A Chorus Line has become such a fixture in the musical theater repertoire that it’s hard to recall that it was considered groundbreaking when it debuted on Broadway in 1975. And it’s even harder to recall that Broadway was in danger of going dark in the mid-’70s before the era of blockbuster pop culture spectacle overtook the Great White Way.
The 40th Anniversary CD brings back memories of a time when an openly gay character in a Broadway show was considered eye opening and a popular musical set in the present was unusual. The newly remastered original cast recording includes the requisite bonus tracks—demos by the music’s composer Marvin Hamlisch.