A Chorus Line is the Broadway musical set largely in a New York City rehearsal studio as dancers audition for a musical.
The show follows 17 dancers competing for a small number of places in the chorus. The director asks them to share personal histories, so the audition becomes both a professional contest and a series of intimate character portraits.
A Chorus Line originated in workshops built from recorded interviews with dancers. Michael Bennett directed and choreographed the production, while the book was credited to James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Marvin Hamlisch wrote the music, and Edward Kleban wrote the lyrics.
The musical opened in 1975 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Although the production takes place during an audition, it is not simply a backstage comedy: its structure examines the sacrifices, ambitions, and uncertainties of professional dancers.