One singular sensation ... Makes it way back to Broadway! Previews for A Chorus Line started tonight. A revival of the show, sixteen years after the original closed is opening at Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre October 5th.
About the Show:
Broadway's Musical - the show that tells the stories of the actor-singer-dancers that make up the lifeblood of a show - the Chorus. A Chorus Line opened at the Shubert Theatre July 25, 1975 and closed there April 28, 1990 after 6,137 performances. It held the distinction of being the longest running show on Broadway until it was surpassed by Cats in 1997 and The Phantom of the Opera in 2006. It currently holds the record for the fourth longest-running musical, after Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Miserables.
The Back Story:
The musical is based on two taped sessions with Broadway dancers, including eight of the actors/actresses of the original Broadway cast. The show was conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. The book was assembled by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante (and script-doctored by Neil Simon). It had a successful Off-Broadway run at the Public Theater before opening on Broadway. A Chorus Line also toured successfully, including a run at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
The Story:
With 19 main characters, the setting is a Broadway theater where young dancers audition for the part in the chorus line 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. Highlights include the songs "One," "Nothing," "The Music and the Mirror" and "What I Did For Love."
Awards:
A Chorus Line received 12 nominations for the Tony Awards in 1975, winning nine: Best Musical, Best Actress (Donna McKechnie), Best Featured Actor (Sammy Williams), Best Featured Actress (Carole Bishop), Best Director (Michael Bennett), Best Musical Book(Dante and Kirkwood), Best Score (Hamlisch and Kleban), Best Lighting design (Tharon Musser) and Best Choreographer (Michael Bennett and Bob Avian). It also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for drama, one of the few musicals ever to receive this honor.
Previously: Review Roundup A Chorus Line in San Francisco A Chorus Line Revival
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