A dancer retraces her steps
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A revival of [A Chorus Line] opened Oct. 9, and the 63-year-old McKechnie was one of several original cast members in the audience. She recently released her memoir, “Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life.”

Q: Do you like the revival?

A: I’m really happy to see Michael’s work so beautifully presented on Broadway again because there’s a whole generation that hasn’t seen it. Tharon Musser’s original lighting is still there. We keep our loved ones alive with a legacy of beautiful memories.

Today, `A Chorus Line' looks and feels flat-footed
by SID SMITH for the Chicago Tribune
published: November 26, 2006

Like anybody remotely interested in dance or Broadway in the 1970s, I went ape over "A Chorus Line." Here was a show that seemed to breathe new life into an endangered American art and celebrate dance for its role in musical history.

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The future, meanwhile, looked bright. Brand new stars Michael Bennett (in choreography) and Donna McKechnie (on stage) would issue in a new era of dance-oriented shows and cure forever that fabulous invalid, the Great White Way.

None of it happened. Fate intervened, ...

For legendary choreographer, ‘Chorus Line’ is still the one
Legendary choreographer and producer Bob Avian has more than an inkling why “A Chorus Line” is still hitting its mark after more than 30 years.

“It was sort of the first reality show,” said the 70-year-old, who co-choreographed the original production with the late Michael Bennett. Now Avian is back directing the revival and its national tour, which opens a nearly month-long run at the Opera House on Thursday.

With time, the chorus line evolves
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Avian says the Broadway dancer has evolved greatly since he performed …

"The bar has been raised so high now," says Avian.... "These kids are remarkable. The training they get these days is incredible."

The evolution of the Broadway musical itself has had a lot to do with that. With smaller casts, chorus members have to be not only world-class dancers, but competent singers and actors, too.

'Chorus Line' still gets kick from group dynamic
What's surprising about "A Chorus Line," which officially opened last night at the Opera House, is how fresh and how classic it feels.

The show's original Broadway run began in 1975 and ended in 1990. But this national tour, which follows on the heels of the 2006 Broadway revival that closed this summer, reveals the enduring strength and ageless appeal of Michael Bennett's signature work.

‘Chorus Line’ kicks aren’t what they used to be
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“A Chorus Line” is timeless in its themes - love, ambition, betrayal. And it is, as original co-choreographer Bob Avian told the Herald last week, Broadway’s first reality show/competition, long before “American Idol” took over the world.

The problem is, “A Chorus Line” is less like “The Real World” and more like that aunt who still wears blue eyeshadow and can’t stop talking about Studio 54. It’s dated.