Stardom hit New York in the 18th century when live theaters opened for business. Now, Broadway Theatre consists of 40 theaters located in the Theatre District in Manhattan.
On this day, July 25th, in 1975, the longest-running Broadway show at the time, “A Chorus Line,” opened at the Shubert Theatre. In total, the show performed 6,137 Broadway performances.
“A Chorus Line” amazed audiences by portraying a behind-the-scenes look of Broadway dancers auditioning for a spot on a performing chorus line. Starting as a book, the performance became an unprecedented box office hit with 12 Tony Award nominations. It won 9 Tony Awards as well as the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. “A Chorus Line” remained the longest-running show in Broadway until “Cats” surpassed it in 1997. To date, the show is still the fifth longest-running Broadway show. It succeeded worldwide and then returned to Broadway again in 2006.