''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " EGOT ...
, lyrics by
Edward Kleban Edward "Ed" Kleban (April 30, 1939 – December 28, 1987) was an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. Kleban was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1939 and graduated from New York's High School of Music & Art and Columbia Universi ...
, and a book by
James Kirkwood Jr.
James Kirkwood Jr. (August 22, 1924 – April 21, 1989) was an American playwright, author and actor. In 1976 he received the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the Broadway h ...
and
Nicholas Dante
Nicholas Dante (November 22, 1941 – May 21, 1991
from '' ...
.
Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
dancers
auditioning for spots on a
chorus line
A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed.
Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms su ...
. ''A Chorus Line'' provides 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.
Following several workshops and an
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production, ''A Chorus Line'' opened at the
Shubert Theatre on Broadway July 25, 1975, directed by
Michael Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...
. An unprecedented box office and critical hit, the musical received twelve
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nominations and won nine, in addition to the 1976
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...
.
The original Broadway production ran for 6,137 performances, becoming the
longest-running production in Broadway history until surpassed by ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'' in 1997, and the longest-running Broadway musical originally produced in the US, until surpassed in 2011 by the revival of ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
''. It remains the
seventh longest-running Broadway show ever. ''A Chorus Line''s success has spawned many successful productions worldwide. It began a lengthy run in the
West End in 1976 and was revived on Broadway in 2006, and in the West End in 2013.
Synopsis
The show opens during an audition for an upcoming Broadway production. The formidable director Zach and his assistant choreographer Larry put the 24 dancers through their paces. Every dancer is desperate for work ("I Hope I Get It"). After a round of cuts, 17 dancers remain. Zach tells them he is looking for a strong 8-member dancing chorus of four boys and four girls. Wanting to learn more about them, he asks the dancers to introduce themselves. Reluctantly, the dancers reveal their pasts. The stories generally progress chronologically from early life experiences through adulthood to the end of a career.
The first candidate, Mike Costa, explains that he is the youngest of 12 children. He recalls his first experience with dance, watching his sister Rosalie's dance class when he was a preschooler ("I Can Do That"). Mike replaced her one day when she refused to go to class—and he stayed. Bobby Mills tries to hide his unhappy childhood by making jokes. As he speaks, the other dancers distrust this strange audition process and debate what they should reveal to Zach ("And..."), but since they all need the job, the session continues.
Zach is angered that the streetwise Sheila Bryant is seemingly not taking the audition seriously. Opening up, she reveals that her mother married at a young age and her father neither cared about nor loved them. At age six she realized, as had fellow auditionees Bebe Benzenheimer and Maggie Winslow, that ballet helped her escape her unhappy family life ("At the Ballet"). Scatterbrained and
tone-deaf Kristine Urich-DeLuca laments being unable to sing, while her husband Al finishes her phrases in tune ("Sing").
Mark Anthony, the youngest dancer, relates his first exposure to the female anatomy and his first
wet dream, while the other dancers share their own memories of adolescence ("Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love"). The 4'10" Connie Wong laments the problems of being short, and Diana Morales recollects her horrible high school acting class (
"Nothing"). Don Kerr remembers his first job at a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
and Judy Turner reflects on her problematic childhood while some auditioners talk about their parents' opinions ("Mother"). Greg Gardner discusses discovering his homosexuality and Richie Walters recounts nearly becoming a
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
teacher ("Gimme the Ball"). Finally, the newly-
buxom Val Clark explains that talent alone isn't everything, and silicone and
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
can really help improve one's image and career prospects ("Dance: Ten; Looks: Three").
The dancers go downstairs to learn a song for the audition's next section, but experienced dancer Cassie Ferguson, who has had notable successes as a soloist, stays onstage to talk to Zach. They have a history together: Zach had previously cast her in a featured part, and they had lived together for several years. Zach tells Cassie that she is too good for the chorus and shouldn't be at this audition. However, she explains her current inability to find solo work and is willing to "come home" to the chorus where she can at least express her passion for dance ("The Music and the Mirror"). Zach relents and sends her downstairs to learn the dance combination.
