Marvin Hamlisch on 'A Chorus Line' Comeback

None of the great white way and a much -- legend making a comeback the musical chorus line is heading back to Broadway after an absence of more than fifteen years. So does the old magic still holed... See More

None of the great white way and a much -- legend making a comeback the musical chorus line is heading back to Broadway after an absence of more than fifteen years. So does the old magic still holed up. Is this show the Broadway version of reality TV ABC's John Berman has the new installment of our occasional series. On Broadway. -- and -- -- through -- sound familiar each Hewlett. For 6137. She -- a chorus line was the talk of the town. He closed in 1990 after a fifteen year run at the time the longest running every -- But now we show for Broadway the end of -- Broadway is that. On Broadway. This was the original kind. And -- reality show on stage you were getting inside look at what it's like. To be a performer and theater and go through that process. Was this the 1970s. Version of American Idol. If almost seventeen dancers trying desperately. To get over all in the chorus of a Broadway Show. Just deport. Any more. I. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- The whole idea came from a workshop for the early 1970s. With actors and dancers telling their life stories. I don't auto homeowner and I am a -- bearing their -- really stories. And sometimes raw. -- The legendary director and choreographer Michael Bennett -- these stories. Crafting a chorus line. To illustrate that metaphorical line between desperation. And hope. Composer Marvin Hamlisch. One day. Michael took -- piece that you -- to put a large. At the rehearsal hall -- -- this is the line this precarious shipped between desperation. And you got it. That's who the distance of that -- and that's what vote -- shows about your you do this. Put on a little must this little -- you know cover yourself -- -- BA you know law. A little comedy character so what you have -- stand I stand and a T shirt and jeans and just. A talk Jeffrey Schechter plays might. The first of the dancers called on to tell his life story in his case why he started dancing. Bomb Watson. -- -- -- like so many actors Jeffrey has no real connection to the show my. I can do that story was -- saw the -- -- -- fever and I literally was watching a movie going. But in this guy is a bad acts a particular -- and -- do those things have women. Meg going to be with me I I want to do that you can you know I didn't. -- but of course why isn't simply -- -- the race to stage. If he is a proto reality show it is a much different reality show -- knows we have come to know these games. It's about how fast you can become famous I think nowadays. It doesn't matter -- at half the time I mean that I -- Paris Hilton's. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Lady trying just to hang on in the chorus. Begging to go -- Can you imagine that an American Idol trying not to be a star it's a wanna be accepted and it's also wanting to just be with a group. And be with. We don't a line in the joined in that and be part of something. They are on the timing and yeah. I'm I'm and asked the sun times. And -- Okay. But -- -- 1970s. Teams -- to the modern audience thirty years ago testimonials about homosexuality. Were Shockey. I always knew I was K and thirty years ago this was a little shocking. And then and then -- manner. Not leave Miami and. Right now it's period piece and it wasn't a period piece and who doesn't get plastic surgery these days so is a chorus -- still relevant. Marvin Hamlisch think so. It's almost as if the time has changed in the show. Has done one of these and -- you're looking at it from this side. And everything stayed the same except now you're noticing things that you didn't notice thirty years ago. Today's audience can look beyond any shock value. To see something more. You're noticing how people who say hey I just got -- give me a chance -- noticing how people are saying. I just -- to do my very best it's not all about one issue or another issue and I think that's really important here you have. These youngsters up on the stage who -- telling telling the world what they feel so honestly and so straightforward that it's it's refreshing. -- that's -- even after 6137. Performances. American need be ready to a chorus line once more. It represents -- -- And then there's the quote in the program by Michael Bennett that says this shows dedicated to everybody -- -- everything else. The chorus or marched in step anyway. And that's who this it's every person. On John Berman for Nightline. In New York.