Is A Chorus Line gospel?

Director Bob Avian seems to be treating it as such in the touring production of the Broadway revival, now playing at the National Theatre.

This, for all intents and purposes, is the same show that surprised and delighted Broadway audiences back in 1975. No attempts at modernization, no choreographic tinkering. Even the leotards are the same.

The loyalty will be appreciated by A Chorus Line purists who never got the chance to see the show for themselves on Broadway. But A Chorus Line is no museum piece, not an obscure, undiscovered gem. This was the longest running show there in its day, and really hasn’t been absent all that long. An untouched, reverent revival feels out of place, especially when contrasted with the original intent of the show. These were characters born out of real-life individuals, a Broadway reality show before the term even existed. Watching a carbon copy of this vibrant, originally innovative work feels a little hollow.