Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-Winning Musical A Chorus Line Comes to Philadelphia’s Forrest Theatre, December 16-January 4
October 31, 2008
"The chance to see Michael Bennett’s masterpiece again, or for the first, time shouldn’t be missed."
The new production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical A Chorus Line comes to the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia for a limited three-week holiday engagement beginning December 16, 2008 through January 4, 2009. The official press opening is Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 7:30 pm.
The national touring production is part of the Broadway Series, a cooperative effort between Kimmel Center, Inc. and the Shubert Organization, Inc., where theatrical presentations in Philadelphia are presented at the Forrest Theatre and the Academy of Music.
Tickets ranging in price from $31.50 to $86.50 will go on sale November 2, 2008 at 10am. A limited number of VIP premium seats are available for $151.50. Tickets are available by calling 800-447-7400, online at www.telecharge.com, or at the Forrest Theatre box office, 1114 Walnut Street beginning Nov. 24. Groups of 15 or more call 866-276-2947.
Performances include: Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm; Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7:30pm; and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 6:30pm. Matinees are Saturdays at 2pm; Sundays at 1pm; Wednesday, Dec. 24 & Dec. 31 at 2pm. There are no performances on Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1).
The National tour cast currently features Clyde Alves (Mike), Venny Carranza (Roy), Dena DiGiacinto (Bebe), Liza Domingo (Connie), Mindy Dougherty (Val), Derek Hanson (Don), Hollie Howard (Maggie), David Hull (Mark), Jordan Fife Hunt (Frank), Robyn Hurder (Cassie), Julie Kotarides (Vicki), Sebastian La Cause (Zach), Jessica Latshaw (Kristine), Shannon Lewis (Sheila), Ian Liberto (Bobby), Stephanie Martignetti (Tricia), Sterling Masters (Lois), Bethany Moore (Judy), Colt Prattes (Al), Alex Ringler (Greg), Gabrielle Ruiz (Diana), Clifton Samuels (Tom), Kevin Santos (Paul), Brandon Tyler (Larry), Anthony Wayne (Richie), J.R. Whittington (Butch), and swing performers Colin Bradbury, Erica Mansfield, Rebecca Riker and Amos Wolff.
A Chorus Line reclaimed its place in the heart of Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W 45th St) where it opened to rave reviews on October 5, 2006. Elysa Gardner of USA Today calls it "Exhilarating and endearing, it still has a freshness and fervency too seldom seen in contemporary musicals," while the New York Daily News exclaims "There’s nothing better! The show thrills from the opening number to the glittering finale," and Jeffrey Lyons of WNBC TV hails it "An American Masterpiece. A show for the ages." A Chorus Line is directed by its original Tony Award winning co-choreographer Bob Avian and is produced by John F. Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
A Chorus Line recouped its entire $8 million investment after only 157 performances (19 weeks) on Broadway. It broke the theatre’s box office record 7 times in its first 5 months. A Chorus Line ended its Broadway run on August 17, 2008 after 18 preview and 759 regular performances.
A Chorus Line, conceived and originally choreographed and directed by Michael Bennett, features a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. For this new production, Baayork Lee re-stages the original choreography.
The new production features scenery by Robin Wagner, costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge, lighting by Tharon Musser adapted by Natasha Katz and sound by Acme Sound Partners. Musical supervision is by Patrick Vaccariello with musical direction by John C. O'Neill, orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick, Billy Byers and Hershy Kay and vocal arrangements are by Don Pippin. The new 2006 Broadway cast recording of A Chorus Line was released by Masterworks Broadway and is available in stores nationwide.
The original production of A Chorus Line opened at the Public Theater’s Newman Theatre on May 21, 1975 and transferred to Broadway’s Shubert Theatre on July 25th, opening there on October 19th of that year. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Score and Book, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. It ran for nearly 15 years, closing on April 28, 1990 after 6,137 performances. A Chorus Line remains the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
The new 2008-2009 Broadway Series, where theatrical presentations in Philadelphia are presented at the Academy of Music and the Forrest Theatre, begins with the launch of its first production, The Wizard of Oz on Nov. 28 – 30, followed by Legally Blonde The Musical Dec. 2 – 7. The Series also includes: A Chorus Line (Dec. 16 – Jan. 4) at the Forrest Theatre; Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Jan. 9 – 11); Jesus Christ Superstar (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1); RENT (Feb. 3 – 8); Happy Days – A New Musical (Mar. 24 – 29); Riverdance (Mar. 31 – Apr. 5); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (April 7 – 12); Movin’ Out (May 15 – 17); and Spring Awakening (June 23 – 28). Subscription packages are on sale now by calling 215-893-1955 or online at www.kimmelcenter.org/subs0809.
All performances of the Broadway Series are supported by CITI, WPVI-TV 6, The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Broadway Series.
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