Zach calls Paul San Marco, who has been reluctant to share his past, onstage for a private talk, and he emotionally relives his childhood and teenage years, his early career in a
drag act, facing his manhood and his homosexuality, and his parents ultimately discovering his lifestyle and disowning him for it, before breaking down, with Zach comforting him. Cassie and Zach's complex relationship resurfaces during a run-through of the number created to showcase an unnamed star ("One"). Zach confronts Cassie, feeling that she is "dancing down," and they rehash the issues in their relationship and her career. Zach points to the machine-like movement of the other dancers, who have all blended together and will probably never be recognized individually, and mockingly asks if she wants this. Cassie defiantly defends the dancers: "I’d be proud to be one of them. They’re wonderful....They’re all special. I’d be happy to be dancing in that line. Yes, I would...and I'll take chorus...if you'll take me."
During a
tap sequence, Paul falls and injures his knee that recently underwent surgery. After Paul is carried off to the hospital, all at the audition stand in disbelief, realizing that their careers can also end in an instant. Zach asks the remaining dancers what they will do when they can no longer dance. Diana leads the company in "
What I Did for Love").The final eight dancers are selected: Mike, Cassie, Bobby, Judy, Richie, Val, Mark, and Diana.
"One" (reprise/finale) begins with an individual bow for each of the 19 characters, their hodgepodge rehearsal clothes replaced by identical spangled gold costumes. As each dancer joins the group, it is suddenly difficult to distinguish one from the other: ironically, each character who was an individual to the audience seems now to be an anonymous member of a never-ending
ensemble
Ensemble may refer to:
Art
* Architectural ensemble
* Ensemble (album), ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album
* Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary
* Ensemble cast (drama, comedy)
* Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the ...
.
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!
''SING!'' is an annual student-run musical production put on by some high schools in New York City. It is a theater competition between the various grades, with the setup between grades differing from school to school (such as sophomore-freshman vs ...
" – Kristine, Al, and Company
* "Montage Part 1:
Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" – Mark, Connie, and Company
* "Montage Part 2:
Nothing
Nothing, the complete absence of anything, has been a matter of philosophical debate since at least the 5th century BC. Early Greek philosophers argued that it was impossible for ''nothing'' to exist. The atomists allowed ''nothing'' but only i ...
" – Diana
* "Montage Part 3: Mother" – Don, Judy, Maggie, and Company
* "Montage Part 4: Gimme the Ball" – Greg, Richie, and Company
* "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" – Val
* "The Music and the Mirror" – Cassie
* "
One" – Company
* "The Tap Combination" – Company
* "
What I Did for Love" – Diana and Company
* "One (Reprise)/Finale" – Company
Original cast album
Issued by Columbia Records (PS33581) containing the following tracks:
Side One
* "I Hope I Get It" – Company
* "I Can Do That" – Mike (Wayne Cilento)
* "At the Ballet" – Sheila (Kelly Bishop), Bebe (Nancy Lane), Maggie (Kay Cole)
* "Sing!" – Kristine (Renee Baughman), Al (Don Percassi)
* "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" (Montage) – Company
* "Nothing" – Diana (Priscilla Lopez)
Side Two
* "The Music and the Mirror" – Cassie (Donna McKechnie)
* "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" – Val (Pamela Blair)
* "One" – Company
* "What I Did For Love" – Diana and Company
* "One (Reprise)/Finale" – Company
Charts
Notable casts
Notes
Characters
* Zach – The imperious, successful director running the audition
* Larry – Zach's assistant
The Auditionees
* Don Kerr (#5) – A married man who once worked in a strip club
* Maggie Winslow (#9) – A sweet woman who grew up in a broken home
* Mike Costa (#81) – An aggressive dancer who learned to tap at an early age
* Connie Wong (#149) – A petite Chinese-American who seems ageless
* Greg Gardner (#67) – A sassy Jewish gay man who divulges his first experience with a woman
* Cassie Ferguson – A once successful solo dancer down on her luck and a former love of Zach's
* Sheila Bryant (#152) – A sassy, sexy, aging dancer who tells of her unhappy childhood.
* Bobby Mills (#84) – Sheila's best friend who jokes about his conservative upbringing in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
* Bebe Benzenheimer (#37) – A young dancer who only feels beautiful when she dances
* Judy Turner (#23) – A tall, gawky, and quirky dancer
* Richie Walters (#44) – An enthusiastic black man who once planned to be a kindergarten teacher
* Al DeLuca (#17) – An Italian-American who takes care of his wife
* Kristine Urich-DeLuca (#10) – Al's scatterbrained wife who can't sing
* Val Clark (#179) – A foul-mouthed but excellent dancer who couldn't get performing jobs because of her looks until she had plastic surgery
* Mark Anthony (#63) – The youngest dancer, who recounts the time he told his priest he thought he had
gonorrhea
Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium '' Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with ...
