A Chorus Line is a 1985 musical film directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Michael Douglas. The screenplay by Arnold Schulman is based on the Tony Award-winning book of the 1975 stage production of the same name by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. The songs were composed by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban.

Plot[link]

A group of dancers congregate on the stage of a Broadway theatre to audition for a new musical production directed by Zach (Michael Douglas). After the initial eliminations, sixteen hopefuls remain. Arriving late is former lead dancer Cassie (Alyson Reed) who once had a tempestuous romantic relationship with Zach but left him to take a job in Hollywood. Now she hasn't worked in over a year and is desperate enough for work to even just be part of a member of the chorus line and audition for him; whether he's willing to let professionalism overcome his personal feelings about their past remains to be seen.

As the film unfolds, the backstory of each of the dancers is revealed. Some are funny, some ironic, some heartbreaking. No matter what their background, however, they all have one thing in common - a passion for dance.

Cast[link]

• Michael Douglas as Zach, choreographer
• Alyson Reed as Cassie
• Terrence Mann as Larry, assistant choreographer
• Sharon Brown as Kim, Zach's secretary

Dancers

• Michael Blevins as Mark Tobori
• Yamil Borges as Diana Morales
• Jan Gan Boyd as Connie Wong
• Gregg Burge as Richie Walters
• Cameron English as Paul San Marco
• Tony Fields as Al DeLuca
• Nicole Fosse as Kristine Evelyn Erlich-DeLuca
• Vicki Frederick as Sheila Bryant
• Michelle Johnston as Beatrice Ann "Bebe" Benson
• Janet Jones as Judy Monroe
• Pam Klinger as Maggie Winslow
• Audrey Landers as Val Clarke
• Charles McGowan as Mike Cass
• Justin Ross as Greg Gardner
• Blane Savage as Don Kerr
• Matt West as Bobby Mills

Musical numbers[link]

1. "I Hope I Get It" - Entire cast -- Contains new sections of music not in the original stage version
2. "Who Am I Anyway?" - Paul -- his solo, originally part of "I Hope I Get It"
3. "I Can Do That" - Mike
4. "At the Ballet" - Sheila, Bebe and Maggie -- The soundtrack contains an extended version not heard in the film
5. "Surprise, Surprise" - Richie and dancers -- Replaces "Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love" and "Gimme The Ball", although one verse of the song is heard in the film. The monologues of Mark, Connie, Judy, and Greg which are part of this number are performed in other parts of the film sans music
6. "Nothing" - Diana
7. "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" - Val
8. "Let Me Dance for You" Cassie -- replaces her song "The Music and the Mirror", although part of the instrumental section remains the same
9. "One" (rehearsal) - entire cast
10. "What I Did for Love" - Cassie -- Sung counterpoint to the Tap Combination. In the stage version, the company performs the number, with Diana leading.
11. "One" (Finale) - entire cast (8 kicklines of 17 dancers each)

The songs "And...", "Sing!", and "The Tap Combination" from the stage version are eliminated in the film, as well as most of "The Montage" (Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love)

Production[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Following the smash success of the Broadway production, Hollywood producers expressed interest in a motion picture version of the musical. Many directors turned down the project, insisting that not only was A Chorus Line too beloved, but it would not translate well to the screen. Even Michael Bennett, the stage musical's director, declined to participate when his proposal to present the film as an audition to cast the movie version of the stage play, instead of a literal translation of the play, was rejected. When Attenborough accepted the project, there was some apprehension as to the treatment the British director would give the musical's quintessentially American story.

The decision to tamper with the score disappointed fans of the show. "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love," "Sing!," and "The Music and the Mirror" were deleted and new songs "Surprise, Surprise" and "Let Me Dance For You" were added. The show's breakout tune, "What I Did for Love," originally was performed as a paean to dancers and their dedication to their craft, but in the film it becomes a wistful love song by Cassie about Zach as she leaves the stage.

The stage musical was one of the first to address the subject of gay actors within the theatre business, but some overt references to it were eliminated from the film.

The dance numbers were choreographed by Jeffrey Hornaday.

