Every Little Step

In 1974, the late Michael Bennett sat down with a bunch of New York dancers to talk about their lives from midnight to dawn - a taped session that formed the basis of that singular sensation, the musical A Chorus Line. Bennett, a young hotshot choreographer, drafted in Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch (The Sting) and workshopped the production over a period of months - then an unheard-of way of putting together a Broadway show.

The genesis of the original 'reality musical' is dealt with in Every Little Step, but for the most part this engaging documentary goes meta, taking us through the audition process for the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway. That's right: it's a film about the audition process for a musical about the audition process. Fans of Australian Idol and So You Think You Can Dance will have no trouble enjoying this account of dashed hopes and dreams fulfilled against the odds - everyone loves an elimination, after all.

Thousands of performers tried out for the show, and auditioning took 18 months. Hopefuls ranged from those with little experience to over-cocky professionals just asking for a comeuppance. The camera observes the rehearsals, the run-throughs, the insincere wishes of good luck between rivals, and the laborious deliberations of the production team. No casting decision is easy; the only exception is Jason Tam, who walks into the audition for the part of Paul and makes everyone, even A Chorus Line co-creator Bob Avian, weep ("sign him up!" a tearful Avian declares).

Wisely, the directors structure the film around the great characters of A Chorus Line and unforgettable songs such as "At the Ballet", "Dance: 10; Looks: 3" and "What I Did for Love". And arguably, Every Little Step is more faithful to the spirit of A Chorus Line than Richard Attenborough's 1985 film adaptation, simply because it's steeped in the real anxieties and aspirations of real-life performers. We're left with a deep sense of admiration for those who are prepared to face rejection routinely in pursuit of a dream. Nick Dent