchored the key corner of Shubert Alley for many years has been called “Heaven on Broadway,” having won the Pulitzer Prize and 9 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The fifth longest running Broadway show ever, A Chorus Line follows the story of 17 hopeful dancers who are vying to be cast in the next big Broadway musical. Sharing their stories of love, insecurity, childhood, growing up and self realization, the audience comes to know these characters as more than just their audition numbers. A musical that originated from the personal stories of Broadway “gypsies,” A Chorus Line provides a truthful, and sometimes painful, glimpse into the mystifying world of show business.
The cast includes Sara Andreas as Judy, Ashley Arcement as Val, Nili Bassman as Cassie, Matthew Bauman as Mike, Giovanni Bonaventura as Mark, Natalie Caruncho as Diana, Alex Chester as Connie, Chris Chianesi as Greg, Warren Curtis as Don, Eddie Gutierrez as Paul, Andrew Hodge as Bobby, Bryan Thomas Hunt as Larry, Julianne Katz as Bebe, Tim McGarrigal as Al, Noah Racey as Zach, Neil Totton as Richie, Margaret Wild as Kristine, Karley Willocks as Maggie and Dana Winkle as Sheila.
Bios
Eric Hill (Director) Last season Mr. Hill directed Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of The Who’s Tommy as well as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Neil Ellenoff Stage at the Mount and A Christmas Carol at The Colonial. Additional BTG directing credits include Macbeth, Endgame, Faith Healer, The Einstein Project, Amadeus, The Glass Menagerie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Caretaker. Previous acting credits include A Man for All Seasons, Dimetos and The Father. Mr. Hill also serves as the Louis, Francis and Jeffrey Sachar Professor of Theater Arts at Brandeis University.
Gerry McIntyre (Choreographer) Berkshire Theatre Festival: My Fair Lady, A Saint She Ain’t, Insurrection, Side by Side by Sondhiem, played Oronte in The Misanthrope. As a Director/Choreographer: Soon of the Mornin’ at Lions Theatre,Once On This Island at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Winter Garden Theatre and La Miranda Theatre for which he won a Robby Award for Best Director, and Ovation Nomination for Choreography and Best Musical and Drama. Logue awards for Direction and Choreography. Joseph…Dreamcoat with Diana Degarmo and Anthony Fedorov. The National Tour of Dreamgirls. Chicago at Ogunquit Playhouse for which he won a Broadway World Award for Choreography. As a performer he has appeared on Broadway Uptown It’s Hot, Anything Goes, Once on This Island,Chicago and Joseph…Dreamcoat. He has also appeared in the movie starring Donny Osmond.
Steven Freeman (Musical Director) Broadway: Billy Elliot, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Chicago, Damn Yankees, Grease. Off-Broadway: Saturday Night, Forever Plaid, 3 Postcards, Romance In Hard Times. Regional: Old Globe Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Cape Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, Prince Music Theatre.
Sara Andreas (Judy) Broadway: Catch Me If You Can. National Tour: Legally Blonde (Dance Captain, u/s Brooke, Margot, Serena, Pilar). Regional: World Goes Round (Woman One) Riverside Theatre, Soul Doctor (Flower Girl) Parker Playhouse, Legally Blonde (Margot) North Shore Music Theatre.
Ashley Arcement (Val) Broadway:Grease (Cha-Cha, Marty, Patty u/s). National Tours: Pippin, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Regional: Curtains, Meet Me in St Louis (at Paper Mill Playhouse and Theatre Under The Stars); She Loves Me (at Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Huntington Theatre); Pippin (Goodspeed Opera House); Charmaine inCheer Wars!; Ado Annie in Oklahoma.
Nili Bassman (Cassie) comes directly from her run as Hunyak in Chicago on Broadway. Original Broadway casts: Curtains (understudied and performed Niki Harris opposite David Hyde Pierce), Never Gonna Dance (Penny u/s); and The Addams Family (pre-Broadway workshop). Other theatre: The 39 Steps (New Harmony Theatre); Guenevere in Camelot (The Shubert, Boston—IRNE nomination for Best Actress); Amy in Where’s Charley? (Goodspeed Opera House—Tony Walton, dir.); Ginger Rogers in Ginger, opposite Donna McKechnie and Randy Skinner (Marshall Mason, dir); Abigail in The Crucible (Michael Rupert, dir); Young Phyllis in Follies (Barrington Stage); Masha in The Notebook of Trigorin (Blue Roses Productions, NYC); and roles at The Kennedy Center, Kansas City Starlight, North Shore, Manhattan Theatre Source, and The Blue Heron Theatre. Film/TV include:The Christmas Tree (Sally Field, dir); The Contender (UPN), The American Experience (PBS).
