The Public Theater and Hamilton Stars to Pay Tribute to 40th Anniversary of A Chorus Line
(© Martha Swope)
The Public Theater and the cast of Hamilton will pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of the landmark musical A Chorus Line on Thursday, April 16. That is the date of A Chorus Line's original first performance when it premiered at the Public's Newman Theater, currently the home of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop reimagining of the life of Alexander Hamilton.
To commemorate the event, the cast of Hamilton will present original Chorus Line cast members with a plaque that will hang in the Ford Foundation Lobby of the Public. Alumni scheduled to attend include Scott Allen, Renee Baughman, Kelly Bishop, Chuck Cissel, Kay Cole, Ronald Dennis, Brandt Edwards, Nancy Lane, Patricia Garland, Carolyn Kirsch, Ronald Kuhlman, Baayork Lee, Carole Schweid, Michael Serrecchia, and Samuel Williams.
"Forty years ago A Chorus Line opened at The Public, and changed everything about the way American musicals were created," artistic director Oskar Eustis said in a statement. "Today, Hamilton is changing everything again. We want to celebrate our history and our future, what has changed and what remains profoundly the same about The Public."
The original Public production, which premiered April 16, 1975, ran for 101 performances. A Chorus Line features a book by Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. Conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, it transferred to Broadway following its Public Theater run, going on to win eight 1976 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
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