Critical reception[link]

The film received mixed reviews from critics. In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby observed, "Though it was generally agreed that Hair would not work as a film, Milos Forman transformed it into one of the most original pieces of musical cinema of the last 20 years. Then they said that A Chorus Line couldn't be done - and this time they were right . . . Mr. Attenborough has elected to make a more or less straightforward film version that is fatally halfhearted."^[2]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated, "The result may not please purists who want a film record of what they saw on stage, but this is one of the most intelligent and compelling movie musicals in a long time - and the most grown up, since it isn't limited, as so many contemporary musicals are, to the celebration of the survival qualities of geriatric actresses."^[3]

Variety said, "Chorus often seems static and confined, rarely venturing beyond the immediate. Attenborough merely films the stage show as best he could. Nonetheless, the director and lenser Ronnie Taylor have done an excellent job working within the limitations, using every trick they could think of to keep the picture moving. More importantly, they have a fine cast, good music and a great, popular show to work with. So if all they did was get it on film, that's not so bad."^[4]

Time Out London says, "The grit and drive of the original have been dissipated into studiously unkempt glitz as empty as plasticised pop . . . It's too corny and unbelievable for words."^[5]

A Chorus Line currently holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Awards[link]

The film was nominated for the following awards:

Academy Awards^[6]

• Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Surprise, Surprise")
• Academy Award for Best Film Editing
• Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing (Donald O. Mitchell, Michael Minkler, Gerry Humphreys and Christopher Newman)

Golden Globes

• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture

BAFTAs

• BAFTA Award for Best Sound
• BAFTA Award for Best Editing

References[link]

External links[link]

• A Chorus Line at the Internet Movie Database
• A Chorus Line at AllRovi
• A Chorus Line at Box Office Mojo
• A Chorus Line at Rotten Tomatoes

Carole "Kelly" Bishop (born February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls, and as the mother of Jennifer Grey's character in the film Dirty Dancing. Bishop created the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.

Early life[link]

Bishop was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Jane Lenore (née Wahtola) and Lawrence Boden Bishop.^[1] She grew up in Denver, Colorado, where she trained to be a ballet dancer, attending the American Ballet Theatre School and the San Jose Ballet School.^[2] At eighteen, she headed to New York City and landed her first job dancing in a year-round ballet company at Radio City Music Hall. Bishop continued to dance in Las Vegas, summer stock and on television until she was cast in 1967 in Golden Rainbow, her first Broadway role.

Career[link]

Bishop's big break came when she was cast as the sexy, hard-edged Sheila in the Broadway production of A Chorus Line. Her performance earned her the 1976 Tony Award as "Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical)", as well as the 1976 Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Musical". She also acted in the Broadway productions of Six Degrees of Separation, Neil Simon's Proposals, the Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Bus Stop. It wasn't long before she was cast opposite Jill Clayburgh in Paul Mazursky's big-screen drama An Unmarried Woman (1978). In 1986, Bishop was initially cast in a much smaller part in the film Dirty Dancing, but was then called upon to play Mrs. Houseman when Lynne Lipton, the actress assigned the role, fell ill during the first week of shooting.

Bishop went on to play "mom" to several high-profile stars in numerous features: Howard Stern's in the Betty Thomas-directed comedy Private Parts (1997), and Tobey Maguire's in Wonder Boys (2000). Additional feature credits include Ich und Er (USA: Me and Him, 1988), Queens Logic (1991), Café Society (1995), Miami Rhapsody (1995) and Blue Moon (2002). On television, Bishop starred in the Mike Nichols' The Thorns opposite Tony Roberts and Marilyn Cooper. She played Lisa Ann Walter's mother on My Wildest Dreams. She has guest-starred on Kate & Allie, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Murphy Brown.

From 2000-07, Bishop starred in the CW Television Network series Gilmore Girls as wealthy New England matriarch Emily Gilmore, mother of Lorelai and grandmother of Rory.

Bishop was in Becky Shaw at the Second Stage Theatre in 2008. She then performed a briefly in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes alongside Sutton Foster and Joel Grey. She replaced Jessica Walters in the role of Evangeline Harcourt.

