In 1974 Broadway director and choreographer Michael Bennett sat down with a group of dancers and interviewed them in intimate detail about their lives, careers and aspirations. The transcripts of that 12-hour session became the basis for Bennett's extravagant new musical A Chorus Line which explored the passions, dedication, determination and personal stories of dancers keen to tread the boards on Broadway. The show scooped the pool at the 1976 Tony Awards, winning nine Tonys, went on to become a Broadway phenomenon and the longest running American musical in history. In 2006 Bennett's assistant director Bob Avian staged a revival. This superb fly on the wall documentary follows the gruelling casting process from the original call-out, through to the final selection. There are 17 roles to cast, and the producers are locked in to very specific casting choices because of the nature of the show and the characters. Ironically, art imitates life here as this documentary is about a group of dancers auditioning for a show about a group of actors auditioning for a role in a musical. Many do not make the cut, and those who are called back for further auditions are not guaranteed success. In an era when vapid reality TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, and their ilk, have made the auditioning process a forum for cruel put downs and the sarcastic wit of a panel of judges, Every Little Step is refreshingly upbeat, honest and positive. While we experience the elation of those dancers who are successful, we thankfully do not dwell too long on the tears and disappointments of those hopeful stars who, for one reason or another, are unsuccessful. In one extraordinary scene, Jason Tan's heart wrenching monologue for the key role of Paul, the drag queen, reduces theatre veteran Avian to tears. Co-directors James D Stern and Adam Del Deo have been granted unprecedented access to Bennett's original tape recordings, and this gives a deeper understanding about the show's genesis and what it is trying to do. The filmmakers, who have extensive experience in the theatre world themselves, juxtapose archival footage taken during the auditions for the original production with many of the hopefuls auditioning for this revival. There are fascinating and insightful interviews with Avian, as well as stars of the original production in Tony award winner Donna McKechnie, and the very demanding Baayork Lee, who played Connie and who is now choreographing the revival. An exhilarating insight into the world of musical theatre, Every Little Step is almost mandatory viewing for anyone with aspirations for pursuing a career on stage.

"Kiss today goodbye/ The sweetness and the sorrow . . ." A Chorus LineThe business of show business, its pain and its glory, is never better depicted than in A Chorus Line, the 1974 Broadway musical smash of Michael Bennett's genius, reprised on stage and film to this day. In a sense, it is always pointed "t'ward tomorrow" with its eternal production and well-deserved acclaim for its incisive depiction of young actors trying out for the big time, with all the attendant sweetness and sorrow of competition, call-backs, rejections, and triumphs.The documentary Every Little Step repeats that hard-won glory by recounting the process of the tryouts for the 2006 Broadway revival: The candidates go through the same Olympic-type workouts and tryouts as the characters in the fictional play, which itself was based on Bennett's interviews with young thespians. Not dull for a second, the doc watches several leading candidates on and off stage as they try for and sometimes win the roles that must fit them physically, temperamentally, and almost spiritually.Unforgettable is Jason Tam doing Paul's monologue (a veiled Michael Bennett role) about his parents and his homosexuality. His crying is so believable that Bob Avian, the original choreographer and collaborator with Bennett, cries himself. Avian, in a sympathetic Simon Cowell role, is brilliant dealing with candidates and selecting the winners. He gives a good name to all the impresarios responsible for the productions to which we award Tony's and Oscars.Watch out, this entertaining and tearful doc will get you looking on the web for a local revival of A Chorus Line, something that not even West Side Story could do."As we travel on, Love's what we'll remember! Kiss today goodbye, And point me t'ward tomorrow. We did what we had to do-- Won't forget, can't regret What I did for love . . ."

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for these types of documentaries. It weaves the story of how "A Chorus Line" was created (back in the mid-1970's) with the audition process for the 2006 Broadway revival. When I first saw the musical, a long time ago, I was young and didn't realize that the stories of each character were based on the real life stories of dancers. This film focuses on those stories, and how the current (2006) auditionees (is that a word?) are able (or not able) to convey those characters. In all honesty, I would have liked to hear more about the personal lives of the current auditionees. However, you do get some feeling about their backgrounds and their ambitions, and it's always awesome to see professional performers dance and sing without the lights and glitz of an actual performance. If you're a fan of musicals, this is a definite must see. However, if you're a fan of seeing passionate people strive for greatness, even if you're not a musical buff, I highly recommend it.

A documentary on the revival of "A Chorus Line" on Broadway in 2006. It goes over the rehearsals and has interviews with the casting directors, the dance instructor and Donna McKechnie (going over the original production). It focuses on various performers and shows their auditions. At the end we find out who gets the job--or doesn't. There's also some very grainy b&w footage from the original show.I saw a "Chorus Line" on stage multiple times in the 1980s. I found the play funny, sad, touching and just brilliant. I haven't seen it in ages but I clearly remember all the songs and characters. This documentary only focuses on the characters who have songs. Nothing wrong with that but it gets repetitious. I don't think I can ever listen to "Dance Ten, Looks Three" or "At the Ballet" again--they're done virtually nonstop here! Also some of the scenes look very staged, the direction is clumsy and some people appear and disappear at an alarming rate. Still the interviews are fun and there are little facts dropped throughout the movie that some people might not know. The best acting done here is by Jason Tam. He doesn't sing but he has a monologue about coming out to his parents and breaks down crying (it's in the play). His acting in that was just perfect and more than a few people in my audience were crying along with him. That alone was a highlight. Worth seeing if you're a gay man or a lover of "A Chorus Line". Slightly recommended.