The musical "A Chorus Line" tells the rousing story of yearning dreams and their bitter collision with reality, and of the harshness of show business.
We did not want to keep this wonderful review of this year's Bad Hersfeld musical from you, as read on the Musical Muffin blog:
Arne Stephan is brilliant in the role of the perfectionist, hugely successful director "Zach", who, driven by his own perfectionism and relentless work ethic, throws himself into the pursuit of excellence while increasingly coming to realise that the true beauty of a person sometimes lies hidden in small quirks, individual weaknesses and the carefully guarded secrets of vulnerability and longing. Masterfully, the actor manages to create a nuanced, expressive reading of the character, one that shifts delicately between apparent toughness and a humanity and warmth painstakingly concealed behind walls of hard-won professionalism. With an impressive measure of sensitivity, Arne Stephan lends the figure a layered complexity of character.
In a performance that, across the whole evening, testifies to a brilliant understanding of character and narrative moments, the actor is surrounded by a striking presence and a singular charisma that finds expression in his vivid playing and, wherever possible, refuses to let the audience look away from the splendour of his portrayal. Vocally, the artist plays with his intonation in remarkable fashion, lending both the precisely timed audition scenes and the quiet, tender moments of human connection emphasis with a warm voice. The phenomenal performance is rounded off by an intensity of gesture and expression that is captured again and again, in the context of the framing video sequences, in expressive close-ups, giving the theatregoer the sense of being able to look right down to the depths of Zach's soul.
A Chorus Line by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
Music: Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics: Edward Kleban
German version by Robin Kulisch
Direction & Choreography: Melissa King
Musical Direction: Christoph Wohlleben
Set: Karin Fritz
Costumes: Conny Lüders