* Paul San Marco (#45) – A gay
Puerto Rican who dropped out of high school and survived a troubled childhood
* Diana Morales (#2) – Paul's friend, another Puerto Rican who was underestimated by her teachers
Cut Dancers
* Tricia (#131) – A dancer who prays for a job
* Vicki (#60) – A dancer who's never studied ballet
* Lois (#63) – A dancer who excels in ballet
* Roy (#36) – A dancer who can't seem to get the right arms for the dance
* Butch (#14) – A dancer who gives attitude in the audition
* Tom (#40) – A dancer who is also an all-American jock
* Frank (#59) – A dancer who keeps looking at his feet
Production history
The musical was formed from several taped workshop sessions with Broadway dancers, known as "gypsies," including eight who eventually appeared in the original cast. The sessions were originally hosted by dancers Michon Peacock and Tony Stevens. The first taped session occurred at the Nickolaus Exercise Center January 26, 1974. They hoped that they would form a professional dance company to make workshops for Broadway dancers.
Michael Bennett was invited to join the group primarily as an observer, but quickly took control of the proceedings. Although Bennett's involvement has been challenged, there has been no question about Kirkwood and Dante's authorship. In later years, Bennett's claim that ''A Chorus Line'' had been his brainchild resulted not only in hard feelings but a number of lawsuits as well. During the workshop sessions, random characters would be chosen at the end for the chorus jobs based on their performance quality, resulting in a different "cast" being selected every run-through. However, several of the costumers objected to this ending, citing the stress of having to change random actors in time for the finale. This resulted in the ending being cut in exchange for the same set of characters being "cast."
[McKay, William.]
"Michael Bennett's ''A Chorus Line''"
Musicals101.com. 1998. Retrieved August 14, 2008. Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote ''A Chorus Line''s score, recalled how, during the first previews, audiences seemed put off by something in the story. This problem was solved when actress
Marsha Mason
Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942) is an American actress and director. She has been nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Actress: for her performances in '' Cinderella Liberty'' (1973), '' The Goodbye Girl'' (1977), '' Chapter Two ...
told Bennett that Cassie (
Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on ...
in the original production) should win the part in the end because she did everything right. Bennett changed it so that Cassie would always win the part.
Original production
''A Chorus Line'' opened
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
on April 15, 1975. At the time, the Public did not have enough money to finance the production so it borrowed $1.6 million to produce the show. The show was directed by Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian. Advance word had created such a demand for tickets that the entire run sold out immediately. Producer
Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a y ...
moved the production to
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
and on July 25, 1975, it opened at the
Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 6,137 performances until April 28, 1990.
Additional cast members Carole Schweid and John Mineo were understudies named "Barbara" and "Jarad", although they only went on covering other roles. Also, Tim Cassidy was an understudy for "Bobby".
The production was nominated for 12
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
s, winning nine: Best Musical, Best Musical Book, Best Score (Hamlisch and Kleban), Best Director, and Best Choreography, Best Actress (McKechnie), Best Featured Actor (Sammy Williams), Best Featured Actress (Bishop) and Best Lighting Design.
The show won the 1976
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...
, one of the few musicals ever to receive this honor, and the
New York Drama Critics' Circle
The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jone ...
Award for Best Play of the season.
In 1976, many of the original cast went on to perform in San Francisco. Open roles were recast and the play was again reviewed as the ''"New" New York Company'' which included
Ann Reinking
Ann Reinking (November 10, 1949December 12, 2020) was an American dancer, actress, choreographer and singer. She worked predominantly in musical theater, starring in Broadway (theatre), Broadway productions such as ''Coco (musical), Coco'' (1969) ...
,
Sandahl Bergman
Sandahl Bergman is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Valeria in the film ''Conan the Barbarian'' (1982), for which she won a Golden Globe and a Saturn Award.
Early life
Bergman was born in Kansas City, Mis ...
,
Christopher Chadman, Justin Ross (who would go on to appear in the film), and
Barbara Luna.
When it closed, ''A Chorus Line'' was the
longest running show in Broadway history until its record was surpassed by ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'' in 1997. On September 29, 1983, Bennett and 332 ''A Chorus Line'' veterans gathered to celebrate the musical becoming the longest-running show in Broadway history.
