July 25: A Chorus Line

A Chorus Line debuted on Broadway on this date in 1975, starting what would become a run of 6,137 performances over the course of fifteen years. With music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and choreography by Michael Bennett (and book by Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood, Jr.), the musical related the stories of seventeen dancers auditioning for spots on a Broadway chorus line. It brought gay characters front and center, reminded audiences of how difficult a life in theater really is, and made dance clothing into a high-fashion trend. A Chorus Line won nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. To see a 2007 Tony Awards performance from the musical, look below.

“God, I hope I get it. I hope I get it. How many people does he need?” —“I Hope I Get It,” from A Chorus Line