Bishop can be next seen starring in the recurring role of Fanny Flowers on Amy Sherman-Palladino's Bunheads^[3], in which she reunites with Sutton Foster.

Personal life[link]

Bishop resides in South Orange, New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, TV talk show host Lee Leonard. She has no children.^[4][5]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kelly Bishop at AllRovi
• Kelly Bishop at the Internet Broadway Database
• Kelly Bishop at the Internet Movie Database
• Kelly Bishop cast bio on The CW

Idina Menzel
Background information
Birth name	Idina Kim Mentzel
Born	(1971-05-30) May 30, 1971 (age 41) Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Broadway, pop, vocal
Occupations	Singer, actress, songwriter
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Hollywood (1998–1999) Warner Bros. (2007–2010) Walkman Records (2012–present)
Website	idinamenzel.com

Idina Kim Menzel ( /ɪˈdiːnə mɛnˈzɛl/; born Mentzel on May 30, 1971) is an American actress, singer and songwriter.

She rose to prominence for her performance as Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical Rent, a role which she reprised for the 2005 film adaptation. In 2004 she won the Tony Award for originating the role of Elphaba in the hugely successful Broadway blockbuster Wicked.

Early life[link]

Menzel was born in Queens, New York.^[1][2] Her mother, Helene, is a therapist, and her father, Stuart Mentzel, worked as a pajama salesman.^[3] Her family is Jewish;^[4][5] her grandparents immigrated from Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.^[6] Her family lived in East Brunswick, Somerset and Marlboro, New Jersey from when she was in kindergarten to third grade, but she considers herself raised in Syosset, New York, with her younger sister Cara. Idina changed her last name to Menzel to better reflect the pronunciation the Mentzel family had adopted in America.^[7] When Menzel was 15 years old, her parents divorced and she began working as a wedding and bar mitzvah singer, a job which she continued throughout her time at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.^[8] She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Drama at NYU prior to being cast in Jonathan Larson's rock musical Rent. She was friends with actor Adam Pascal before they worked together in Rent.^[3]

Theater career[link]

In 1995, Menzel auditioned for Rent, which became her first professional theater job and her Broadway debut. Rent opened off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop on January 26, 1996, but it moved to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre due to its popularity. For her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original cast of the musical, Menzel received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical losing to Ann Duquesnay for Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk. Her final performance in the musical was on July 1, 1997.

Following the success of Rent, Menzel released her first solo album entitled Still I Can't Be Still on Hollywood Records, Menzel also originated the role of Dorothy in Summer of ’42 at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, starred as Sheila in the New York City Center Encores! production of Hair and appeared on Broadway as Amneris in Aida. Menzel earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance as Kate in the Manhattan Theatre Club's 2000 off-Broadway production of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. Her other off-Broadway credits include the pre-Broadway run of Rent and The Vagina Monologues.^[9]

In 2003, Menzel starred with actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth on Broadway in Wicked, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman based upon the popular 1995 Gregory Maguire novel. Menzel received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. On her second-to-last performance of Wicked on January 8, 2005, she fell through a trap door and cracked a lower rib. The injury prevented her from performing in the January 9 show. Menzel did, however, make a special out-of-costume appearance at that performance, performed her final song, and received a 5 minute long standing ovation.^[10] Menzel was replaced by Elphaba standby Shoshana Bean.

Following Wicked, Menzel appeared off-Broadway in the Public Theater's production of See What I Wanna See, a Michael John LaChiusa-penned musical whose run ended in December 2005, for which she received Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominations. She reprised her Tony Award-winning role as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked when it opened at London's Apollo Victoria Theater on September 7, 2006.^[11] During her run, she was the highest paid female performer in the West End at $30,000 per week. Menzel finished her West End run on December 30, 2006. She was succeeded by Elphaba standby Kerry Ellis.

Menzel played the role of Florence in the 21st Anniversary concert of Chess at the Royal Albert Hall, London from May 12–13, 2008 alongside Kerry Ellis, Adam Pascal and Josh Groban.