Up to February 19, 1990, ''A Chorus Line'' had generated $146 million from its Broadway gross and $277 million in total U.S. grosses
and had 6.5 million Broadway attendees. At the time, it was the second most profitable show in Broadway history after ''Cats'' with profits of $50 million (including ancillary income). 75% of the profits went to Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival and 25% to Bennett's Plum Productions.
Since its inception, the show's many worldwide productions, both professional and amateur, have been a major source of income for The Public Theater that Papp had founded.
Subsequent productions
U.S. and international tours were mounted in 1976, including a sit-down engagement in Los Angeles at the Shubert Theatre.
A London production opened in the
West End at the
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...
in 1976, initially with the International Cast from the US, including
Jane Summerhays as Sheila. The production ran for three years and won the
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
as Best Musical of the Year in 1976, the first year the awards were presented. The original British cast took over in 1977. It included
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon; 27 October 1932 – 19 April 2007) was a French actor.
Early life
Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite (née Fabrègue), an opera si ...
as Zach,
Diane Langton
Diane Langton (born 31 May 1947) is an English actress and singer, known for playing Marlena "Nana" McQueen in ''Hollyoaks'' from 2007 to 2009 and 2012 onwards.
Career
Langton has appeared in numerous television series. In the 1980s, she appear ...
as Diana Morales,
Jeff Shankley
Jeffrey Richard Shankley (born 17 November 1947) is a British actor, singer and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company who has had a long career as a television and stage actor particularly in the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber for wh ...
as Al,
Michael Staniforth as Paul,
Stephen Tate
Stephen Tate is a British actor and musical theatre artist.
Career
Television
He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama '' Survivors'' and as Dick Meyer in the 1980s comedy drama '' Big Deal'' along ...
as Greg (later replacing Cassel as Zach) and Geraldine Gardner (aka Trudi van Doorn of ''
The Benny Hill Show
''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches that were full of slapstick, mime, parody ...
'') as Sheila.
Elizabeth Seal
Elizabeth Anne Seal (born 28 August 1933) is a British actress. In 1961, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of ''Irma La Douce''.
Career
Elizabeth Seal made her professional debut ...
was cast as Cassie but was replaced at the eleventh hour by her understudy Petra Siniawski who played the role for the entire British cast run.
The original Australian production opened in Sydney at
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...
in May 1977 and moved to Melbourne's
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...
in January 1978. The cast featured
Peta Toppano
Peita Margaret Toppano (born 1951)GRO Birth Index EnglandLawson, Valerie. , ''Sydney Morning Herald'' (13 December 2003): "They fell in love and married in 1950 in a church at Golders Green, London. Their daughter, Peta, was born a year later." ...
as Diana,
David Atkins
David Atkins, OAM (born 12 December 1955) is an Australian dancer, choreographer, music-theatre director and producer.
Career
Stage and television
Atkins began his performance career aged 12 with a role in the musical ''Mame''. As an adult p ...
as Mike, and Ross Coleman as Paul.
In 1980, under the direction of Roy Smith, the Teatro El Nacional of Buenos Aires produced a Spanish version of ''A Chorus Line'' lasting 10 months (and then only to make way for an already scheduled subsequent production).
In Spain the show opened in December 1984 at Teatre Tívoli in Barcelona, directed by Roy Smith and translated into Spanish by Nacho Artime and Jaime Azpilicueta, before transferring to Teatro Monumental in Madrid.
In July 1986, ''A Chorus Line'' was produced in Italy for the first time. It premiered at the
Nervi Festival of Dance in
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
, followed by a five-week Italian tour. The choreography was adapted for the festival's performing space by
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
Early life and career
Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...
who had played Connie in the original production and subsequently became a close collaborator of Michael Bennett, the original choreographer.
The German-language version was again directed by Lee and first opened in 1987 in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Austria, where it ran for one season followed by the German-language CD release produced by
Jimmy Bowien in 1988.
The first—and as of 2016 only—professional Hungarian production of the musical opened its limited run on March 25, 1988, under the title ' (''In Memory of Michael Bennett''). It was performed by Ódry Színpad (the company of the
Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest
The Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest ( hu, Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem, SZFE) is an educational institution founded in 1865 in Budapest, Hungary. It became a university in 2000 and the name was changed to University of Theatre and F ...
) translated into Hungarian by György Gebora, and directed by Imre Kerényi. The character Zach was renamed Michael and played by Kerényi.
