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Musicals at Richter’s 25th Season Under the Stars Continues with A Chorus Line

DANBURY, CT: Musicals at Richter (MAR), celebrating its gala 25th season as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, continues the 2009 season with Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s groundbreaking musical “A Chorus Line,” running July 9 - 25. Staged on the grounds of the Richter Arts Center in Danbury, performances take place outdoors under the stars Friday through Sunday evenings through Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m., with a specially discounted preview the first Thursday of the run, July 9.

With a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, “A Chorus Line” is a stunning musical about 17 veteran dancers auditioning for the chorus in a new Broadway musical. Drawn from actual interviews with professional singer-dancers, the show tells of the achingly poignant ambitions of these Broadway “gypsies” to land a job in the production, and is a powerful metaphor for all human aspiration. Memorable musical numbers from the Hamlisch-Kleban score include “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet” “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” “The Music and the Mirror,” “What I Did for Love,” “One (Singular Sensation),” and “I Hope I Get It.” It is a brilliantly complex fusion of dance, song and compellingly authentic drama and was instantly recognized as a classic when it opened in 1975.

Conceived and directed for Broadway by Michael Bennett, the show garnered nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, Book, Score, and Choreography and went on to symbolize a new era in the history of the American Musical. When the original production closed in 1990 after 6,137 performances, “A Chorus Line” was the longest running show in Broadway history until its record was surpassed by “Cats” in 1997 and then “The Phantom of the Opera” in 2006. On September 29, 1983, Bennett and 330 “A Chorus Line” veterans came together to produce a show to celebrate the musical becoming the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Directed and choreographed by Broadway veteran Gene Bayliss of Weston, the Richter production features a number of newcomers and MAR veterans. The cast includes Charity Ferris as Vicki (Bethel); Khallid Graham as Richie (Bridgeport); Kevin Cooper as Zach (Brookfield); Kate Valiska as Connie (Danbury); Emma Downing as Kristine and Kevin Downing as Mike (Hamden); Jessica Smith as Diana (New Fairfield); Kristin Ruggieri as Cassie (Norwalk); Trisha Carr as Lori (Orange); Chris DeMarchis as Paul and Caitlin Keeler as Bebe (Ridgefield); Ron Blois as Mark and Nathan Mandracchia as Bobby (Sherman); Eric Hu as Don and Bridget Krompinger as Maggie (Stamford); Renee Kaminsky as Val, Natalie Michaels as Tricia and Sarah Lee Michaels as Sheila (Wilton). New York cast members include Adrian Appleman as Al and Janice Gabriel as a Cut Dancer (Brewster); Stacie Moye as Judy (Mt. Vernon); and Stephen Michelsson as Greg (Patterson).

Anna DeMasi of New York City (formerly of New Fairfield) serves as musical director for the production. Scenic design is by Andy Salom of Danbury, with costumes by Aurora Montenero and the Warner Theatre. Brewster resident Janice Gabriel is stage manager and Joyce Northrop of Danbury producer. 

Musicals at Richter’s 2009 main stage musical season concludes with “Children of Eden” (July 30 – August 15), Stephen Schwartz’s inspired musical based on familiar Old Testament stories, directed by E. Kyle Minor of Danbury.

For the younger set, the popular children’s theater series “Fairy Tale Theater” celebrates its eleventh season of Saturday morning offerings through July 25 at Wooster School in Danbury. Longtime Danbury area performer and educator Elyse Jasensky directs a 20-member ensemble of young performers in hour-long versions of classic tales such as “The Ugly Duckling” and “Stone Soup”(July 11), “Johnny Appleseed” and “Paul Bunyan” (July 18) and “Peter Pan” (July 25). All Fairy Tale Theater tickets are $5.

Main stage performances are Friday through Sunday evenings at the Richter Arts Center (next to the Richter Park Golf Course, I-84, Exit 2), 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury. Tickets for the main stage productions are $21 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $13 for students and children, which includes $1 for the Richter House Restoration Fund. Preview performances (July 9 and July 30) are $10 for all tickets. Ticket reservations are available by phone and through the Musicals at Richter website. Grounds open at 7:15 p.m. for picnicking, with curtain at 8:30 p.m. Group rates are available with advance reservation; chair rentals and soft drink/snack concessions are available on-site.

Now in its 25th season, Musicals at Richter is Connecticut’s longest-running outdoor theater. Performances are given on weekends at the Richter Arts Center (next to the Richter Park Golf Course), 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury. Nestled in the hills of Western Connecticut, the Arts Center stage has served as the scenic backdrop for almost 70 musicals produced by Musicals at Richter, as well as a
professional springboard for hundreds of up-and-coming performers. Musicals at Richter is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. For further information, visit the website at www.musicalsatrichter.org, leave a message at 203-748-6873 or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org.