Life After Tomorrow

• Life After Tomorrow reunites more than 40 women who played orphans in the Broadway production of "Annie" and reveals the highs and lows of their experiences as child actresses in a cultural phenomenon. Once the curtain came down, many found it could be a hard-knock-life, fraught with out-of-control stage mothers, separation anxiety, and worst of all, pubescent growth spurts that could find

For over three decades, there's been one singular sensation: A Chorus Line, the groundbreaking hit musical inspired by the emotional lives of dancers during the audition process. Now the story comes full circle as a new documentary offers a revealing, unprecedented look at the auditions for the Broadway revival of the perennial classic, including interview footage with Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Charlotte d'Amboise, Marvin Hamlisch and Donna McKechnie to name a few. The music, the moves and the real-life d! rama - they're all here in a documentary that brings you closer to the footlights than you ever thought possible.The engaging documentary Every Little Step threatens to be woefully insular--after all, it's about dancers auditioning for a Broadway revival of a musical about dancers auditioning for a musical. But what makes the musical A Chorus Line work--aside from memorable songs and topnotch choreography--is that while not everyone wants to sing and dance, everyone has had to apply for a job. So everyone can identify with the emotions applying for a job evokes. Similarly, viewers who don't even sing in the shower will understand the chaotic mix of ambition, anxiety, hope, and resentment that's churning in these very talented performers as they go through their paces. Balancing the audition process are interviews with performers from the original production and the creative team who crafted A Chorus Line from stories told by many of those original perfo! rmers. The one missing voice is that of Michael Bennett, who o! riginate d the idea, shaped the process, and choreographed the dancing; fortunately, he's represented not only in affectionate anecdotes but also archival footage, including his touching acceptance speech when he won a Tony award for the show. Fans of A Chorus Line will find Every Little Step to be essential, but even the casual theatergoer will enjoy this backstage peek. --Bret FetzerMichael Douglas stars as a choreographer who subjects 16 dancers to a grueling audition in this Academy AwardÂ(r)-nominated* adaptation of the landmark Broadway musical. Featuring Marvin Hamlisch's OscarÂ(r)-nominated* music and Jeffrey Hornaday's (Flashdance) sizzling choreography, this thrilling portrayal of life behind the velvet curtain is truly "One Singular Sensation"! After narrowing down hundreds of Broadway hopefuls, Zach (Douglas) leads a select group of dancers on the tryout of their lives. In an audition twist, Zach asks each performer personal and intimate questionsw! ith results that powerfully affect not only the young performers but the hardened stage veteran as well. *1985: Original Song, Sound, Film EditingThe engaging documentary Every Little Step threatens to be woefully insular--after all, it's about dancers auditioning for a Broadway revival of a musical about dancers auditioning for a musical. But what makes the musical A Chorus Line work--aside from memorable songs and topnotch choreography--is that while not everyone wants to sing and dance, everyone has had to apply for a job. So everyone can identify with the emotions applying for a job evokes. Similarly, viewers who don't even sing in the shower will understand the chaotic mix of ambition, anxiety, hope, and resentment that's churning in these very talented performers as they go through their paces. Balancing the audition process are interviews with performers from the original production and the creative team who crafted A Chorus Line from stories to! ld by many of those original performers. The one missing voice! is that of Michael Bennett, who originated the idea, shaped the process, and choreographed the dancing; fortunately, he's represented not only in affectionate anecdotes but also archival footage, including his touching acceptance speech when he won a Tony award for the show. Fans of A Chorus Line will find Every Little Step to be essential, but even the casual theatergoer will enjoy this backstage peek. --Bret FetzerThe award winning Life After Tomorrow, a film by Julie Stevens and Gil Cates, Jr., reunites more than 40 women who played orphans in the original Broadway production of Annie and reveals the highs and lows of their experiences as child actresses in a cultural phenomenon. Once the curtain came down, many found it could be a hard-knock-life, fraught with out-of-control stage mothers, separation anxiety, and worst of all, pubescent growth spurts that could find the moppets being replaced by smaller, younger editions just waiting in the wings. As one ca! st member in the film remarks, The younger ones are coming to take your place and you're 12. It's not like you are getting downsized at 50...you're 12!. While their lives moved on, the impact of the experience remains. Features behind-the-curtain footage from the original Broadway production and performances with the re-united orphans.