Matthew Bauman (Mike) was most recently seen as Johnny Carriaga in the NY City Center Encores! production of Pipe Dream, starring Will Chase, Laura Osnes and Leslie Uggams. Other New York credits include: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(Peccadillo Theatre) and I’d Rather Be Right (Musicals Tonight). Regional credits include: Hello, My Baby (Goodspeed), Tarzan (North Shore Music Theatre), Beauty and the Beast, Damn Yankees, Footloose (St. Louis MUNY), Torah, Torah, Torah(Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep), Weightless (Perishable Theatre) and Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).
Giovanni Bonaventura (Mark) Regional: Damn Yankees (Paper Mill Playhouse),SHOUT! (Marriott Lincolnshire), CATS and Tarzan (Tuacahn Amphitheatre).
Natalie Caruncho (Diana) Most recently, she was on the First National Tour of In The Heights (Ensemble u/s Nina, Vanessa, Carla) Other Credits: Romeo and Juliet(Juliet), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Galileo (Virginia), The Bluest Water(Young Lizzy).
Alex Chester (Connie) Alex has performed as Peter Pan, performed for the Royal National Theatre’s tour of An Inspector Calls, as Eliza in The King and I at the Welk Resort and The Magic Carpet in Disney’s Aladdin Spectacular, played Punky Who at the Pantages Theatre in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and recently created the role of Snow in Princesses for ASCAP/Dreamworks New Musical Theatre Workshop. She has worked with Jeff Marx, co-creator of Ave Q, who wrote her the role of Connie in his 15 minute musical, Oh God, We’re Gonna Die. Alex also works in commercials, print and television. TV credits include The Closer, ER and 7th Heaven.
Chris Chianesi (Greg) Chris appeared in last summer’s production of The Who’s Tommy (Lover, etc.). He is also returning to the line, having appeared as both Bobby and Greg in previous incarnations of the show. Most recently played Bobby in a restaging of the 1998 Broadway Revival of Cabaret at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, in which the actors also doubled as the orchestra. Other favorites: A Class Act, Pippin,and Godspell. Training: BFA from NYU (Tisch) and Upright Citizens Brigade.
Warren Curtis (Don) National Tour: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1st National Co.). Regional: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (North Shore Music Theatre, Cape Playhouse);42nd Street (North Shore Music Theatre); The Boyfriend (Maltz-Jupiter Theatre);West Side Story (Maine State Music Theatre); Sugar (Westchester B’way Theatre).
Eddie Gutierrez (Paul) Off-Broadway: Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage; Nutcracker: Rated R (ATA); and workshops of Twilight: the Musical (New World Stages). Other New York: original, one-man show Loveology at Ars Nova; 100-person cast production of Spoon River Anthology; and collaboration on new work with Moisés Kaufman and Tectonic Theater Project. Company member of DoubleTake Dance, Diego Funes’s De Funes Dance Company, and Marinda Davis’s marInspired.
Andrew Hodge (Bobby) Having done the show 3 times previously, on the National Tour (Greg) for Baayork Lee and Bob Avian, members of the show’s original cast and creative team respectively, at Ogunquit Playhouse (Don) and once as a teen (Al), Andrew has yet to fulfill one particular dream that he can finally realize in this production. Other touring credits: CATS and 42nd Street. Mr. Hodge has performed regionally at Arena Stage (Oklahoma!, Helen Hayes Outstanding Ensemble nomination), Westchester Broadway Theater (42nd Street, Billy Lawlor understudy) and North Shore Music Theater (42nd Street). He also danced for Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model and with Liza Minnelli on the TV Land Awards.
Bryan Hunt (Larry) Last summer Brian was on the line as Don at New Bedford Festival Theatre. Most recently he was seen in Irving Berlins White Christmas at Paper Mill Playhouse and The Big Bank in NYMF.
Julianne Katz (Bebe) She recently made her New York Theatre debut as Adele Rice in the Gallery Players’ highly acclaimed production of A Man of No Importance. National Tour: Hodel in Fiddler On The Roof. Regional: Sacramento Music Circus, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Artpark, and more.
