A Chorus Line - The Music and the Mirror - Charlotte d'Amboise

A Chorus Line
2006 Broadway Revival
The Music and the Mirror
Charlotte d'Amboise

[wickedphantm]

When she does that double jazz turn at 6:06... and she slows down the second revolution so she can step out exactly on the musical accent. Stunning.

[TNalepka]

That was a full ten minutes of full out. That was what we should aim to do. HOT DAMN.

[Leannejones]

This woman really does deserve more recognition!!

[michaelperez]

I danced professionally for 15 years, saw McKechnie perform Cassie on ACL's National Tour in 1986, and I can say with some authority that Charlotte D'Amboise is NOT sloppy here, has a unique and fervent accent to her execution of the steps -- always musical but somewhat more muscular than Donna, who is the only dancer I've ever seen who looked like she was literally gliding and floating along the ground as she moved. Never seen anything like her since and never will! Charlotte is living this role and showing us every inch of her soul in the process, and I love it as much as I did seeing Donna perform live (the memory of which still leaves me totally thrilled -- I guess there's really no need to compare, as Donna is in a class by herself).

[eelnai]

Fantastic dancing and music aside, the line "I don't want to wait on tables. And what I really don't want to be doing is teaching others what I should be doing myself" is fucking excellent and really hits home for me

[CarolineSarahh]

my GOD that trumpet solo always brings tears to my eyes

[theoperatripleaxel]

Im a singer, but Cassey's monologue makes me cry... All artists can cry with this monologue.

[erinnedb]

Really love her Cassie. That "god!" at 4:09 was so well done. What others see as "sloppiness" I see as an easy gracefulness and elegance befitting where Cassie is at in her journey. In fact, it takes me out of the performance when the dancing is too "prim and proper" or technically perfect where it seems like the actress is just trying to hit all her marks. Charlotte d'Amboise puts so much passion and gravitas in Cassie it's absolutely breathtaking to watch.

[thp]

The acting here is exquisite! You feel her desperation in her dialogue, singing and dancing! She’s a genius.

[lucasbrunosales]

I always come back to this performance when I want to have my mind blown. I have absolutely no idea why people criticize her in this part: her vocals aren’t the strongest ever but they give me chills in this, her acting is on point and her dancing is BRILLIANT! This will forever be one of my favorite videos and definitely my favorite rendition of this iconic number.

[CarmenZynger]

Beautiful! I saw Charlotte back in the 80's when she was in Cats. My girlfriend was also in Cats (a job I helped her get) and we met. Years later I saw she was in Chorus Line. I got tickets, and tickets to Gypsy. Missed them both. Got diagnosed with cancer. But I'm back. And Charlotte is still magnificent! I love her singing! Go girl!

[lucasr]

I kind of hate that some even dare to criticize this performance. Out of every Cassie I’ve watched on YouTube/seen live, she is 100% the most believable Cassie. Absolutely tugs at my heartstrings every time. Her monologue? Heart wrenching. Her voice? Not very “pretty” but URGENT and POWERFUL. Her dancing? Like her life depended on it. She is Cassie to me. I could honestly write a damn essay on why I like this performance so much over other Cassies, but it boils down to her combination of passion and relatability.

[heidiseawitch]

All the passion that comes through in Charlotte's acting and then when she dances her passion is magnified 100x over and over again.

[Joeysmagictarot]

She’s one of the best Cassie’s this show has ever had!

[Starisborne]

Acting, well done, dancing on pointe to the max as if she made it up herself on the spot or rehearsed for a lifetime, singing really good, me, fell in love again

[aaronford]

How tf has this not gone viral. I've seen this number performed by many women and she by far the best. Her acting choices and her dancing. Elegance.

[sfgjm]

D'Amboise is an excellent Cassie and her performance demonstrates that she earned the right to join the elite group of women who have performed the role on Broadway. I think it's notable that she found a fresh take on the role especially regarding her interactions with Zach. For those obsessed with comparing her to McKechnie, the mid-1980s videos show that her performance had significantly diminished (of course she was amazing in the 1970s because the dance was created to showcase her considerable strengths). So, it doesn't seem fair to compare people to the 1970s McKechnie if McKechnie herself suffers from that comparison. Also, a moment-by-moment comparison seems inappropriate: didn't each Broadway Cassie have their own slightly different version of the dance? And, D'Amboise's singing is great! Some might not prefer the brassier version but she belts it out well and the portion inserted after the first section of the dance doesn't seem to suffer one bit from the physical exertion. They were lucky to find her. Her interpretation and talent really helped the revival feel fresh and interesting.

[ashareeoo]

My God, she really has no problem putting her full self out there on the stage in her acting and dancing. Wowza

[AlanNJUSA]

Charlotte deserves more recognition. She is an artist of the highest caliber. She is a BRILLIANT gem. I hope she gets to originate a big role and be acknowledged for her talents with a Tony or an Emmy.

[savshore]

Charlotte D'amboise is simply magnificent