CULVER CITY, CALIF. (August 12, 2009) – Every Little Step — a portrait of the struggle to achieve a dream as seen through the mounting of the smash Broadway show, “A Chorus Line” — arrives on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment October 13. The Sony Pictures Classics documentary captures the magic of the show by following auditions and casting of the successful 2006 stage revival, while at the same time exploring the history of A Chorus Line, from late director/choreographer Michael Bennett’s ground-breaking concept of inviting Broadway chorus performers to tell their real stories, to the show becoming an international phenomenon from the 1970s through the 1990s. The film features interview footage with Broadway legends Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Jacques & Charlotte d’Amboise, Baayork Lee, Marvin Hamlisch and Donna McKechnie, to name a few. Life imitates art in Every Little Step which was chosen as an official selection at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, 2008 Berlin Film Festival and 2009 New Directors/New Films and subsequently won high praise from critics. The film was directed and produced by Tony Award® winning James D. Stern (“Stomp,” “Hairspray”) and Adam Del Deo (So Goes the Nation, The Year of Yao).
Every Little Step not only compares and contrasts the original musical with the 2006 revival, it also takes viewers behind the scenes for actual auditions (including peeks at many of the show’s beloved song and dance numbers), as well as candid interviews with hopeful performers and those who decide their fate. Bonus features include deleted scenes, a commentary with directors Adam Del Deo & James D. Stern and composer Marvin Hamlisch, and a featurette on Donna McKechnie. The Sony Pictures Classics film will be available on DVD for $28.96 SRP.
More About “A Chorus Line”
“A Chorus Line” debuted at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York April 15, 1975 and ran for 101 performances. It moved uptown to the Shubert Theatre July 25 where it stayed for 15 years and 6,137 performances and became at the time the longest-running Broadway production in history. Directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban and music by Marvin Hamlisch, the show’s stars included Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez, Robert LuPone and Sammy Williams. “A Chorus Line” won nine Tony Awards, the Drama Critics Circle Award and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It remains the longest running Broadway musical originally produced in the United States, and the fourth longest-running Broadway show ever.
Synopsis
For over three decades, there’s been one singular sensation: A Chorus Line, the groundbreaking hit musical inspired by the emotional lives of dancers during the audition process. Now the story comes full circle as a new documentary offers a revealing, unprecedented look at the auditions for the Broadway revival of the perennial classic, including interview footage with Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Jacques & Charlotte d’Amboise, Baayork Lee, Marvin Hamlisch and Donna McKechnie, to name a few. The music, the moves and the real-life drama – they’re all here in a documentary that brings you closer to the footlights than you ever thought possible.
SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
• Commentary with directors Adam Del Deo & James D. Stern, and composer Marvin Hamlisch
• Deleted Scenes
• Donna McKechnie: In Conversation
• An Interview with John Breglio, Bob Avian and Baayork Lee
