The Longest Line

by Gary Stevens

(Applause Books). "A grand performance ... a first rate read." Digby Diehl, Good Morning America "The nostalgia book of the year ... it's hard to see how anything could be so comprehensive." Cleveland Plain Dealer "The most wonderful gift book for a musical fan!" Kathie Lee Gifford, Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee

Genres: Nonfiction, Theatre

1 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

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Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library around the time Sam and I went to see ACL at Goodspeed in September and have been slowly working through it since. It was really interesting hearing about the different experiences of the cast, crew, musicians, etc., the good and the bad. And the pictures here were wonderful. A great collection of stories from the original Broadway run of one of my favorite shows. Happy 50th, ACL.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a tell-all dealing with one of the most successful Broadway phenomenons ever. "A Chorus Line" started out with a bunch of theater dancers and actors getting together, under the guidance of Michael Bennett, in the Spring of 1974. They told the stories of their lives, the frustrations and triumphs, the auditions, the dreams, the joys and embarrassments, while a tape-recorder collected the information. From this, a workshop was developed as music, lyrics and choreography were added. In early 1975, the musical opened at The New York Shakespeare Festival at the Public Theater in downtown Manhattan. The results were astounding. The show moved to Broadway, where it ran until 1990, amassing a record (at that time) of 6,137 performances.
Anything you ever wanted to know about "A Chorus Line" can be found here, and if you love the show, you will feel the same way about the book.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting this to have a larger focus on the making of the show, which is a ridiculous assumption in retrospect. Instead, the book is about the running of the show. There's so much content from the folks who ran lights and the folks who played in the orchestra and the folks who designed the publicity images and from different cast members in various companies over the years just discussing their jobs. There is a ton of data in the back, including a list of all the shows A Chorus Line outran. It's a really nice, comprehensive look into the entire run of the show. I've read a few books about A Chorus Line now, and I still feel like I learned new information. I'd recommend it for fans.

[Lynn Cansler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really interesting how Broadway shows develop. I found the section about lighting very interesting. Costumes, shoes, so much is done to make the magic.

[Rachel Swords · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing look at one of Broadway's legendary shows, die-hard Chorus Line fans will savor the memories shared by cast and crew members alike, while Broadway fans will come to appreciate the work that went into such a blockbuster. I know I have a new amount of respect for ACL now!