Donna McKechnie - A Chorus Line - The Music and the Mirror

In Memory of Marvin Hamlisch

[@sopranosd]

She is extraordinary. She dances with every INCH of her body! The gesture and the tension. Blowing me totally away.

[@mhss0001]

exactly! She has this incredible freedom- LEGENDARY

[@poetmistress2009]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@michaelhearn1676]

No one danced this like Donna... and no one ever will!

[@johnlombardo87]

The greatest dance number in American musical theatre.i saw her twice downtown and the Schubert

[@MrPoochsmooch]

People just don't SING like this anymore. Of course it was before the days of body mics and all they had were mics on the foot of the stage. But still, despite hearing any imperfections in this raw performance, what you DO HEAR is the spirit of a charactor singing for it's very life!

[@samisntalesbian2349]

what an ignorant statement “people just don’t sing like this anymore” ok lmao?

[@Mxyzptlksac]

Donna was a dancer not a singer. Sometimes you have to choose- do you want a dancer or a singer?

[@marcelobocao01]

People just don't SING like this anymore ??????????? what do you mean with this statement ? I do not get your point, please.

[@bastianrojo8405]

@@Mxyzptlksac that's not true lol

[@ZacBrzuchalski]

@@marcelobocao01 Back then actors didn't rely on body mics.... actors projected out over a live band/ orchestra and could be heard all the way to the back of the balcony. Nowadays actors rely on 2-3 body mics and sing to prerecorded backing music.

[@sopranosd]

This is a wild and mysterious bootleg video. It's great to see it!! Donna McKechnie is awesome.

[@remyfacade]

it's actually not a bootleg per-say. Bennett knew about it. This is a pre bway version

[@lonellfletcher]

I've seen this choreography on other bodies. NO ONE does it like Donna. The elegance. The fluidity. Just visual perfection. She moves like a gazelle. No wonder she was Bennett's muse.

[@Elmaestrodemusica]

When I was in high school (1978-82) we usually did not use mikes and had to speak and sing out. It wasn't a huge auditorium, 1500 seats including a balcony, but I remember the drama teacher always yelling "Project!!" ....

[@HarringtonTribal]

One of the greatest examples of a "triple threat" in Broadway history. Why can't they all be like this?

[@jochenstossberg5427]

She had a partner who knew how to show her off at her best. And him. Let's not go into the fact that everything she did was a variation on this choreography. It was the same with the great Gwen Verdon. Bob Fosse found out what she did best, and what she couldn't do, and did it over and over - and a legend was born. Neither of them could tap, so, limited. The both had what it really takes, brilliant choreographers who showed themselves and their dancers off to perfection. This is pretty much exactly what she did in Company.

[@HarringtonTribal]

@@jochenstossberg5427 Gwen Verdon was great tapper! But definitely not Bennett or McKecknie. Verdon is said to have helped dub some of the tap sounds in Singing in the Rain.

[@magnetpi99]

WOW!!!! Awesome and never gets old!!! No one does it like her...

[@indyphoto1]

Goosebumps watching just like I had them when I saw the OBC back on my first ever trip to NYC! Total magic.

[@blanchefan]

Incredible!! Is this from the Off-Broadway "tryouts" at the Public Theatre?? This is truly historic footage. I saw Donna dance this on Broadway with the original cast in July of 1975--the performance and the audience response was indescribable! And to see this now--magic--chills! Thank you for this! :)

[@derickyyy]

I'm amazing by how flexible she was, especially her back bend at 7:55.

[@mlaugh09]

She was brilliant in this show.

[@rockwestfahl]

They don’t come much better. I saw Ann Reinking as Cassie in 1976 and I thought she was so good it was scary. I can’t believe they used footlights in this show it’s a miracle nobody kicked one and broke a toe

[@brentchavis9016]

Wow! BRAVO, Donna.

[@BloomywoodTheSeries]

Is there a better musical theatre dancer than Donna McKechnie? I doubt it.

[@ZacBrzuchalski]

i can only think of Ann Reinking.

[@riang.4067]

This is historic. One of the greatest numbers in musical theatre.

[@coolness06]

Spectacular!!!

[@doncapellani6409]

Oh my god❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@lynnmiller3937]

She's so Broadway and whatever she wants. Wish she could see my kids.

[@jabriladams2589]

Opening night 1976 get it Barbara

[@stevechappellie904]

I’m sorry but Michael’s original choreography in this drove me nuts. Kinda all over the place with frozen weird ballet arm positions. Halting and quite disruptive. However, and what made him an incredible Director is He played to the strengths of the incredible Donna! This is no dish to her, but her musicality, extensions and expressive feet were what stole this song! Technique? Hmmm. Todays Cassie’s do DOUBLE pirouettes repeatedly down the chorus “line”. Donna, not so much, she fudges it with footwork and a lot of shuffling. Her voice is SPECTACULAR! I do love that Michael and Donna created something special for HER and the SHOW. Other Cassie’s may be better technically but not hold up to the well rounded expressionism that is Donna’s lyrical quality.

[@beaellie9766]

I would like to see the evolution of this routine for the Broadway production when the show transferred from the Public to the Shubert. I think this dance probably also changed, grew, refined. It's definitely not the same steps you can see Laurie Gamache do in the video of the final performance.

[@smurf902]

Donna cast a spell when doing this number. Other try, but theyre basically cheerleaders, not artists

[@TheNavarro6767]

They put a man on the moon (?) and had better video than this.

[@GrandTierBox]

GFY

[@robertcanada5106]

No other actress will ever come close to Donna. She owned the role of Cassie.

[@iamarine]

You're right about that. I saw A Chorus Line with the original cast at the Shubert Theater in NYC back in '76. What a fantastic show and Donna singing Music and the Mirror is one I'll never forget, along with all the others...Maggie signing At the Ballet, Morales with "Nothing". Val with "Dance: 10, Looks: 3". I still sing these songs after nearly 50 years. I have since seen it 2 other times when the touring show came to my city. One of my most favorite musicals, by far!

[@Elphaboy]

this is amazing! its crazy to be able to see a piece of broadway history that would otherwise have completely unnoticed, THANK YOU FOR POSTING!!!

[@blaase]

Only cassie that was a born dancer and not just an actress that could dance.

[@Starisborne]

Joshua I mean the character was practically made for her besides loosely based off of her even though Cassie is made up

[@raymondcallies9087]

Dance ... 10 !!!!!!

[@maryrutkowski7195]

I saw her; I was 13!!!

[@tishtashtishtash]

They don’t call this showstopping for nuthin’

[@echeleteich3347]

She's magnificent!!!!

[@KevinRmOnline]

Iconic

[@houdannycomedymagic8642]

Bravo! Again and again...