I’ve been watching Youtube videos all morning of the finale “One”–quite engrossing and entertaining. The movie version of ACL had some really bad features–changed some of the plot points, changed the sense of a couple of the songs, but most of all, you never get the long-range wide-angle view of the finale, which you’ve been waiting and waiting to see for the whole danged movie. You’ve watched them learn it, rehearse it, but you never get to SEE it in its full-blown glory. I understand why Fred Astaire insisted on full body long shots of all his dance numbers. Close-ups or upper body shots of dancers while they’re dancing just make no sense. Especially because in this number they are all supposed to lose their individuality and blend. I mean, you get to know them individually and intimately during the show, and then all of that dissolves into a blended unity at the end. Don’t need any stinkin’ closeups that distract from the whole-body action. Anyway, enough of that rant.
If you did perform in this show, please regale me with theater tales, anecdotes, amusing/tragic stories, emotional high/low points. I’ll bet to this day, if someone plays the intro to “One,” you could stand right up and do the whole thing. I’m guessing it’s now in the DNA of your bones.
BTW if you are a fan of this show, you must see Every Little Step, a documentary about creating and casting the original show. It is absolutely mesmerizing. I think you can watch the whole thing on Youtube.