• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Jennifer Lopez tells Britney Spears to ‘stay strong’
  • Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse
  • Billy Eichner needed Bros to be ‘authentic’

Every Little Step… Into the Movie Theater

Nathaniel Rogers April 16, 2009

Everylittlestep

Guestblogger NATHANIEL ROGERS

Nathaniel Rogers is older than Penélope Cruz, younger than Nicole Kidman and has neither dated nor signed a contract with Tom Cruise. He blogs daily at The Film Experience.

Take One: Close Up.

The last time the classic musical A Chorus Line was on movie screens Madonna was still in cross earrings and fishnet stockings. That was long ago. The unusual stage musical, which lept through auditions and confessionals instead of plot, had stunned and thrilled audiences on Broadway in the 70s. Director Richard Attenborough, fresh off the Oscar win for Gandhi in the 80s chose it as his follow up project . The response was not thunderous. Standing ovations from the critics or moviegoers were hard to come by. Twenty-four years later A Chorus Line is back in theaters, again spurred on by hoopla for the stage show. The occasion this time is the documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP, which is selling itself as an overview of the international phenomenon of A Chorus Line. But, like the stage show before it, it sidesteps easy categorization.

It's lighter on the history of this landmark classic than you'd expect. While it touches on some of the imaginative leaps the musical made and Michael Bennett's theatrical genius and open homosexuality, its focus is really the casting of the Broadway revival (2006-2008).  Like the stage show before it, Every Little Step chooses auditions and confessionals as instead of plot. In a sense it's a whole movie about A Chorus Line's first song "I Hope I Get It"

AchoruslineIf you're interested in the craft of acting or that Business they call Show, the auditions are fairly riveting. We rarely get the chance to see so many different takes on the same characters in one movie. It's also illuminating to observe how the actors choices collide uncomfortably or merge pleasantly with the casting team's preconceived notions of how the characters should be. Only one of the auditioners, Jason Tam as "Paul", is a slam dunk from the get go. That famous teary monologue about his parents seeing him in drag has the casting team crying buckets. If you saw the the revival you'll be bringing your own spoilers with you into Every Little Step but therest of you will enjoy the suspense. Who gets the parts?

If show tunes give you hives you'll want to steer clear. But you don't mind show tunes looping in your head for hours and hours after hearing them, this is good if occasionally shrill fun. Who knew how difficult "At the Ballet" was to sing without screeching?

Peripatetic (Hugh Jackman)
Poetic (Dollhouse)
and
Chic  (uh… Jason Statham, Zac Efron, Brüno? This Chorus Line intro has failed me).

More AFTER THE JUMP…

Statham_highvoltage Also opening this week: In 17 AGAIN, Matthew Perry gets inside Zac Efron's body (um, that came out wrong) to go back to high school. It's one of those Big type deals, only reversed. If you like your matinee idols rougher and with more miles on them, there's always Jason Statham clamping battery chargers to his nipples for your amusement in CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE. Is that the "crude and graphic sexual content" promised in the MPAA's rating? Perhaps there's a bit more, too. Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck are also back in STATE OF PLAY but personally, I'm over them. If I make it to the theater for this one, I'm pretending the movie is about Rachel McAdams and Dame Helen Mirren.

Take Two: Jump Cuts

 road Bruno exposes himself to Ron Paul. They always fall for it, don't they?

 road Novelist Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) apparently wants to lure Robert Downey Jr back into movie theaters to revisit his first meaty screen role, the addict/hustler from Less Than Zero. Ellis has written a follow up novel Imperial Bedrooms and Downey Jr's character Julian, now two decades older, is  "fragile, but sober."

Victor

 road Have you been watching Joss Whedon's Dollhouse? It just keeps getting more interesting. The premise is difficult to describe without it sounding reductive and as xtina might say "dirrty". Young beautiful humans ("dolls") who've signed their life away to a shady corporation are repeatedly implanted with new memories, personalities and skill sets in order to meet the needs (often sexual) of wealthy clients. There's no word yet on whether it's being renewed for a second season but we're guessing it's going to get gayer if it does. So far all the doll fantasies have been heteronormative and focused on headliner Eliza Dushku's considerable ass(etts). But they've been amping up the beefcak in the form of Tahmoh Penikett and Enver Gjokaj (left) lately. And in last Friday's episode, a carrot was dropped for the show's gay fans when a Dollhouse executive casually referenced how often the dolls are sent out on "same sex assignments". Say what?!? Oh Dollhouse… remember that showbiz axiom "show, don't tell". Show Dollhouse, show.

 road Hugh Jackman hits Seoul with Bean Pole actor/model Daniel Henney to promote Wolverine. Hugh also recently promised to donate 100K to someone's favorite charity if they can convince him with a 140 character tweet. Ha. Hugh Jackman… One singular sensation.

