Broadway’s game-changer comes to town for its golden anniversary

Posted on 8 September, 2025

Fifty years ago, a revolutionary musical changed Broadway forever. This spring, Canberrans get their chance to experience that same magic as Free-Rain Theatre Company brings A Chorus Line to The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre.

Opening Tuesday 30 September, this production celebrates both the musical’s golden anniversary and Free-Rain’s own 30-year milestone in our local theatre scene. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for a show that continues to resonate across generations.

A Chorus Line broke every rule when it premiered in 1975. Gone were elaborate costumes and fantastical plots. Instead, audiences found themselves watching dancers in rehearsal clothes, sharing raw, honest stories about their lives, dreams, and heartbreaks during an audition. The concept was radical then and still feels fresh today.

“At its heart, it’s about young people putting everything on the line to follow their dreams,” explains Director and Choreographer Michelle Heine. “That’s a story every generation can connect with.”

She’s right. The audition format that drives A Chorus Line mirrors today’s reality television landscape – The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance, and countless talent competitions all owe a debt to this “original reality show.” Younger audiences discovering the musical for the first time will recognise the format, even if they don’t know the history.

The songs remain undeniable. One, What I Did for Love, and I Hope I Get It have become standards, but they work because they capture universal experiences: competition, rejection, the desperate hope of belonging somewhere. Anyone who’s ever faced a job interview, auditioned for anything, or simply tried to stand out in a crowd will find something familiar in these characters’ stories.

Free-Rain Theatre Company brings serious credentials to this production. Their recent track record includes ambitious musicals like Billy Elliot, The Boy from Oz, and Sweet Charity – shows that demand both technical excellence and emotional depth. A Chorus Line requires both in abundance, with its demanding choreography and intimate character work.

The cast features Ylaria Rogers as Cassie, the former star trying to find her place in the chorus; Michael Cooper as Zach, the demanding director; and Lachlan Agett as Larry, the choreographer. Each performer carries the weight of characters who’ve become iconic in musical theatre history.

This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. A Chorus Line paved the way for modern musicals like Rent, Hamilton, and Dear Evan Hansen by proving that audiences craved authenticity over spectacle. The show’s influence runs through contemporary musical theatre like DNA.

The production runs until Sunday 19 October, giving theatre lovers plenty of opportunities to catch this milestone moment. Whether you’re discovering the show for the first time or revisiting a beloved classic, Free-Rain’s production promises to remind us why some stories never lose their power to move us.

After five decades, A Chorus Line remains what it always was: a celebration of the people who make theatre happen, told with honesty, heart, and some of Broadway’s most memorable music.