A Chorus Line opened on Broadway 50 years ago in 1975.
Just last month, the National Asian Artists Project (NAAP) held its 2025 Gala Benefit celebrating the 50th Anniversary of A Chorus Line and honoring the role of “Connie Wong,” directed by the original “Connie Wong” Baayork Lee.
The special event kicked off a slew of A Chorus Line celebrations. In just a few weeks on July 27, original Broadway cast members Lee, Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Priscilla Lopez and Donna McKechnie, will come together in a benefit concert for the Entertainment Community Fund. That evening will also be directed by Lee.
"On opening night downtown, Michael Bennett pulled me over after we got off the stage and he said, 'Baayork, come here!' I thought he was gonna give me notes for the company because I was hi dance captain," she explained to BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. "He said, 'You're going to do this all around the world!' I laughed... I had just done two flop shows with him. Now here I am 50 years later, carrying the torch of the legacy of Michael Bennett and Bob Avian."
Originally conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on July 25,1975. Directed by Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian, the musical quickly became an unprecedented and critical hit. That original production garnered 12 Tony Award nominations and won nine. It ran for 15 years and was the longest-running Broadway show when it closed on April 28, 1990, playing 6,137 performances—and has continued to span the globe for decades.
"When we opened, there was a line to the box office that went around the block. I had never seen that," added original Cassie, Donna McKechnie. "I'll never forget when we opened on Broadway, because it was unlike any opening before or since... it was a celebration, from the audience to the cast. When you're in a hit already, you don't care about the reviews! It was a wonderful night."
Watch more in this video and check back later this week as we bring you more coverage from inside the big day with A Chorus Line's Connies.
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