A spotlight upon Elias

OLGA LIVSHIN

One of the most successful musicals ever produced on Broadway, A Chorus Line has finally arrived in British Columbia. It opened at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster on April 11 and the opening was a huge success.

With the libretto by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line was originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett in 1975. It's a story about an audition for a musical, a theatrical tale within itself, born out of the original cast's own memories and experiences.

The phenomenal success of the show was a surprise to its creators. The show received 12 Tony Award nominations and won nine of them. In 1976, it won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It ran for 6,137 performances. To this day, it remains the longest-running Broadway musical originally produced in the United States.

Many themes interconnect in the show: the actors' love and devotion to their craft, their vulnerabilities and their anxieties. "I need a job," says Cassie, one of the characters, and the words have resonated with the audience ever since: in New York in 1975; in Sydney, Australia, in 1977; in San Francisco in 2006; and in New Westminster in 2009.

The synopsis is simple: out of 17 dancers who come for an audition, only eight will be chosen. To make the best selection possible, the director asks them to talk about themselves, to explain why they dance, and they reluctantly tell their life stories on stage. Dressed in rehearsal clothing, they reflect the actors' lives without theatrical glamor, allowing the audience a glimpse beyond the glittering costumes into the personalities of the performers, with their follies and tragedies, pains and triumphs. Suddenly we see them all as humans.

Lloyd Nicholson, the artistic director of the Royal City Musical Theatre, directed the show, which is the 20th anniversary production for the company. He said: "Lists of dancers' names, numbering in the hundreds, have appeared in all our programs. Behind each name are years of training, often from early childhood. These unique individuals are routinely required to sweat, ache and push their bodies to their limits. Yet, their names are rarely mentioned in reviews and a group bow is the norm."

One of those chorus girls, speaking from her heart, is Shira Elias, a young Jewish singer and dancer from Richmond who plays the role of Diana. There are many similarities between Elias and her heroine. Like Diana, Elias is in love with the theatre. "I do it because I have to do it, not because of the money," she said in an unconscious echo of Diana's beautiful aria, "What I Did for Love."

Like many performers, Elias knew she wanted to be a singer from a very young age. When she was six, she participated in the musical Oliver at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond. Since then, she has played many roles in various Vancouver productions, including Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, Westside Story, Little Shop of Horrors and Edges (part of Chutzpah! 2008).

When she was 16, Elias also tried her hand at the first Canadian Idol. After a couple of rounds, she was off the show. The organizers told her that she was too "musical theatre." "They wanted some drama," she recalled with a smile. "They needed a story. And I was a quiet girl from a nice Jewish family. No drama, no story."

Despite Elias' packed resume, she has just finished her BA in theatre at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In 2007, she also spent a year in California, enrolled in the musical theatre program at the University of California, Irvine, because UBC doesn't offer musical theatre. "It was the best year of my life," she confessed.

Besides musical theatre and vocal lessons, Elias has also studied ballet and modern dance. She plays piano and speaks Hebrew and French fluently. The young actress regards her future career very seriously. The next logical step for her is to relocate to New York and try to make her name on Broadway, the centre of musical theatre in North America. "I want to create new roles, push musical theatre boundaries outward," she admitted. In her opinion, regretfully, Canada doesn't offer many such opportunities.

Although she can't see herself doing anything else, Elias knows that her way to a Broadway theatre won't be a magic carpet ride. Just like her character in A Chorus Line, she is ready to risk all for the thrill of the stage.

For Chorus Line tickets and showtimes, call 604-522-4306 or visit www.royalcitymusicaltheatre.com.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer.

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