The 2006 Broadway revival opened at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on October 5, 2006, following a run in San Francisco. The revival closed on August 17, 2008, after 759 performances and 18 previews. It cost $8 million to finance and recouped its investment in 19 weeks. The production was directed by
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...
, with the choreography reconstructed by Baayork Lee, who had played Connie Wong in the original Broadway production. The opening night cast included
Paul McGill,
Michael Berresse
Michael Berresse (born August 15, 1964) is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and director.
Life and career
Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, but reared primarily in Joliet, Illinois, Berresse's father was a chemical engineer and his moth ...
,
Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise (born May 11, 1964) is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical ...
,
Mara Davi
Mara Davi (born January 22, 1984, Alameda County, California) is an American actress, singer, and dancer; she made her Broadway debut as Maggie Winslow in the 2006 revival of ''A Chorus Line''.
Biography
Mara Davi grew up in Highlands Ranch, Col ...
,
James T. Lane,
Tony Yazbeck
Tony Yazbeck (March 14, 1979) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his work on the Broadway stage, including the revival of '' On the Town'', for which he received 2015 Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for ...
,
Heather Parcells
Heather Parcells is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is a graduate of Florida State's musical theatre training BFA program.
She has toured the US as Velma Kelly in the musical show ''Chicago (musical), Chicago'', as well as Miss Dorot ...
,
Alisan Porter
Alisan Leigh Porter (born June 20, 1981) is an American pop, rock & country singer, actress, and dancer. As a child, Porter made acting appearances in '' Parenthood'', '' Stella'' and ''I Love You to Death''. Her breakout role came in 1991, when ...
,
Jason Tam
Jason Tam (born June 28, 1982) is an actor and dancer, born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from Punahou School for high school and went to CAP 21 in New York City for musical theatre. His most notable roles include Markko Rivera on the dayt ...
,
Jessica Lee Goldyn,
Deidre Goodwin
Deidre Goodwin (born September 15, 1969, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is an American actress known for such films and television series as ''Chicago'', '' Half Nelson'', ''Life on Mars'', '' The Bourne Legacy'' and '' Across the Universe''.
Career
...
, and
Chryssie Whitehead
Chryssie Whitehead is an American actress, singer and dancer on Broadway, film and television as well as a passionate educator, director and choreographer.
Early life and education
Whitehead grew up in South Carolina. During her first year of ...
. On April 15, 2008,
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Sa ...
joined the cast as the replacement for Zach. The production was the subject of the documentary film ''
Every Little Step
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album ''Don't Be Cruel'' it reached number three on ...
''.
The production received two Tony Award nominations in 2007 for Featured Role (Charlotte d'Amboise) and Revival (Musical).
["TonyAwards.com – The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards – Official Website by IBM"](_blank)
TonyAwards.com. Retrieved August 14, 2008. The original contract for ''A Chorus Line'' provided for sharing the revenue from the show with the directors and dancers that had attended the original workshop sessions. However, the contract did not specify revenue when the musical was revived in 2006. In February 2008, an agreement was reached between the dancers and Michael Bennett's estate.
A 2008 U.S. touring production opened on May 4, 2008, at the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
and toured through June 2009. This production featured Michael Gruber as Zach,
Nikki Snelson as Cassie, Emily Fletcher as Sheila, and
Gabrielle Ruiz
Gabrielle Ruiz (born December 12, 1984) is an American actress best known for playing the role of Valencia Perez on The CW musical comedy-drama series '' Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''. Prior to ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', she performed in several Broadway ...
as Diana.
In 2012, the musical toured Australia, gaining much critical acclaim.
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
Early life and career
Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...
directed the production and it gained many nominations, including
Helpmann nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for West End star,
Anita Louise Combe
Anita Louise Combe is an Australian actress, singer, dancer who has worked extensively in the entertainment industry all around the world. Combe attended the Gwen Mackay School of Dancing and trained in the Cechetti method of ballet with Jenni ...
playing Cassie, Best supporting Actress in a musical, Deborah Krizak and Best supporting Actor in a musical, Euan Doidge and it won best musical. The same production and cast then came to Singapore, playing at the
Marina Bay Sands, Sands Theater from May 4 to 27, 2012.
The show returned to London for a
West End revival in February 2013 at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
, running through August of that year. It was directed by original choreographer
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...
