When "A Chorus Line" made its Broadway debut in 1975, it was a stark reaction against campy period shows that were making musicals feel increasingly irrelevant. With modern themes -- a number of them strictly taboo at the time -- it was a seismic shift that reinvigorated the artform. It won nine Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and played for almost 15 years, making it the longest running show for a time (since eclipsed by "The Phantom of the Opera").

A touring production of the show's 2006 revival opened a one-week run at Keller Auditorium Tuesday night, begging the question: Does it still have deep emotional impact 33 years after it made history? For the most part, the answer is yes.

"A Chorus Line" follows 17 dancers who have made the first cut in a casting call for a Broadway show, with each of them digging into their personal background to explain how they became interested in theater. Many of their stories are rooted in universal complexities that remain as resonant today as ever -- dysfunctional families, the awkwardness of adolescence, and deeply rooted lack of confidence. Often, these moments prove heart-wrenching, like the song "At the Ballet," with three women describing how dance lessons offered an escape from troubling things that were happening on the homefront.

Two of the show's pivotal moments, however, seem diminished by the passage of time. "Dance: 10; Looks: 3" features a tiny dancer (played by the electric Natalie Elise Hall) celebrating her recent breast augmentation. In '75, it was a shocker because it contained one of George Carlin's seven words you couldn't say on television, and because cosmetic surgery was still a rarity. Now the profanity is commonplace, and face-lifts and tummy tucks are practically a national pastime. The other moment is a long monologue in which a conflicted young man (a nicely understated Kevin Santos) describes how his parents found out he was gay. Again, it's a topic that was rarely touched on then, and now feels de rigueur in our culture of over-sharing.

The best performance of the night is Gabrielle Ruiz, describing her initial problems learning to act in the hilarious "Nothing." And the cast includes Portland native Pilar Millhollen, who has some lovely vocal solos. Other performances didn't click: Anthony Wayne's interprets the basketball-loving Richie as if he was a sassy cast member on "Good Times"; and Nikki Snelson didn't have the dance chops to tackle the tough solo number "The Music and the Mirror."

Some of the songs in the Marvin Hamlisch score have almost become cliches over the years because of over-familiarity, most notably "One" and "What I Did for Love." Hearing them again in their original theatrical context -- alongside a faithful recreation of the late Michael Bennett's famous choreography -- restores their freshness.

"A Chorus Line" repeats at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.; $23.50-$68.50, www.ticketmaster.com, 503-790-2787, 503-241-1802.