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A Chorus Line
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Based on the book by Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood, "A Chorus Line" is the story of a group of performers auditioning for parts in the chorus of a Broadway show. During the audition process, the performers begin to reveal their most personal stories in interviews with the director. They tell of their loves, hates, ambitions, childhoods, families and careers. At the end of the show eight successful auditioners are picked and then a final glitzy song and dance number is performed by the entire cast.
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When news emerged that "A Chorus Line" was returning to Broadway in a revival virtually identical to its 1975 debut production, the surrounding debate ranged from skepticism to cautious approval. Was it misguided to resurrect the iconic musical as a museum piece, or wise to acknowledge that Michael Bennett's superlative original staging couldn't be bettered? Was it too soon? Too dated? Those concerns are valid, but ... immaterial. The thrill of discovery can never be repeated, and the legendary synergy of that first cast, many of whom were part of the development process, is lost forever.
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Prior to the first performance of A Chorus Line at the Public Theater the original company collectively had appeared in 72 Broadway shows, 17 national companies and 9 bus and truck tours in which they gave a total of 37,095 performances. Collectively they had 612 years of dance training with 748 teachers - counting duplications. They spent approximately $894 a month on dance lessons. While performing they sustained 30 back, 26 knee and 36 ankle injuries.
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Instead of a standard plot, A Chorus Line had what might be called a "staging scheme." Presented without intermission, that scheme was a simple one. At an audition for an upcoming Broadway production, a director and a choreography assistant choose seventeen dancers. The director tells them he is looking for a strong dancing chorus of four boys and four girls, and he wants to learn more about them. They are then told to talk about themselves. "I Hope I Get It" is a ten minute sequence, one of the most exciting openings in all musical theatre.
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A Chorus Line originated as a production of the New York Shakespeare Festival and opened at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre on April 16, 1975. It didn't take long for folks to realize the impact of the show and it quickly made the move to Broadway, opening on July 25, 1975, at the Shubert Theater. The show was an instant sensation and garnered twelve 1976 Tony Award® nominations and went on to win nine. Besides the show's award for best musical, Michael Bennett was honored for his direction, as well as choreography with Bob Avian. James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante won for best book, Messrs Hamlisch and Kleban scored for music and lyrics, and Ms Musser won for her lighting. Acting awards went to Donna McKechnie, Sammy Williams and Carole Bishop.
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During its years on Broadway, A Chorus Line celebrated a long string of triumphs and made theatrical stars out of the original 27 cast members and celebrities from the small army of the 483 replacements who followed them. The show's total New York box office gross was well over $149 million. Having already surpassed Hello Dolly! and Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line reached yet another milestone on September 29, 1983, celebrating its record-breaking 3,389th performance by surpassing Grease to be Broadway's longest running musical to date at that time. This special performance featured past cast members rejoining their current counterparts on stage, including a parade down the aisles in the gold-sequined costumes they all wore for the show's finale. It was one of the most magical theatrical moments in Broadway's history.
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A Chorus Line