A Chorus Line is a musical with a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.
The musical was derived from several taped sessions with Broadway dancers, aka "Gypsies," including eight who eventually appeared in the original cast. With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for chorus line members of a musical. The show gives a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to ...Read More
A Chorus Line is a musical with a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.
The musical was derived from several taped sessions with Broadway dancers, aka "Gypsies," including eight who eventually appeared in the original cast. With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for chorus line members of a musical. The show gives a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
A Chorus Line opened off-Broadway at The Public Theater on May 21, 1975. Advance word had created such a demand for tickets that the entire run sold out immediately. Producer Joseph Papp decided to move the production uptown, and on July 25 it opened at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 6,137 performances. It held the distinction of being the longest running show in Broadway history until its record was surpassed by Cats in 1997 and then The Phantom of the Opera in 2006. It currently stands as the fifth longest-running musical ever, following The Fantasticks, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Les Misérables.
The show was conceived, directed and co-choreographed (with Bob Avian) by Michael Bennett. The original cast starred Scott Allen, Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Ronald Dennis, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez, Donna McKechnie, and Thommie Walsh, and featured Nancy Lane, Kay Cole, Ron Kuhlman, Rick Mason, Don Percassi, Renee Baughman, Pamela Blair, Sammy Williams, Clive Clerk, and Trish Garland.
A Chorus Line received 12 Tony Award nominations, winning nine: Best Musical, Best Actress (McKechnie), Best Featured Actor (Sammy Williams), Best Featured Actress (Bishop), Best Director, Best Musical Book, Best Score (Hamlisch and Kleban), Best Lighting Design, and Best Choreography. It also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of the few musicals ever to receive this honor, and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play of the season.
Musical numbers "I Hope I Get It" (Company) "I Can Do That" (Mike) "And..." (Bobby, Richie, Val and Judy) "At the Ballet" (Sheila, Bebe and Maggie) "Sing!" (Kristine, Al and cast) "Montage Part 1: Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" (Company) "Montage Part 2: Nothing" (Diana) "Montage Part 3: Mother" (Company) "Montage Part 4: Gimme The Ball" (Company) "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three (Tits and Ass)" (Val) "The Music and the Mirror" (Cassie) "One" (Cast) "The Tap Combination" (Company) "What I Did for Love" (Diana and Company) "One" (Reprise) (Company)
Trivia During the musical's workshop sessions, random characters would be chosen at the end for the chorus, resulting in genuine surprise among the cast. Subsequent productions have the same set of characters winning their auditions. (William J. McKay, "Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line," Musicals 101, 1998.)
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