On the Line - The Creation of A Chorus Line

by Robert Viagas

A Chorus Line, the biggest Broadway hit of its generation, is returning to Times Square in a major fall 2006 revival. The show is based on a remarkable series of taped discussions made in the mid 1970s with some of the top "gypsies" (veteran Broadway dancers), many of whom went on to play characters based on themselves in the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical. In many ways, On the The Creation of "A Chorus Line" is a continuation of the show itself. In this collective oral history, the 19 original cast members tell how they got involved with the project, how they labored through the months of workshops that shaped it, and what its success has meant for their lives and careers. They paint intimate and frank portraits of co-creators Michael Bennett, Joseph Papp, Ed Kleban - and each other. Originally published in 1990, the book has been updated to continue telling their stories over the past 16 years. Wayne Cilento ("I Can Do That") has become a Tony-winning choreographer of shows like Wicked and Aida; Kelly Bishop ("Can the adults smoke?") has become a TV star; Trish Garland has become a California fitness guru, and so forth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theatre, Music, History, Adult

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1990

Reviews

[Leslie Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for theatre lovers or historians. Written about the landmark musical, A Chorus Line (ACL), this volume is also a landmark work capturing the personalities and passions that brought ACL to the stage. The musical, as it is produced today, appears to be an organic, balanced work that appeared, full-blown from the brow(s)of those credited with its creation (Bennett, Dante, et al). Nothing is further from the truth. On the Line recounts the incredible contributions(often uncredited and uncompensated) made by the original cast and dancers whose life stories made up the back-bone of this brilliant show. It also chronicles the development of a production that succeeds despite the odds against such an unqualified creative team : the book is assembled by two writers, neither of whom had never written for the theatre before; the songs are written by someone without previous stage composition credits and the whole production is assembled (by a choreographer/first-time director)through the previously unused method of work-shopping. The miracle is not that ACL became the seminal stage work theatre lovers revere; the miracle is that the project reached fruition at all.

On The Line records the devotion and heartbreak ACL's original cast and creative team willingly (and not so willingly) gave so this musical could thrive and what the project "they did for love" brought them in return. It is a fascinating book and well worth anyone's time or investment. For those interested in performing career, it should be a reference text.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting from the perspective of hearing the story of how the show was created-how a series of tape sessions of dancers talking about their lives became for a time the longest running Broadway musical in history. But if you are looking for backstage gossip, it simply isn't there. There are lots of vague comments about how horrible Michael Bennett was to work for and how he could be manipulative/a tyrant, but relatively few concrete examples. Instead, a lot of the cast members come off as rather immature and whiny. And, it must be said, Robert LuPone comes off as the most stuck up, pretentious horse's ass prattling on about the Integrity of the Art-he sounds like a caricature of a stuck up artist more than a real person. What legitimate complaints there are-like being conned into selling their life stories for $1-are buried in pages and pages of dull and unnecessary detail. For instance, was it really necessary to spend half a chapter recapping the entire play? Would anyone interested enough to read this book in the first place not already know the show backwords and forwards? Ultimately, this book was a noble effort that could have used much better editing and much less commentary and more storytelling.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A 5..6...7..8!" This book is for anyone who LOVES this show like I do. All 19 of the original cast members contributed to the book which means all kinds of behind the scenes (or should I say, behind the line) stories. Find out whose personal stories made it to the show, songs that didn't make it, find out what got cut when the first run of the show was 3 hours, and lots more.

[Erik Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing itself was honestly a bit sloppy: repwtivie and self important. however, the content is simply fantastic, and it's an interesting look into one of our great cultural touchstones. additionally, Michael Bennett is a literary character for the ages

[Roxann Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read. Probably more so for those with a personal connection. I found it to be haunting and cathartic. These were brave, innocent actors who put everything out there and created something astounding. The cost for each varied. But life lessons to be learned from all.

[Emma Rund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for fans of A Chorus Line and theatre professionals in general.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really interesting to read, especially while *in* the show.

[Cathy Vanderstappen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik kocht dit boek, als bijdrage voor mijn onderzoek aan de musicalafdeling. Eindelijk zou ik in detail te weten komen hoe het werkproces van één van de eerste "devised" musicals eruitzag. Maar nooit had ik verwacht dat het verhaal van deze creatie mij zo zou raken! De stappen van het creatieproces worden uitvoerig beschreven, maar ook de vele "ups" en "downs" van de cast en vooral hoe hun co-creatie uiteindelijk verzoop in showbusiness. Hamlisch en Bennett waren helden, geniaal, dat geloof ik graag. Maar wat met de persoonlijke verhalen van de castleden? Zij waren de "echte" helden van "A Chorus Line", "putting themselves on the line!" Zelf was ik performer, voor ik theatermaker werd, en dit heeft mij zo ontzettend aangegrepen, omdat het herkenbaar is. Dit heeft mij erg geraakt!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little garbled, a little repetitive, but a fascinating read nonetheless. This was a good follow-up to The Abominable Showman that I read a few months ago, where Michael Bennett is an enigma to the original enigma, David Merrick, so it's interesting to see him explored here: still a mystery but with more layers added. I wish there were a further updated edition; with the entire creative team now gone, perhaps the interviewees would be a bit more honest, they constantly back-pedal their statements, I can only assume to safeguard their careers. But the agony of creation does make for a riveting read.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting, if not especially well strung-together, look at the original cast and the development of Chorus Line. I was mostly interested in Kelly Bishop, who, before she was on Gilmore Girls, was a dancer with a serious 'tude. But it's all pretty interesting. Some of the stories and quotes are either repeated verbatim, or else the original cast tend to ramble and repeat themselves and their editors didn't notice. Nevertheless, lots of interesting things about Michael Bennett, Joe Papp, the aforementioned Kelly, Donna McKechnie, Wayne Cilento, Priscilla Lopez, and lots of other names Broadway fans might recognize. I never knew this musical was created through so much emotional torture, but it's fascinating.

[JAMES AKER · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good and a book I would recommend to those who have an interest in Broadway and the story behind the making of A Chorus Line. It was interesting to read the history of how the show was pulled together from the memories and life stories of the original 19 dancers of the line. It did get a bit wordy and repetitious from time to time. It is surprising how petty and insecure the average performer is about their talents even when they are considerable.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible backstage account of one of the most amazing musicals of all, "A Chorus Line." I read it when I first started working at The Public. Such a thrill to be able to read the book and then go to work and actually see some of same people responsible for the show and walk through those same theaters and halls everyday.

[Lorenzo H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read while I performed in A Chorus Line. It made me appreciate the original cast as well as EVERYBODY involved. It was amazing to learn about everyone grow to become dancers before, during, and after ACL.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...the many stories behind ACL. Wasn't the easiest read, but the dance geek in me loved hearing about how they created this show.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've seen "Every Little Step" this is a must-read. A great journey with Michael Bennett's brilliance driving the show.

[Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disjoint; it was clearly written by different people.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great theater story

This book gives a great understanding of when and why theater producing changed. A must read for actors and producers alike

[Samantha]

Lots of good detail in this book. Clearly, the dancers in the tape sessions and workshops should have been credited as co-writers and been given a cut of the profits.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. For anyone who is interested in A Chorus Line, this is the book for you. It is very thorough, never dry, and truly exceptional.