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It had all the earmarks of a “Dartboard Five.” Tempe Little Theatre producing the dance-intensive A Chorus Line. Companies with far more resources are intimidated by the prospect of mounting the show, and a few on the same level have actually retreated from the announcement. Early on, on-the-QT phone calls were placed to lure performers to fill roles left vacant after the auditions. A few actors dropped, some “just between us” bad tidings were whispered, and an ominous cloud built over the Tempe Performing Arts Center. By the time I pulled up for the Sunday matinee, I was anticipating (and I must admit, in an evilly gleeful way) a slow motion train wreck. Once again, I was reminded about that little adage about ass-u-me-ing. The production is by no means perfect, but a funny thing happened on the way to the opening; the production team of director Jeffrey J. Davey, musical director Debra Jo Davey, and choreographer Noel Irick have found a way to play up the strengths of most of the performers while toning down a good amount of the deficiencies. This is community theatre at its best in recognizing the many limitations and working with what you’ve got to successfully create a cute evening of theatre.

In the land where casting is everything and compromise is inevitable, the Daveys and Irick have guided those with limitations to roles that give them a chance to succeed, and Irick has performed the enviable trick of keeping the chorography within the boundaries set by the lowest common denominator without making it look dumbed-down. Though the stage is much too cramped for the line and a lot of the group numbers look like a sardine concert, she has kept the production from looking absurd. Jeffrey Davey has created an envelope to the production, a pre-show keeping the audition feel that is a nice little touch.

There are a couple of multi-talented individuals. Jessica Ranalli’s Morales is yet another find from the Boston Conservatory, strong in singing, acting, and dance as you’d expect from that fine academy. Stefan Linder sings and taps up a storm as Mike when proves that he “can do zat.” While she doesn’t have the voice to carry it off, Deborah Ostreicher overcomes this when she impressively acts and dances her way through the bitchy role of Sheila.  There are a few dancing standouts. Brian K. Elam’s Richie is an energetic treat, and Matthew Harris, always strong in movement, does well as assistant Larry. Max Nussbaum has the advantage of being cheek-pinchingly cute as Mark but proves surprisingly adept at dance, especially for someone who looks like a red-headed Muppet turned into a real boy. There are stronger singers and there are strong actors like Mark Hackmann in the omnipresent role of Zach and Justin Decker’s heartbreaking Paul. There are also a few unavoidable disappointments, notably Kristen LaRue’s Cassie, though what could have been a disaster is made merely a wisp of wondering at what might have been through Irick’s clever choreography which finds a way to work into LaRue’s strengths as a limited dancer without being too clunky.

The design element somewhat undercuts Jeffrey Davey’s concept. Dave Durnil’s set design is exactly as it should be, but Davey allows Bob Nelson to do too many little effects that call attention to themselves much too often and take us right out of the nifty conceit he has set up through the pre-show and the first section of the production. These include the annoying individual light chase used a few times and the constant need to toss in color and splashy effects during some of the bigger numbers. Part of the strength of this show is in saving much of the razzle dazzle for “The Music and the Mirror,” but that is marginalized long before we get there. Debra Davey’s onstage orchestra is thankfully live, but often not in harmony (especially the wayward brass section), which could be passed off as an audition ensemble to the uninitiated, but really, who believes in an audition orchestra in the first place? Valerie Staller has come up with a genuine audition feel in costume, although there must have been something more flattering for a few of those odder body types onstage.