Theatre Aspen Revives A Chorus Line With Athletic Choreography

“A mix of pride — remembering my time here and what we built and expectations to want to deliver something that is worthy of the place.”

Paige Price says that when she talks about returning to Theatre Aspen. It’s July 3 through 25. The venue is hosting A Chorus Line. It’s her first time back as a guest artist in nine years. She left as executive artistic director in 2017. She held that post for a decade. Now she’s back, directing a production that aims to shake up a classic.

The show debuted off-Broadway in April 1975. It hit Broadway by July of that same year. It’s a cultural anchor. But Price isn’t just dusting off the script. She’s keeping the words exactly as they were written. Not a single line is changed. The choreography, though? That’s all new. Except for the finale. The iconic number “One” stays true to its roots. Everything else moves.

“We are not changing a word of the script, but we are changing the choreography,” Price said.

The goal is kinetic energy. It’s athletic. It’s loud. The original musical often featured dancers stepping out of the line to tell their stories in solitude. This version keeps the ensemble together. Most numbers involve the whole group. They participate in the memories. They share the stage.

“Every inch of the stage is used by the whole company,” Price said.

Take “At the Ballet.” In the original, there was some dancing upstage. Here, an entire world of ballet swirls around the main characters. It’s not just background. It’s immersion. Greg, one of the characters telling his story, doesn’t stand alone anymore. Backup singers join him. The stage breathes with the cast.

“I would venture to say this is a very athletic version of ‘A Chorus Line,’” Price said. “Athletic, kinetic: Those two words say it all.”

The story itself hasn’t changed. It’s still about 17 dancers auditioning for hard-won roles in a chorus. They get cut. They step into the spotlight. They share their deepest experiences. One dancer struggles to find her voice. Another feels “nothing” in an acting class. Others recall ballet as an escape from unhappy childhoods. Some reflect on the awkward transition into adolescence.

Price sees a direct line from the past to the future. The dreams don’t change. The devotion doesn’t change. The sacrifice doesn’t change.

“I like the connection from the past to the future,” she said. “There’s a timelessness to this story. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish: the timelessness of the actual experience of the dancer hasn’t changed.”

Theatre Aspen is a pillar in Aspen’s cultural landscape. Price helped update the production while honoring that legacy. She knows the weight of the venue. She knows what the community expects. It’s not just about putting on a show. It’s about delivering something worthy of the place.

The theater will be full of movement. The dancers will be sweating. The audience will be watching every inch of the stage. It’s a return to form for Price. It’s a fresh take on a familiar story. And it’s happening right here in Aspen.