In 2008, Menzel headlined the Powerhouse Theatre's reading of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical Nero from July 11–13, performing the role of Nero's mistress, Poppea.^[12]

According to an interview, Menzel is planning to return to the Broadway stage in a new original musical.^[13]

Film, television, recording and singing career[link]

Menzel's film roles include appearances in Just a Kiss, Kissing Jessica Stein, The Tollbooth, Water, Ask the Dust, Enchanted, and Rent, in which she and five other original cast members reprised their stage roles. As a singer, Menzel is known for her wide vocal range and her use of the 'belt' technique.

Menzel performed at the 1998 Lilith Fair summer concert festival and continues to write and perform original music. She has toured extensively and frequently performs in various venues throughout New York City. She produced and released her debut album, Still I Can't Be Still, for Hollywood Records in 1998. One single from the album, "Minuet", made the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Tracks chart at #48 in October 1998.^[14]

Her second album, Here, was released independently by Zel Records in 2004. Menzel has contributed to soundtracks, including those for the film The Other Sister and the ABC television dramedy Desperate Housewives. She also appears on Ray Charles's album Genius and Friends, which was released in 2005, on the track "I Will Be There." In 2007, she appeared on the Beowulf soundtrack singing the end credits song, "A Hero Comes Home". Also in 2007, Menzel's powerful singing voice led her to be asked to accompany the baritone British X-Factor runner-up Rhydian Roberts on his debut album, duetting on the song "What if".

Her third solo album, I Stand, was released on January 29, 2008. It includes many new songs, including the lead single, "Brave", the title track "I Stand", and a song released on EP, "Gorgeous". The album debuted at #58 in the Billboard 200, making it the first solo album by Menzel to make the charts. There are five versions of this album: the original version, the special limited edition, the iTunes version, the Barnes & Noble edition, and the Borders edition. Menzel wrote many of the songs on her album.

On April 1, 2008, Menzel kicked off her 2008-2009 "I Stand" tour in support of her new album performing 4 sold out legs. The concert at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City was filmed for the PBS series "Soundstage". Menzel was joined by special guests, superstar Josh Groban and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.

On November 11, 2008, Menzel released "Hope," written by Paul Hampton, benefitting Stand Up to Cancer.

On November 27, 2008, Menzel performed "I Stand" on the M&M Candies float as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.^[15][16]

Menzel has a recurring guest star role in the television series Glee, playing Shelby Corcoran, the coach of the rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. When the series first premiered, Glee fans had noted a strong physical resemblance between Menzel and Lea Michele who portrays the character Rachel Berry. According to her husband, actor Taye Diggs, Menzel expressed interest in possibly guest starring as the biological mother of Rachel.^[17] The character was introduced in the April 13, 2010 episode "Hell-O", and it was revealed in the May 18, 2010 episode, "Dream On", that Shelby is, in fact, Rachel's biological mother, having answered an ad from Rachel's two gay dads looking for a 'mother' to help them have a baby. Lea Michele and Idina Menzel sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables and "Poker Face" originally by Lady Gaga together. Menzel returned to Glee in Season 3 episode "I Am Unicorn", her role this time as a teacher causing trouble for Rachel, Quinn, Puck, and former flame Will Schuster.^[18]

On July 19, 2010, Menzel performed "Defying Gravity" and "What I Did For Love" in front of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House. The concert aired on PBS October 20, 2010.^[19]

In April 2010, Menzel returned to concert stage embarking on a tour with different symphony orchestras. Her performances included collaborations with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the North Carolina Symphony. In October 2011, Menzel returned to London to perform a one night only concert in the United Kingdom at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Marvin Hamlisch conducting. Menzel's concert stop in Toronto was filmed at The Royal Conservatory of Music on November 17 and 18, 2011 for her second PBS special. She was accompanied by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony with Marvin Hamlisch conducting and special guest Taye Diggs, Menzel's husband. "Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony" will be released as a live CD and DVD and air on PBS in March 2012.^[20]

On January 5, 2012, Menzel announced she will continue live performances in 2012. The first date she announced was July 8, 2012 at Ravinia Festival near Chicago, Illinois.^[21]

