UPDATED! BWW Exclusive: And the 2016 Hollywood Bowl Summer Musical Is...???

It's usually around this time of year that the Hollywood Bowl announces their summer musical, and this year we haven't heard yet, officially... so we sent out our spies in Los Angeles to see what we could find out. It didn't take long to zero in on. So, what musical would they choose after LES MISERABLES, GUYS & DOLLS, THE PRODUCERS, RENT, HAIR and last summer's SPAMALOT? Drumroll please... the Hollywood Bowl Musical will be A CHORUS LINE. The musical will be presented (without intermission) on Friday, July 29, at 8 PM, Saturday, July 30, at 8 PM and Sunday, July 31, at 7:30 PM.

What our crackerjack sources couldn't find out is the creative team that's in place, nor any early casting ideas. But, you can be certain of one thing - that the cast, when announced, will always be a fantastic mashup from stage, screen, television and the recording world. And, sometimes, wonderful surprises like the year Dane Cook appeared in THE PRODUCERS, making his debut in a musical.

However, that stated, we can be certain of one thing: whoever is at the helm will be well-versed in the ACL world. With the traditionally short rehearsal period, a show with the vitality and history of this magnitude would never be left to a "first-timer" in either the directorial or choreographic departments. It will also be wonderful to see what they will do visually with the show to take it that 'Hollywood Bowl' step further than the singular white line to reach their audience scope of 17,000.

We reached out to the Hollywood Bowl for comment, and they wouldn't tell us anything but the title and the dates, as they are announcing their entire season tomorrow in Los Angeles, but remember that you read it here first...on BroadwayWorld, where our team works 24/7 to bring you the latest news and as factual as humanly possible!

BroadwayWorld's casting suggestion: Channing Tatum as Zach???

Exclusive Update 5:45pm EST - Our sources from Los Angeles are reporting that the production will be directed by Baayork Lee, one of Michael Bennett's closest collaborators over the years, who has staged productions all over the world of A CHORUS LINE and is currently in Austria staging a new company (in German) of the show. We also hear that Patrick Vaccariello, who served as musical supervisor, director and conductor for the 2006 Broadway revival will serve as music director. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

A CHORUS LINE, the iconic show about a chorus audition for a Broadway musical features music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Following several workshops and an Off-Broadway production, A CHORUS LINE opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway July 25, 1975, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett. An unprecedented box office and critical hit, the musical received twelve Tony Award nominations and won nine, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The original Broadway production ran for 6,137 performances, becoming the longest-running production in Broadway history until surpassed by CATS in 1997, and the longest-running Broadway musical originally produced in the US, until surpassed in 2011 by Chicago. It remains the sixth longest-running Broadway show ever. A CHORUS LINE's success has spawned many successful productions worldwide. It began a lengthy run in the West End in 1976 and was revived on Broadway in 2006, and in the West End in 2013.