I _especially_ love that they are such useful and interesting comments. Eddie, I wish I could see “A Chorus Line” again and look for Hillary. Jim, I will look for those books at my public library. They do sound interesting.

Thank you both for reading.

On the Line – The Creation of A Chorus Line by
Robert Viagas

From Amazon.com:
A Chorus Line, the biggest Broadway hit of its generation, is returning to Times Square in a major fall 2006 revival. The show is based on a remarkable series of taped discussions made in the mid 1970s with some of the top “gypsies” (veteran Broadway dancers), many of whom went on to play characters based on themselves in the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical. In many ways, On the Line: The Creation of “A Chorus Line” is a continuation of the show itself. In this collective oral history, the 19 original cast members tell how they got involved with the project, how they labored through the months of workshops that shaped it, and what its success has meant for their lives and careers. They paint intimate and frank portraits of co-creators Michael Bennett, Joseph Papp, Ed Kleban – and each other. Originally published in 1990, the book has been updated to continue telling their stories over the past 16 years. Wayne Cilento (“I Can Do That”) has become a Tony-winning choreographer of shows like Wicked and Aida; Kelly Bishop (“Can the adults smoke?”) has become a TV star; Trish Garland has become a California fitness guru, and so forth.

and

What They Did for Love: The Untold Story Behind the Making of “A Chorus Line” by Denny Martin Flinn

Here is a little tid bit of information for you. An alumn of Beef & Boards is in the current production of A CHORUS LINE playing at Clowes. I am not sure which role she plays, but her name is Hillary Thompson. A lovely young lady and a real triple threat talent. Hillary was in productions of THOUROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS recently here at the Beef.

I hadn’t thought about the gay character (Paul? I don’t have my Playbill with me to check), but I agree with you.

Rebecca, I have put the “Every Little Step” DVD on hold for myself at my local public library. Yay!

I was still a kid, and seeing that show was electrifying for me. If I recall correctly, at least one performer had actually been in the Broadway show (which had either just finished its run or was winding down), and the talent level was phenomenal. That, combined with the nature of the show and the intimacy of the venue, made for one hell of a memorable evening.

I remember seeing the movie a bit later on cable and being horrified by the result. They had completely misunderstood the appeal of A Chorus Line. Rather than the “collection of short stories” that made the show so different, they kept just a little of the other dancers’ stories and made the movie all about Zach and Cassie, complete with flashbacks. Yikes. Even changed “What I Did For Love” to be about Zach and Cassie’s romance, rather than about the dancers’ love of their art. What the hell, people?

The only thing I wasn’t crazy about then or now was the decision to make the sole gay dancer (LOL! C’mon, now) a tragic figure. As if homosexuality has to have its origins in trauma and result in misery. But, as with so many things, “it was the times.” Still, as you said, a once-groundbreaking show that has since graduated to being an icon. And it will always hold a special place in my heart.