Theatre By The Sea opens its summer season with a dazzling old chestnut of a musical, “A Chorus Line.”

The musical, which plays for nearly two and a half hours without intermission, takes place at a Broadway audition, where 17 dancers are trying out for eight positions on the chorus line of a new show.

Scenic Designer Kyle Dixon has created one amazing illusion, which stuns you as you walk into the old barn theatre.

The wall-to-wall mirror used in the audition space creates an illusion of an enormous stage, with the audience looking back at itself. It grabs you and holds on to you until the final reprise.

The first time I saw the classic show, the guy seated behind me told his wife, “There’s no story!”

No,  there are 17 stories, all told by the young (and one not-so-young) dancers who “really need this job”). The 17 dancers squeeze into the line from stage left to stage right, as one-by-one they tell a bit about themselves, at times singing and dancing.

Cassidy Stoner stands out as Cassie the aging (for a dancer), out of work, former girlfriend of the director who is willing to settle for a place on the line because of her love of dancing.

Erica Perez-Gotay closes the show, backed by the chorus line, with one of the great songs from the show, “What I Did for Love,” which sums up why they are all there.

The musical then ends with a dazzling rendition of “One” in full costumes, designed by Matthew Kilgore.

If you love the theatre and like good singing and dancing, this is the show for you.

Warning: You will be humming that mesmerizing song for weeks after.

“A Chorus Line is at Theatre By The Sea through June 22.

Tickets are available online at theatrebythesea.com or by calling 782-8587.