, with
John Partridge,
Scarlett Strallen
Scarlett Aimee Vaigncourt-Strallen (born 3 July 1982) is an English stage actress, best known for her work in musical theatre productions in the West End and on Broadway. She has received two Olivier Award nominations, in 2006 for her portray ...
, and
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (born 8 May 1982) is an English actress and singer known primarily for her roles in musical theatre. She previously played the role of Inez in ''The View UpStairs'' at the Soho Theatre, London.
Background
Victoria Hami ...
starring.
James T. Lane is reprising his Broadway role and
Leigh Zimmerman won the
for her portrayal of Sheila in this production. Producers announced on June 9, 2013, that the London revival cast would record a new cast album featuring never-before-heard songs which were written for the show but never made the final cut.
In 2015, the Original Broadway cast of ''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
'' paid tribute to ''A Chorus Line'' 40th anniversary and performed "What I Did For Love", with the original cast of ''A Chorus Line'' joining them onstage.
Reports surfaced in June 2016 that a second Broadway revival is planned for 2025, in honor of the show's 50th anniversary.
In 2016, approval was granted to director
Donna Feore
Donna Feore (née Starnes, born June 20, 1963) is a Canadian choreographer and theatre director, most noted for her work with the National Arts Centre and the Stratford Festival.
Early life
Donna Starnes was born in Dawson Creek, British Colu ...
to allow changes in choreography so the show could be performed for the first time on a
thrust stage
In theatre, a thrust stage (also known as a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between perform ...
, in the Festival Theatre at the
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...
.
In 2018,
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...
presented ''A Chorus Line'' as their annual gala presentation. The production was directed by
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...
, co-choreographer of the original 1975 production, and choreographed by
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
Early life and career
Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...
, Broadway's original Connie Wong.
In 2019, a Spanish-language version of the musical premiered as part of the inaugural season of Teatro del Soho in Málaga, Spain, starring the theater's founder
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...
as Zach. Banderas also co-directed the musical with Baayork Lee.
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
Original London production
2006 Broadway revival
2012 Australian revival
2013 London revival
Film adaptation
In 1975, the rights for a film were sold to
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
for $5.5 million plus 20% of the distributor's gross rentals above $30 million.
Universal subsequently sold the rights to
PolyGram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
. The film was released in 1985, starring
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
as Zach. It also featured
Alyson Reed
Alyson Reed is an American dancer and actress.
Life and career
Alyson Reed was born in Fullerton and grew up in Anaheim, California. She began ballet at age 4, started performing in musicals at age 7, and was working professionally by age 12. R ...
and
Terrance Mann as Cassie and Larry respectively. The film was directed by
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...
with a screenplay by
Arnold Schulman
Arnold Schulman (born August 11, 1925) is an American playwright, screenwriter, producer, a songwriter and novelist. He was a stage actor long associated with the American Theatre Wing and the Actors Studio.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family i ...
. It was produced by
Cy Feuer and distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
, and Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a
box office bomb
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
, grossing only $14 million from a $25 million budget. Songs "
Montage Part 1: Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" and "
Montage Part 4: Gimme The Ball" were cut and replaced with "Surprise, Surprise", a new song written by
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " EGOT ...
and
Edward Kleban Edward "Ed" Kleban (April 30, 1939 – December 28, 1987) was an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. Kleban was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1939 and graduated from New York's High School of Music & Art and Columbia Universi ...
. "The Music and the Mirror" was also cut and replaced with "Let me dance for you" written by Hamlisch and Kleban. "
What I Did for Love" was sung by Cassie instead of Diana and was sung as a counterpart during "The Tap Combination." Songs "And...", and "
Sing!
''SING!'' is an annual student-run musical production put on by some high schools in New York City. It is a theater competition between the various grades, with the setup between grades differing from school to school (such as sophomore-freshman vs ...
" were cut entirely.
As Kelly Bishop, who played Sheila in the original Broadway cast, later noted, "it was appalling when director
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...
went on a talk show and said 'this is a story about kids trying to break into show business.' I almost tossed my TV out the window; I mean what an ''idiot!'' It's about veteran dancers looking for one last job before it's too late for them to dance anymore. No wonder the film sucked!"
In popular culture
In 1976, "One" and "What I Did For Love" were performed by the cast of ''
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour
''The Brady Bunch Hour'' is an American variety show featuring skits and songs produced by Sid & Marty Krofft Productions in association with Paramount Television. It ran on ABC from November 28, 1976, to May 25, 1977.
The series starred the o ...
''.