Personal life[link]

Menzel married actor Taye Diggs on January 11, 2003. They met in 1995 during the original production of Rent, in which Diggs portrayed the role of Benjamin Coffin III, the landlord.^[22] They have a son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, born in 2009.^[23] They have a Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy Davis Jr.^[24] and two cats named Ella and Coltrane, also known as their "Jazz Cats" because they were named after jazz performers Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane.^[25]

Charity[link]

Menzel was an Honorary Chair of the Imperial Court of New York's Annual Charity Coronation Ball, Night of A Thousand Gowns on March 21, 2009. Other Honorary Chairs for the evening's charity event included Sir Elton John CBE, Patti LuPone, John Cameron Mitchell, Joan Rivers and Dame Robin Strasser.^[26]

On May 17, 2009, Menzel performed at a special benefit concert in Atlanta, Georgia to raise money for the Pace Academy Diversity Program in coordination with the Ron Clark Academy.^[27] The event resulted in the funding of two scholarships for Ron Clark Academy students to attend Pace Academy. The event was organized and hosted by Philip McAdoo, a former Rent cast member and current Diversity Program Director at Pace Academy.^[28][29]

In 2010, Menzel founded the A BroaderWay Foundation with husband Taye Diggs as a means of supporting young people in the arts. A BroaderWay sponsors camp programs, theater workshops, innovative educational programming and offers scholarships and opportunities to experience professional performances. In Summer 2011, Camp BroaderWay welcomed young girls from under-served metro New York communities to a 10-day performing arts camp, run by Menzel and a team of acclaimed professional Broadway artists including Taye Diggs. During this camp the girls collaborated with Broadway artists to write an original musical that was performed at a theatre in New York. The camp took place at Belvoir Terrace Summer Camp in Lenox, MA.^[30]

Theatre, film and television credits[link]

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

Singles[link]

Cast recordings[link]

Miscellaneous[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Idina Menzel

• Official website
• Idina Menzel at the Internet Broadway Database
• Idina Menzel at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with Idina Menzel at TonyAwards.com

Donna McKechnie
Born	(1940-11-16) November 16, 1940 (age 71) Pontiac, Michigan, USA
Occupation	Actor, dancer, choreographer
Website
http://www.donnamckechnie.com

Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1940)^[1] is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, "Cassie" from the musical A Chorus Line, for which she earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows from 1969 to 1970.

Early life[link]

McKechnie was born in Pontiac, Michigan where she began ballet classes at age five. Her earliest influence was the classic British ballet film The Red Shoes (1948), which prompted her, at age eight, to plan a career as a ballerina. She studied for many years at the Rose Marie Floyd School of Dance in Royal Oak. Despite her parents' strong misgivings, she moved to New York City when she was 17. Rejected after an audition for the American Ballet Theatre, she found employment in the corps de ballet at Radio City Music Hall but walked off the job on the day of dress rehearsal to do summer stock at the Carousel Theatre in Framingham, Massachusetts.

After doing a Welch's Grape Juice commercial and the first L'eggs stockings commercial, she was cast in a touring company of West Side Story. In 1961, she made her Broadway debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, where she met choreographer Bob Fosse and his wife, Gwen Verdon. A stint in a Philadelphia production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (as Philia) was followed by the NBC music series Hullabaloo, where she was a featured dancer and met Michael Bennett, who became a guiding force in her life and career.

Broadway[link]

In April, 1968, McKechnie was back on Broadway in the short-lived musical version of Leo Rosten's collection of short stories The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, which led to a featured role in Burt Bacharach and Hal David's Promises, Promises, choreographed by Bennett. Along with Baayork Lee and Margo Sappington, she danced in one of Broadway's most famous numbers, Turkey Lurkey Time. It was here that she first attracted notice from critics and theatergoers alike. This was followed by a role in the touring company of Call Me Madam, starring Ethel Merman.

