In the mid-1970s, Broadway was, frankly, a mess. Times Square was a haven for XXX theaters and grit, not the tourist glitter we see now. Then, a group of "gypsies"—the dancers who lived in the background of every big musical—walked into a studio with director Michael Bennett. They didn't have a script. They just had a tape recorder and a lot of trauma to unpack.
That night changed everything.
The A Chorus Line original cast wasn't just performing a show; they were performing their lives. When you watch the show today, you’re seeing a polished version of what was essentially a massive group therapy session. Michael Bennett took those recordings, hired writers like Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood, and turned 40 hours of raw, messy dancer-talk into a Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. Honestly, the industry hadn't seen anything like it. It was the original reality show before "reality TV" was even a term.
The Faces Behind the Line
Most people know the names because they’ve become theater royalty. Donna McKechnie. Kelly Bishop (then billed as Carole Bishop). Priscilla Lopez. These weren't just actors playing roles; they were the blueprints.
Take Donna McKechnie, for example. She played Cassie, the veteran dancer who just wanted a job in the back of the line. In real life, McKechnie was already a star-in-the-making, but her personal connection to Bennett (they were briefly and disastrously married) added a layer of intensity to "The Music and the Mirror" that few replacements have ever matched. It’s arguably the most demanding solo in Broadway history. She won a Tony for it, obviously.
Then there’s Kelly Bishop. You might know her as the sharp-tongued Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls, but in 1975, she was Sheila Bryant. She was the one who famously helped create "At the Ballet." That song didn't come from a songwriter’s imagination; it came from the cast’s real-life experiences of finding escape in dance from their troubled homes.
Who Else Was on the Line?
- Sammy Williams (Paul): He delivered the heart-wrenching monologue about his parents discovering he was performing in a drag show. He won the Tony for Best Featured Actor.
- Priscilla Lopez (Diana Morales): She gave us "Nothing" and "What I Did for Love." If you’ve ever felt like a teacher didn't "get" you, her story about Mr. Karp resonates on a spiritual level.
- Baayork Lee (Connie): She was essentially Bennett’s right hand. She played Connie Wong, the short dancer who couldn't stop growing "sideways." Lee has since become the keeper of the flame, directing and choreographing the show all over the world to ensure the original vision stays intact.
- Wayne Cilento (Mike): "I Can Do That" was his moment. He later became a massive choreographer himself, most notably for Wicked.
Why the Original Cast is Irreplaceable
There’s a specific grit that the A Chorus Line original cast brought that you just can’t replicate in a 2026 revival. Why? Because they weren't "playing" the characters. They were the characters.
When Nicholas Dante (who co-wrote the book) shared his story through the character of Paul, it was a revolution. At the time, talking about being gay and being a "dancer" in such a raw, non-caricatured way was unheard of. The cast members were essentially pioneers of vulnerability. They stood on a bare stage with nothing but a white line and mirrors, and they stripped themselves down.
The Workshop That Changed the Game
Usually, a musical starts with a script and a score. A Chorus Line started with a circle. Bennett invited these dancers to a midnight session at the 890 Broadway studios. He brought wine, he brought a tape recorder, and he asked them to talk.
He didn't just ask about their resumes. He asked about their first sexual experiences. He asked about their mothers. He asked what they would do if they could no longer dance. That last question became the foundation for "What I Did for Love." Most people think that song is a romantic ballad. It’s not. It’s about the fact that a dancer’s career ends by age 35, and you have to be okay with the "gift" being gone.
The Long-Term Impact on Broadway
Before this show, the chorus was invisible. They were the background. After the A Chorus Line original cast took the stage at the Shubert Theatre, the industry shifted. It proved that you didn't need a massive set or 500 costumes to have a hit. You just needed truth.
The show ran for 6,137 performances. It held the record for the longest-running show for years until Cats (ironically, another ensemble show) took the lead. But Cats is about people in fur suits. A Chorus Line was about the person standing next to you on the subway who has a dream that’s slowly being crushed by the reality of the rent.
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Where are they now?
Many of the original members are still active in the community. Baayork Lee is still the primary director for the show’s legacy. Kelly Bishop, as mentioned, became a TV icon. Robert LuPone (who played Zach, the director) went on to lead the MCC Theater and had a recurring role in The Sopranos before he passed away in 2022.
The reality is that being part of that original company was a blessing and a curse. Some found it hard to move on from a show that was so deeply tied to their own identities. How do you top playing yourself in the biggest hit on Broadway?
How to Experience the Legacy Today
If you want to understand what made this specific group of people special, you have to look beyond the 1985 movie (which, honestly, most fans agree missed the mark).
- Listen to the 1975 Original Cast Recording: You can hear the tremor in Sammy Williams’ voice. You can hear the bite in Kelly Bishop’s delivery. It’s raw.
- Watch the Documentary "Every Little Step": This film covers the 2006 revival auditions but features extensive footage and interviews with the original 1975 creators and cast. It shows the bridge between the generations.
- Read "On the Line": This book, written by original cast members Baayork Lee and Thommie Walsh, gives the "behind-the-scenes" of those workshop sessions. It’s eye-opening and occasionally heartbreaking.
The A Chorus Line original cast didn't just win nine Tonys and a Pulitzer; they gave a voice to the voiceless. They made it okay for the "gypsy" to be the star. Even now, whenever you see a musical that focuses on the ensemble, you’re seeing the DNA of those 1975 sessions.
To really appreciate the history, track down the footage of the 3,389th performance in 1983. Bennett brought back hundreds of cast members from the show’s history to perform the finale, "One." Seeing the original cast members—older, perhaps a bit slower, but still perfectly in sync—standing alongside their replacements is the ultimate testament to what they built. It wasn't just a show; it was a family.
Next Steps for Theater Fans:
- Check out the original cast recording on Spotify or Apple Music to hear the specific phrasing of the 1975 company.
- Look up Baayork Lee’s "National Asian Artists Project" to see how the original cast’s legacy is supporting new generations of performers today.
- Research the Public Theater’s archives if you’re ever in NYC; they hold many of the original documents from the show’s development.