In 1988, the
60th Academy Awards
The 60th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on April 11, 1988, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, PDT. During the ceremon ...
featured a variation of "I Hope I Get It" at the beginning of the ceremony.
In 1990, original cast members Baayork Lee and Thommie Walsh collaborated with Robert Viagas on the book ''On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line'', which chronicles the musical's origins and evolution and includes interviews with the entire original cast.
In 1990,
Visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
launched a marketing campaign around ''A Chorus Line'' as it was touring the United States. The promotions included television commercials featuring the musical and the right to say that tickets for the show could be charged only on Visa cards. Visa paid $500,000 for the promotion.
Also in 1990, much of the original cast reunited to perform selections from the musical as well as talk about it on the talk show ''
Donahue Donahue is the Americanized version of Irish surname Donohoe, which, in turn, is an Anglicized version of the ancient Irish name "Donnchadh" (sometimes "Donncha").
Donncha was a common “first name” in 9th Century Ireland, and when the use of ...
''. This performance was given to benefit the final run of the show as it was about to close on Broadway at the time. The highlight of the appearance was an emotionally charged performance of "At The Ballet" as performed by
Kelly Bishop
Carole "Kelly" Bishop (born February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series ''Gilmore Girls'' and as Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Jennifer Grey's Frances "Baby" Housema ...
, Kay Cole and Nancy Lane which left several of the cast and the studio audience fighting back tears. Another highlight was the comical performance of "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three (Tits and Ass)" as done by Pamela Blair. Renee Baughman was the only original cast member who couldn't attend the show's taping because she had to care for her seriously ill father.
''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' episode "
Treehouse of Horror V
"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the fifth episode in the ''Treehouse of Horror'' series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States ...
" closes with a parody of "One", which the Simpson family and Groundskeeper Willie sing (with alternate lyrics) after they are turned inside out by a mysterious fog.
Figure skater
Oksana Baiul
, altname= Oksana Baiul-Farina
, birth_date=
, birth_place=Dnipro, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
, residence=
, height=
, formercoach= Galina Zmievskaya Valentyn Nikolayev Stanislav Koritek
, formerchoreographer= Sarah Kawahara
, formertra ...
performed to
One en route to defeating
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan (born October 13, 1969) is an American figure skating, figure skater and actress. She won bronze medals at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships, 1991 World Championships and the Figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympic ...
at the 1994 Olympics.
Michael Bennett and Ed Kleban are portrayed in the 2001 musical ''
A Class Act
''A Class Act'' is a quasi-autobiographical musical loosely based on the life of composer-lyricist Edward Kleban, who died at the age of 48 in 1987. Featuring a book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price along with music and lyrics by Kleban himself, ...
'', a partly fictionalized account of Kleban's life using some of the lyricist's unpublished songs.
In "What I'll Never Do For Love Again," the 20th episode of the fifth season of ''
Ally McBeal'' (2002), Elaine Vassal auditions (ultimately in vain) for a Boston production of ''A Chorus Line,'' singing "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" and "The Music and the Mirror."
James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo produced and directed a documentary film about the musical called ''
Every Little Step
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album ''Don't Be Cruel'' it reached number three on ...
'', which includes footage of Michael Bennett and interviews with Marvin Hamlisch, Bob Avian, former theater critic for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''
Frank Rich
Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO.
Rich is current ...
, and original cast members
Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on ...
and
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
Early life and career
Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...
. The film includes some of the audiotapes made at the early workshop sessions and shows behind-the-scenes footage of the audition, rehearsals, and performances of both the original 1975 production and the 2006 Broadway revival. Production of the documentary began in 2005 when 3,000 hopefuls arrived on the first day of auditions for the revival. The film made its world premiere at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
in September 2008 and was released as ''Broadway Broadway'' in Japan the following month. The documentary opened in limited release in the US in April 2009.
In 2009, music from the score was used in the television series ''
Fringe
Fringe may refer to:
Arts
* Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe"
* Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival
* Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre
* The Fringe, the ...
'' in the episode "
Brown Betty", and also in the movie ''
Land of the Lost Land of the Lost may refer to:
* Land of the Lost (1974 TV series), ''Land of the Lost'' (1974 TV series), the original 1974 children's television series
* Land of the Lost (1991 TV series), ''Land of the Lost'' (1991 TV series), the 1991 remake of ...
'' that same year featuring
Will Ferrell
John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 200 ...
