A Chorus Line No. 33 - Brian Andrews
- Lauryn Johnson
- Jul 19
- 3 min read
Mark - National Company 1980
International Company 1981-2
I played Mark in the National company starting in April 1980 until it ended in Montreal and transformed into the bus and truck company. Then I went to the international company in probably 1981/82 and played Frank/headband and also functioned as assistant to the dance captain Alex MacKay.
I saw A Chorus Line three times before I auditioned for it. 1) NYC first replacement cast 1976, 2) Chicago Illinois 1977 and 3) St. Louis, MO 1978. In the later part of 1979 there was an open audition for A Chorus Line. A cattle call. I was 19 and had just arrived in New York a couple of months earlier.
"The call was at the Shubert Theatre. I’ll never forget Tom Reed and Troy Garza running the audition, wearing their satin show jackets, the rope across the mirrors and the line of people outside of the theatre. I was wearing white drawstring jazz pants that my mom made and had a pretty bad non-professional 8x10 glossy headshot.
"First we had to say our names. And then do a pirouette and a time step. After that a whole bunch of people got cut. Then they taught an abridged version of the ‘I Hope I Get It’ jazz routine. It went from ‘step step up and across’ directly to the ‘turn turn out in jump step’ connected by a pas de bourre. After that they I was still there, and they taught us the men’s ballet combination.
"My technique as they were teaching was to just keep getting in the front group whenever they said switch lines, which I’m sure was annoying to the other auditionees. Ballet was a strong point and I made through that part too. Then we had to sing. My song was ‘I’ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo’ It had nothing to do with ACL but it was my audition song and basically it was the only song I knew. After that I received a ‘we’ll let you know’ and did not hear anything more.
It didn’t matter because I was so new to it all, just the experience was a thrill in itself.
"Months later in March of 1980 I got a call saying we want you to play Mark on the National tour. Me: 'Oh! Is that a part?' Them: 'Yes it’s a part! Go downtown to the Shakespeare Festival and see Laurie Wilson to sign a contract and get fitted for a costume.'
"Literally a couple of days later I was in Buffalo at Shea’s Buffalo. Mostly still in shock. I played Mark until the end of the National Tour and during the first new bus and truck company and then moved to the international company and played Frank as well as assisting dance captain Alex MacKay.
(left) Bus and Truck Company, Des Moines, IA - photo by Martha Swope
(center) National Company - personal collection of Brian Andrews
(right) Bus and Truck Company, Des Moines, IA - photo by Martha Swope
The color photo and the action shots of the opening jazz and Finale are of the national company from my personal collection and the photographer is unknown to me.
They were taken at the Starlight Theater in Indianapolis as you can see the conductor.
The other posed shots Finale, Mark and the Line, are Martha Swope photos of the Bus and Truck company taken in Des Moines Iowa.
Komentáře