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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

It's not a stretch to say that A Chorus Line is a classic piece of American theater and is forever embedded in the lexicon of Broadway musicals. The revealing documentary Every Little Step takes us behind the curtain for a look at the creation of the original 1976 production and the 2006 Broadway revival.

Filming for Every Little Step began in 2005 when 3,000 aspiring and veteran Broadway performers alike showed up for auditions for the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line in Manhattan. The initial cuts are quick and no one is left in any real tears, but when callbacks occur four months later, it's easy to see how stressful it can be for both the dancers, who have to be perfect, and the show's directors, who share the increasingly heavy burden of trying to make a show that the original director and co-choreographer, Michael Bennett, would be proud of.

Interspersed with the modern day footage are flashbacks to the mid-1970s, where we learn more about the late Bennett and the show's creation via interviews with original cast members Donna McKechnie and Baayork Lee, and composer Marvin Hamlisch, among others. This goes hand-in-hand with archival footage of Bennett, the original production, and intriguing recorded conversations Bennett had with dancers that became the basis for the show.

A Chorus Line's premise of looking into the personal lives of Broadway performers as they audition is mirrored in this movie by the prominent featuring of a talented young dancer from New Jersey named Jessica Lee Goldyn. Her philosophy is summed up when she explains that she doesn't have anything else to fall back on. She believes that the moment dancers have a plan B, they fail. Other female dancers are also featured, including St. Louis native Nikki Snelson, as they move on to the final callbacks.

For all its pluses, Every Little Step is unbalanced at times as it focuses almost exclusively on the trials and tribulations of women who are auditioning, while footage of the men's auditions were seemingly left on the cutting room floor. While it is fascinating to watch Jessica try to somehow land a lead role despite the talents of Broadway veterans like Nikki, producer and director James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo do not spend enough time with the other dancers to get a real feel for who they are.

Overall, Every Little Step is an enlightening film, especially for those who have never had to dance, sing and act at the same time. And when you leave, "One" will definitely be running through your head.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Every Little Step receives a B.

Every Little Step is not rated and has a running time of 90 minutes.

Now Showing
Every Little Step
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, Kansas City MO.
For tickets call 913-383-7756 or online at  www.tivolikc.com

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.