Welcome to A Chorus Line! The show first opened on Broadway in 1975, winning nine Tony Awards, and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This was my sixth association with the show since I first appeared in the International Touring Company of the Broadway production in 1980, and it was a joy and honor to share it with the talented students at Shenandoah University.
A great deal of effort went into setting an authentic adaptation of the original. In addition to much research, there were daily conversations with my dear friends, Mikel and Kimberly Dawn Smith Gambuto, (who staged the show over forty times), and with my husband, who toured on the crew of the show. Still, this production is not meant to be a museum piece. My hope is that you will experience it in the moment, as exciting, funny, sensitive, inspiring, and beautiful today as it was almost a half century ago.
Obviously, our culture has changed in forty-seven years. Things that were once shocking, aren’t, and the original context for certain references is no longer relevant to younger audiences. Still, the heart of the show, which is based upon true stories, remains true. Ultimately, it is about people overcoming obstacles through love to create something bigger than themselves: “One, Singular Sensation!”
Thank you to Kevin Covert and SU for inviting me to do the show, to Elizabeth Albert for everything behind-the-scenes, and to all the crew, orchestra, faculty, and donors that helped make it possible.
Congratulations to my incredible cast, and a special thank you to Patrick Brady, who walked every step of this 'Line' with me. “The gift was ours to borrow.”