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In November, the VCU theater department put on a fabulous production of A Chorus Line in honor of the 50th anniversary of the musical’s opening on Broadway. The show takes place entirely at an audition for a Broadway musical, and each character is auditioning for an ensemble part.
Throughout the show, the characters share their stories and how they came to be on Broadway: girls who grew up in homes that were not nourishing but who found beauty and solace in ballet class; a boy who saw his sister dancing and said to himself, “I can do that!” and made it a career. After one of the dancers injures his leg and is rushed to the hospital, the others consider why they persevere despite the precariousness of their careers in the song, “What I Did for Love.”
While I certainly was not expecting any Advent inspiration from this musical, I now see people doing things for love everywhere. At a time of great need, our food pantry is full of donations: all that food was given for love. The farmers at our market work tirelessly to grow the best food and be as kind to the earth as possible: that work is done for love. My good friend and I see each other every weekend: we nourish our friendship for love. And Jesus, love incarnate, came to live in our messy world for the sake of love. This Advent, I find that the more love I see, the warmer my heart becomes, and the more prepared I am to welcome Jesus into the world.
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