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A Chorus Line

 My favorite moment in "A Chorus Line" is "At the Ballet," a series of stories about domestic folly.


One woman recalls her parents. A young lady--twenty-two--is informed by an older man, "I'm your last chance." The marriage occurs--and, soon enough, Wife is digging mysterious earrings out of the backseat of Husband's car. The earrings are a red flag. "It wasn't something you'd want to discuss."

Another woman recalls learning about subtext. "Mom would tell me I was different, with a personal flair. Different is nice, but it sure isn't pretty...."

The third story is.the major punch-to-your-gut. "When I was born, Dad said, I thought this would help our marriage, but I guess I was wrong."

These brutal stories are paired with a soaring, recurring memory of ballet class. I like the details in the chorus: the disembodied voice of the teacher, like a metronome; the steep and very narrow stairway; the girls in white. 

Nothing is resolved in this song; the three women don't actually achieve careers in the ballet. There is a sense of lingering ambivalence, and pain. The ending is the finest minute in the musical, IMO.

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