‘A Chorus Line’—from Broadway to Christchurch

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 22

‘A Chorus Line’—from Broadway to Christchurch

Manager babysits company

On the “A Chorus Line” set they call Sarah Vardi- - gans Mom.

As company manager it . is the Londoner’s job to solve the problems, any . problem, not related to the action on stage. Transport, accommodation, administration, appendicitis — they all come into her domain.

She describes her job of looking after the musical’s cast and production crew as that of “babysitter.”

It was a role she fell into by accident after living in Italy for 18 months when she left college. She had studied history and economics and Italian, and Italy seemed the best place to travel. After 18 months of teaching English she was ready for a change and when one of her students suggested she take a job as a tour manager for an Italian performing arts organisation, Ater, she jumped at the chance. Initially she was responsible for touring companies from other coun-

tries through Italy. Then she moved on to running the organisation’s own ballet company, Aterballeto.

She wanted to expand beyond Italy and spent two years working on contacts to get work as a freelance company manager.

Now, eight and a half years later, producers about to take a show on tour contact her. That is not always easy as she has no permanent office. They simply have to find her wherever she happens to be in the world.

She says she has spent hardly any time in her native England in the last few years.

“I have never done a tour in England and never toured an English company.” Her tours are mainly with dance or dance-re-lated productions, mainly because that is where her contacts are best.

The present world tour of the Broadway musical, “A Chorus Line,” is her first involvement with

that show. She joined it on a European tour last year three weeks late because of commitments with La Scala Ballet in the United States.

She does a lot of work now with European companies touring the United States or American companies in Europe.

“I did drama at school but never thought of it as a career. It wasn’t until Italy and the chance with Ater came along that I knew I could make a career of organisation in theatre.”

She says she enjoys the administration of theatre and has no desire to leave the wings for centre stage. She has met many artistic temperaments in the

shows she has managed but the one she remembers is Rudolf Nureyev.

“Touring with him was a real experience. I learnt a lot about biting my tongue and saying nothing.”

New Zealand has so far proved trouble-free for the company manager — especially when compared to Japan.

“We had 10 weeks of people saying no. New Zealand has been great.” The only real problem has been the loss of one of the dancers with appendicitis halfway through the Auckland season. But, Sarah Vardigans says, he will rejoin the show at its next venue after New Zealand — Paris.