,
Danny McBride
Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He starred in the HBO television series ''Eastbound & Down'', '' Vice Principals'', and ''The Righteous Gemstones'', also co-creating th ...
, and
Anna Friel
Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, she has been acting professionally since age 13. Friel achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache on the British soap opera '' Brookside'' ...
The song "What I Did for Love" has been recorded by
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
on ''
Sweet Passion'' (1977),
Petula Clark
Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades.
Clark's professional career began during the ...
,
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holi ...
on their 1977 album ''Standing Up for Love'',
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. Ch ...
on ''
Are a Drag
''Are a Drag'' is the second album by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, released in 1999 on the Fat Wreck Chords independent record label.
The album is made up mainly of show tunes. The album's title alludes to the fact that most of the songs on t ...
'' (1999),
Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has co- ...
in a 2009 episode of ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
'', and most recently by
Lea Michele in the first episode of the second season of the hit musical television series ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
''. In a later episode in the same season,
Jenna Ushkowitz and
Harry Shum Jr.
Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and singer. He is best known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series ''Glee'' (2009–15), Benson Kwan on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anato ...
performed "Sing!", although the male and female vocals were switched. The episode "Hell-O" from the show's first season was planned to feature a performance of "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love", although the performance was cut; in a later episode the song can be heard playing in the background. Never officially released, the song was performed by
Lea Michele and
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
. "At The Ballet" was featured in the show's fourth season and was performed by
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical '' Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received cr ...
,
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and ...
,
Lea Michele and
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
.
The ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' episode "
W.T.F." features a scene that opens with the piano intro for "One" followed by a parody of "Nothing".
The ''
Scrubs'' episode "
My Malpractical Decision
The fourth season of the American comedy television series '' Scrubs'' premiered on NBC on August 31, 2004 and concluded on May 10, 2005 and consists of 25 episodes. Heather Graham guest starred for an extended run for the first 8 episodes and the ...
" features a parody of "One", accompanying an imaginary sequence in which Neena Broderick repeatedly assaults a barrage of unfortunate bystanders in the genitals.
In the ''House MD'' Season 6 episode "The Down Low", James Wilson (
Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969), known by his stage name Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. James Wilson in the television series ''House'' (2004–2012) and Neil Perry in the film ''Dea ...
) starts singing "One" in the last few seconds of the episode, much to the discomfort of Wilson's best friend, Gregory House (
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in a ...
).
In August 2013, ACL alumna Melissa R. Randel ("Judy Turner") mounted her original production ''The Hat'' at
The New York International Fringe Festival –
FringeNYC
The New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, was a fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It took place over the course of a few weeks in October, spread on more than 20 stages across seve ...
. ''The Hat'' was inspired by her experience as a young Broadway dancer who learns on the eve of a performance that her father has died. Randel appeared in more than 2,000 performances of the musical from 1981 to 1985 at Broadway's
Shubert Theatre and on National and international tours, and can be seen as a featured dancer in Richard Attenborough's
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of ''A Chorus Line''.
See also
*
*
*
Notes
References
* Long, Robert Emmet, ''Broadway, the Golden Years''. Continuum International Publishing Group 2001.
* Flinn, Denny Martin, ''What They Did for Love: The Untold Story Behind the Making of A Chorus Line''. Bantam 1989
* Hamlisch, Marvin, ''The Way I Was''. Scribner 1982.
* Kelly, Kevin, ''One Singular Sensation: The Michael Bennett Story''. New York: Doubleday 1990.
* Mandelbaum, Ken, ''A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett''. St. Martins Press 1990.
* McKechnie, Donna and Lawrence, Greg, ''Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life''. Simon & Schuster 2006.
* Stevens, Gary, ''The Longest Line: Broadway's Most Singular Sensation: A Chorus Line''. Applause Books 2000.
* Viagas, Robert; Lee, Baayork; and Walsh, Thommie, ''On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line''. New York: William Morrow & Company 1990.
External links
*
Every Little Step film website*
*
Tony Award Winners and Nominations 1976
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chorus Line, A
1975 musicals
Broadway musicals
LGBT-related musicals
West End musicals
Off-Broadway musicals
Laurence Olivier Award-winning musicals
Original musicals
Plays set in the United States
Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning works
One-act musicals
Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning musicals
Plays set in New York City
Tony Award for Best Musical
Works set in theatres
Musicals by Marvin Hamlisch
Tony Award-winning musicals
Backstage musicals
Plays about actors