A one-night-only special concert to celebrate A Chorus Line's 50th Anniversary and featuring original 1975 Broadway cast members Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez, and Donna McKechnie, took place on July 27, 2025 at The Shubert Theatre in NYC. Dozens of Broadway performers joined these originals to celebrate the Broadway production which opened in 1976 (after an Off Broadway run at The Public Theatre) and ran for 6,137 performances, making it one of the longest running musicals.
Conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on July 25,1975. Directed by Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian, the musical quickly became an unprecedented and critical hit and winning multiple Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Olivier Award for Best Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and Helpmann Award for Best Musical.
The original design team included trailblazing lighting designer Tharon Musser, sound designer Abe Jacob, set designer Robin Wagner, and costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge.
On May 11, 1999, Live Design hosted a panel discussion featuring Tharon Musser, Abe Jacob, and other people who worked on the original production. It provides a wonderful read on the 50th anniversary of this exceptional Broadway production:
One Singular Sensation: The Design Team of The Original A Chorus Line
And a peek at the 50th Anniversary Celebration, proceeds of which went to the Entertainment Community Fund: