Chorus Line to Play San Francisco Before Reaching Broadway in 2006 - playbill.com

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 1:57pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=63205

how divine for everyone that Michael Bennett's original production is being recreated.

The younger members of this Board will simply be amazed.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 4:25pm

Yay, I can't wait!

[commasplice]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 4:28pm

I posted this a little while ago.. ah well. More love for A Chorus Line never hurt anyone.

Posted: 3/3/05 at 4:54pm

"Toward the end of the original's long run, the creators added a line to the program that read "Time: 1975." Breglio said the piece will still remain rooted in that year. "We're treating it as a period piece," he explained. "We won't be changing any words. The themes of Chorus Line go far beyond any words in the piece. I hope we're right. Only the public will tell us that. To try to take it out of its time, then you're tinkering. We explored that possibility, talked about it and rejected it."

I'm actually very happy to hear this.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 5:23pm

Have you all heard the story behind how the creators of Chorus Line came up with the idea of the show? I was told by a good friend of mine that the creators and a group of their friends were all lounging around one day discussing their audition experiences both good and bad and so they decided that it'd make a good show. So their friend's lives were integrated into the characters etc. I think it'd be cool to find out who the characters were loosely based on...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 5:37pm

Not exactly. It's a very LONG story and several books have been devoted to it. Bennett, Hamlisch, Kirkwood, Kleban et al didn't have anything to do with it originally. The "characters" in the show are based on the actual lives of many members of the original cast (in addition to a few other dancers who weren't part of the show -- for example, Paul's monologue was based on the actual experiences of book writer Nicholas Dante). Here's a summary I wrote that'll give you the gist of how the show came into being:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=282191#283449

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 6:13pm

It should play Chicago instead!!

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 6:35pm

Dear Rob and Craig,

What's the deal with using a photo from the dreadful 1985 movie version of "A Chorus Line" to illustrate the site's article on the show's pre-Broadway engagement in San Francisco?

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 6:42pm

:: wears Gold Star proudly ::

[teth]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 6:42pm

I am so grateful to be living in San Francisco lately. Wicked...Lennon...and now this!

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 7:37pm

Anyone interested in this who hasn't yet read "A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett" should get their hands on a copy. I love this book, and read it cover to cover twice. The journey of A Chorus Line is absolutely fascinating. I can't wait to see this production...

[teth]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 9:04pm

Beaver - Oh no. When did I say that? (please quote me...I could be delusional when I wrote it if I did :P)

[gcal]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 9:12pm

I enjoy "On The Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line", myself.

[bwayfan3]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 10:44pm

I had the great pleasure of seeing the final matinee performance of A Chorus Line. It was maybe the third or fourth show I had ever seen, I was I think 11 or 12 years old and I thought it was absolutely incredible. I practically wore out the cassette of the soundtrack and still have every single word memorized. I remember waiting outside by the stage door after the show and being struck by how "normal" all of the performers were. They signed autographs but we also ran into one at the deli grabbing food in between shows. All in all, it made a powerful impression on me.
I can't wait for a revival and I think it's a very, very good idea to keep it as true as possible to the original. We all saw what a disaster the movie turned out to be.