Tim McGarrigal (Al) is thrilled to return to BTF, where he last appeared in HMS PINAFORE in 2001, to finally perform one of his all time favorite shows! Other credits include International Tour: West Side Story (Action). Vegas: We Will Rock You, Hugh Jackman: In Time. New York: Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular, National Tour: Fosse, Joseph…, High School Musical. Film: Across the Universe. Regional: Atlanta TOTS, North Shore Music Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Stages St. Louis. B.F.A Acting, University of Connecticut.
Noah Racey (Zach) New York: 1st revival of Follies; original casts of Thoroughly Modern Millie (associate Choreographer); Never Gonna Dance and Curtains starring David Hyde Pierce. As choreographer Noah worked with Jeff Calhoun, Rob Ashford, David Parsons, Jerry Mitchell and with Tommy Tune on the world premiere of Turn of the Century (Goodman Theatre, starring Jeff Daniels and Rachel York), and most recently David Hyde Pierce on It Shoulda Been You (Broadway 2013). Regional: Sacramento Music Circus; La Jolla, 5th Avenue Theatre, St Louis MUNY. Noah is a three time recipient of the Connecticut Critic’s Circle award, for Performance in a Musical – Charley in Where’s Charley, and outstanding choreography – Annie Get Your Gun & Showboat, at Goodspeed Operahouse. Noah’s the Founding Artistic Director of the New York Song & Dance Company, their feature show, Pulse will have its world premiere at the Asolo Rep in 2013, directed by Jeff Calhoun. TV:Boardwalk Empire; Are We There Yet.
Neil Totton (Richie) Past credits include: Hairspray (Seaweed J. Stubbs), A Chorus Line (Richie), Aida (Associate Choreographer), The Wedding Singer (1st National Tour), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box MC), and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Margaret Wild (Kristine) Last summer, Margaret participated in Berkshire Theatre Festival’s Acting Apprentice program, where she was cast as both a chorus member in The Who’s Tommy, and as Susan Mahoney in Finian’s Rainbow.
Karley Willocks (Maggie) Last year she had the privilege of traveling the US and Tokyo with the National Tour of A Chorus Line (Maggie). Favorite credits include42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), Footloose (Urleen), A Funny Thing Happened…(Philia), and Batboy (Shelley u/s). She also recently co-founded UnReel Films and starred in the short A Rather Splendid Day. BFA from Shenandoah Conservatory.
Dana Winkle (Sheila) Most recently seen in Aspects of Love at Philadelphia’sWalnut Street Theatre, she has appeared in national and international tours of Pippin, 42nd Street, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, Hello Dolly!, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Some favorites: Damn Yankees (Gloria Thorpe),Anything Goes (Bonnie), Moon Over Buffalo (Rosalind), A Chorus Line (Cassie, Sheila, Kristine). Other regional credits include Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, North Shore Music Theatre, Westchester Broadway Theatre, TUTS, Casa Manana, Kansas City Starlight, North Carolina Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, and the Fireside.
The audition begins in A Chorus Line. Photo of the Berkshire Theatre Group 2012 production by Chris Reis.
Performances and Tickets
Tickets to A Chorus Line are $40-$60, preview tickets are $37. Contact the Stockbridge Campus Ticket Office at 83 East Main Street, by calling 413-298-5576 or the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444. Tickets can also be bought online at www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. Ticket Offices are open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.
A Chorus Line
conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett
book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban
co-choreographed by Bob Avian
original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.
directed by Eric Hill
choreographed by Gerry McIntyre
musical direction by Steven Freeman
With scenic design by Gary English, costume design by David Murin and lighting design by Michael Chybowski.
Performance Dates
July 02 Monday 8pm Colonial (Preview)
July 03 Tuesday 8pm Colonial (Preview)
July 05 Thursday 8pm Colonial (Preview)
July 06 Friday 8pm Colonial (Preview)
July 07 Saturday 8pm Colonial (Opening/Press night)
July 08 Sunday 2pm Colonial
July 09 Monday 8pm Colonial
July 10 Tuesday 8pm Colonial
July 12 Thursday 8pm Colonial
July 13 Friday 8pm Colonial
July 14 Saturday 2pm & 8pm Colonial
July 15 Sunday 2pm Colonial
July 16 Monday 8pm Colonial
July 17 Tuesday 8pm Colonial
July 19 Thursday 8pm Colonial
July 20 Friday 8pm Colonial
July 21 Saturday 2pm & 8pm Colonial
For more information about the performance, please visit our website atwww.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org
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