A Chorus Line, the 2018 Annual Gala Presentation, is a passionate tribute to dance and musical theater—two art forms that City Center has been bringing to New York audiences for 75 years.
In 1975, the stories of seventeen Broadway dancers sprang to life when A Chorus Line opened Off-Broadway. Born of workshop sessions with actual Broadway dancers (eight of whom appeared in the original cast), the musical turned the spotlight on the anonymous, sparkling workhorses of the ensemble. The scrutiny of the audition room gives way to the intimacy of a confessional as—one by one—the usually overlooked cogs in the machine step forward to divulge why their lives are singular and sensational.
This incisive portrait of the life of the Broadway dancer received twelve Tony Award nominations, winning nine—in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. With a Broadway run of 6,137 performances, national tours, and international productions, A Chorus Line is both a snapshot of a moment in history and a platform for fresh talent, which will be showcased in this Annual Gala Presentation led by Bob Avian (original co-choreographer) and Baayork Lee (Connie, original cast).
