Avian watches over every little step of 'Chorus Line'

Talking to dancer/choreographer/director Bob Avian on the phone was a bit like listening to the unseen director in "A Chorus Line." You can imagine him trying to get to know the auditioners and using a gentle but firm hand to help them through the process.

Mr. Avian first met Michael Bennett when they both appeared in “Nowhere to Go But Up” (a show by James Lipton, of “Inside the Actors Studio) in 1962, and over the course of the next two decades they collaborated on “Promises, Promises,” “Coco,” “Company,” “Follies,” “Seesaw,” “God’s Favorite,” “A Chorus Line,” “Ballroom” and “Dreamgirls,” sharing the Tony for best choreography in “A Chorus Line” and “Ballroom.” He also produced and directed the 2006 revival of “A Chorus Line.”

With “A Chorus Line” coming here, and composer Marvin Hamlisch unavailable because of family obligations, Avian was the other member of Broadway royalty who was part of the original production and available to chat.

When I called and asked for “Mr. Avian,” he laughed and immediately said, “Call me Bob.” And although the man who has pretty much been the protector of Michael Bennett’s “A Chorus Line” for 34 years has probably answered ever question I thought to ask before, he answered with spirit and without any sign of boredom. (Thank you, Bob.)

One thing that didn’t make it into the print story was when I asked about the players in the touring company.

“I think we’ve discovered our next star on Broadway, a girl by the name of Robyn Hurder, who’s playing Cassie,” he said. “She came to us about a year, a year and a half ago, and we were considering her for a different role. She was so dynamic in her audition and her range was so phenomenal, that we gave her the Cassie material and she started working on it and she delivered so strongly. But she was in “Grease” at the time, and we couldn’t get her out. But we finally got her and she’s one of the strongest Cassies you’ll ever see. I’m thrilled with her.
He also has nice things to say about Hurder’s husband, Clyde Alves, “who’s in the ‘I Can Do That’ role.” 

I mention that I’ve talked to Bethany Moore, who plays Judy in the touring company, as part of a question, and he interrupts to say, “She’s wonderful, by the way.”

I had asked Bethany, who’s a delight to talk to and so excited to be back in Pittsburgh and on the Heinz Hall stage, to give me a question for Marvin Hamlisch when I thought I was going to talk to him.

She said she’d watched the documentary, “Every Little Step,” about the making of the 2006 Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line.” It debuted at the Toronto Film Festival last year and is set for an April 17 release.

Ask him about the song “Dance: 10; Looks: 3,” she said with a giggle.

A recent playbill.com story on the documentary finishes with:

“In addition to highlights of “I Can Do That” and “At the Ballet,” “Every Little Step” features A Chorus Line’s Tony-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, who discusses the history of the musical and how “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” almost didn’t make the cut in 1975.”

Bob Avian is interviewed for the doc, too.