Topics: Film/TV/Stream, History, Music, News More Posts About: Film, Nathaniel Rogers, News

Related Posts
  • LGBTQ Pro Wrestling Documentary ‘Out In The Ring’ Wins Best Canadian Feature at Inside Out Toronto Film Festival
  • Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name
  • The Week in Pictures: May 13 – May 20
  • Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse

    Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse. Facebook’s parent company is planning to throw a kiki in their virtual universe, titled ‘Queens of the Metaverse’, which will …Read More »
  • Billy Eichner needed Bros to be ‘authentic’

    Billy Eichner needed Bros to be ‘authentic’

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Billy Eichner wouldn’t have signed up for ‘Bros’ if it wasn’t “authentic to gay audiences”. The 43-year-old comedian was first approached about the movie by producer Judd Apatow and director and …Read More »
  • Michelle Visage shocked by ‘introverted’ RuPaul

    Michelle Visage shocked by ‘introverted’ RuPaul

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Michelle Visage was shocked by how much of an “introvert” RuPaul is. The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ judge says the 61-year-old flamboyant drag legend and television star is actually “very reserved and …Read More »
  • U.S. House gives Biden a win with massive bill on climate change, drug prices

    U.S. House gives Biden a win with massive bill on climate change, drug prices

    Published by Reuters By David Morgan, Moira Warburton and Rose Horowitch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives approved a $430 billion bill on Friday that is seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. …Read More »
Previous Post: « Towleroad Guide to the Tube #466
Next Post: News: Susan Boyle, Washington, Timothy Dolan, Tennessee, Cuba »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Trump vs Biden again? The documents scandal makes it more likely

    Trump vs Biden again? The documents scandal makes it more likely

  • White House to circulate Afghanistan memo defending U.S. withdrawal – Axios report

    White House to circulate Afghanistan memo defending U.S. withdrawal – Axios report

  • Russian propagandists claim Moscow has been ‘studying’ Mar-a-Lago nuclear documents ‘for a while’

    Russian propagandists claim Moscow has been ‘studying’ Mar-a-Lago nuclear documents ‘for a while’

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Ellen Has Not Contacted Ex-Lover Anne Heche Following Fiery Crash Into LA Home

    Ellen Has Not Contacted Ex-Lover Anne Heche Following Fiery Crash Into LA Home

  • Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

    Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

  • New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

    New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

RSS Partner Links

  • Sofia Carson Dishes On If 'Purple Hearts' Will Have A Sequel
  • Gay History Lesson
  • Open Post: Hosted By The Thief Who Hid In A Giant Teddy Bear
  • The FBI Says That The Gun In The “Rust” Shooting Could Not Have Gone Off By Itself And The Trigger Was Pulled
  • Shakira Is Considering Moving Miami To Leave Behind Her Tax And Relationship Woes In Spain
  • Paulina Porizkova Responds to Plastic Surgeon Telling Her How She Should 'Fix' Her Face
  • Leslie Jordan show us his new condo!

Most Recent

  • Jennifer Lopez tells Britney Spears to ‘stay strong’

    Jennifer Lopez tells Britney Spears to ‘stay strong’

  • Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse

    Meta will hold the first ever drag show in the metaverse

  • Billy Eichner needed Bros to be ‘authentic’

    Billy Eichner needed Bros to be ‘authentic’

  • Michelle Visage shocked by ‘introverted’ RuPaul

    Michelle Visage shocked by ‘introverted’ RuPaul

  • U.S. House gives Biden a win with massive bill on climate change, drug prices

    U.S. House gives Biden a win with massive bill on climate change, drug prices

  • Robert De Niro pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ Anne Heche

    Robert De Niro pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ Anne Heche

  • Trump lawyer in June said classified material had been returned -NY Times

    Trump lawyer in June said classified material had been returned -NY Times

  • I want to spread positivity, says Billy Porter

    I want to spread positivity, says Billy Porter

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

×