The cast of A Chorus Line.

Chorus lines I’m a big fan of.

Give me an entire musical about one, and I’m ecstatic. So when A Chorus Line, the Broadway show that collected 9 Tony Awards plus a Pulitzer Prize for drama, I’m ready to applaud.

A Chorus Line, Dallas Summer Musicals’ latest offering at The Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas, revives the classic story of the show that once was a smash hit on Broadway. From the opening number’s pulsating beat to the swell of the finale, the tale remains relevent to people who ever wanted something badly enough to put themselves literally on the line.

The musical about dancers auditioning for a Broadway musical examines the stories behind each dancer’s journey to make it on stage. Conceived by the late Michael Bennett, the show that orginally ran on Broadway from 1975 to 1990 earned the title at that time as the longest-running musical ever. It’s an entrancing story told through music and dance that those who love musical theater find difficult to resist.

The touring company stopping in Dallas through July 19 brings a strong line-up of dancers performing choreography re-staged by Baayork Lee, a member of the original cast. After what passes for an “orchestra” with some touring companies, the full sound of this orchestra can especially be appreciated with Marvin Hamlisch’s incredible music. Highlights of the current production include Mindy Dougherty in the sassy Dance 10, Looks 3 and Rebecca Riker in the heartfelt What I Did for Love.

The music is great and the dancing is superior, still this company falls short of hitting all its marks, such as when some of the lines are lost in the large Fair Park hall. Each dancer, too, plays a certain type in the chorus, but all should look the part of a dancer. Some of the performers, although able to leap, turn and kick, possess bodies not resembling those of a working dancer, unconvincing in the competitive world of dance.

None of that, though, detracts enough to prevent the show’s enjoyment. The music is intense and hypnotic, and though I’ve seen it A Chorus Line several times, I still hold my breath each time the chorus is chosen. When the final production number kicks into action, I want to tip my own top hat. And if the hat can’t be tipped to this particular cast, I’d still tip it to the music, the dance and the concept.