Truth is not only stranger than fiction, but it’s often more dramatically satisfying. Take
Every Little Step, an under-the-radar documentary that played theaters for an eye blink earlier this year. I’d heard good things about it, and so I checked out the DVD — and within five minutes, was riveted, edge of my seat, pulled forward by the most important question any film can force you to ask: What happens next? Directed by James Stern and Adam Del Deo,
Every Little Step revolves around the smash Broadway hit
A Chorus Line, uncovering the roots and influence of the original 1975 production while following a group of hopefuls as they audition for the 2006 Broadway revival of the show.And already, it all sounds too good to not enjoy: A documentary about a group of struggling performers desperate for a job in the ultimate musical about a group of struggling performers desperate for a job? To be honest, the mere basics of the
Every Little Step pitch make it sound appealing, but Stern and Del Deo’s access and execution make it enthralling. Not only do Stern and Del Deo have access to the original tapes choreographer Michael Bennett made when he gathered some of his dancer friends to his New York Apartment to talk about their lives — tapes that would, in time, become the songs and monologues in
A Chorus Line –but they also have access to the entire audition process for the 2006 revival, from open calls where thousands line up for a shot to the agonizing call-backs and readings where 5 contenders are cut to 4 are cut to 2 until one person gets the part.