Bennett showcased McKechnie again in Stephen Sondheim's Company (1970), where she danced Tick-Tock. After leaving the Broadway cast, she reprised her role in the Los Angeles and London companies, and also toured in the 1971 revival of On the Town (as Ivy). In March 1973, she choreographed and performed in the highly acclaimed one-night-only concert Sondheim: A Musical Tribute at the Shubert Theatre in New York. In 1974, she co-starred with Richard Kiley and Bob Fosse in the unsuccessful musical film version of the classic The Little Prince.

McKechnie was part of Bennett's group therapy-style workshops that evolved into the Broadway smash A Chorus Line, in which she portrayed Cassie, a character based in great part on herself. She danced her third famous Bennett-McKechnie number, The Music and the Mirror, in which the vocal sections were tailored to her unusually large range. Initially, Donna was to perform the number with four of her male co-stars but after four previews before opening, McKechnie voiced concern about dancing around the four guys and at the last moment, Bennett changed the direction to have McKechnie perform the song-dance number alone. Her performance earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role of Maggie was also based on her life. She married Bennett in 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced, remaining good friends until his death from AIDS in 1987.

In 1980, McKechnie was diagnosed with arthritis and told she never would dance again. She pursued various physical, psychological, and holistic healing remedies, and was well enough to return to the Broadway company of A Chorus Line in 1986. During the remainder of the 1980s she also toured in Sweet Charity and Annie Get Your Gun, and she appeared in a London revival of Can-Can. She also participated in the "Chorus Line" extravaganza to celebrate its then record-breaking run on Broadway in September 1983.

Later career[link]

Her television work included a regular role on the Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows early in her career, and after her rise to fame, guest appearances on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Rowan & Martin's Laugh In and Cheers, plus the role of Suzi Laird on several Fame episodes.

In the early 1990s, McKechnie appeared off-Broadway twice, first in a revue entitled Cut the Ribbons, followed by Annie Warbucks, a less successful sequel to the hit Annie. In 1993, she reunited with most of the original cast of Company for three concert performances. In 1996, she was awarded the Fred Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer for her performance in a Broadway adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's film State Fair. In the same year, she was in a production of You Never Know at the Pasadena Playhouse. In February, 1997, she played Phyllis in a concert performance of Follies at London's Drury Lane Theatre, and the following year took on the role of Sally in a production of that same show at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.

In 2002, McKechnie starred in the pre-Broadway production of the Jerry Herman musical revue Showtune. In recent years, she has toured periodically in her one-woman show Inside the Music, a potpourri of songs, dances and anecdotes about her life in the theater and her successful battle with arthritis, directed by her old Chorus Line castmate, Thommie Walsh. Her autobiography, Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life, written with Greg Lawrence, was published by Simon & Schuster on August 29, 2006, only weeks before the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line opened on October 5.

In June 2010 McKechnie appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

McKechnie currently is on the faculty of HB Studio in New York City.

Awards and nominations[link]

Awards

• 1976 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical – A Chorus Line
• 1976 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical – A Chorus Line
• 1976 Theatre World Special Award – A Chorus Line

Nominations

• 1996 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – State Fair

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Mandelbaum, Ken (1990). A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett. St Martins Press, ISBN 0-312-04280-9
• Viagas, Robert (2nd edition, 1990). . On the Line - The Creation of A Chorus Line. Limelight Editions, ISBN 0-87910-336-1
• Stevens, Gary (2000). The Longest Line: Broadway's Most Singular Sensation: A Chorus Line. (Applause Books, ISBN 1-55783-221-8
• Flinn, Denny Martin (1989). What They Did for Love: The Untold Story Behind the Making of 'A Chorus Line' . Bantam, ISBN 0-553-34593-1
• Kelly, Kevin (1990). One Singular Sensation: The Michael Bennett Story. Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-26125-X

External links[link]

• Donna McKechnie official website
• Donna McKechnie at the Internet Broadway Database
• Donna McKechnie at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Donna McKechnie at the Internet Movie Database
• Broadway Bullet interview with Donna McKechnie (October 19, 2006)
• Donna McKechnie - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org, October 2006
• Career Guides: The Dancer at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2002
• Return To Broadway Working in the Theatre Seminar, April 1996
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Donna McKechnie