Concord Theatricals Launches A CHORUS LINE Licensing Competition For Schools In Under-Resourced Communities

Concord Theatricals is launching One Singular Sensation: A Chorus Line Licensing Competition, which will award ten schools in low-income communities a complimentary license package to perform A Chorus Line: Teen Edition in 2024 or 2025, to honor the 80th anniversary of Marvin Hamlisch's birth and the 50th anniversary of the original Broadway production.

The Competition is open to all high schools in America, especially Title 1 and other under-resourced schools. More information can be found here.

A Chorus Line is a stunning concept musical capturing the spirit and tension of a Broadway ensemble audition. Exploring the inner lives and poignant ambitions of professional Broadway performers, the show features one powerhouse number after another. The production was instantly recognized as a classic, helmed by a dynamic creative team: originally conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and co-choreographed by Bob Avian.

“A Chorus Line is one of the most iconic and innovative musicals in the history of Broadway,” said Bill Gaden, President of Concord Theatricals. “We are so happy to give students from under-resourced schools the opportunity to explore the show's characters and experiences. The story of A Chorus Line provides a unique peek into the backstage drama of putting on a Broadway show – a story every theatre student will enjoy.”

Opening off-Broadway at The Public Theater on April 15, 1975, A Chorus Line quickly transferred to the Shubert Theatre on Broadway on July 25, 1975, and ran for 6,137 performances before closing on April 28, 1990. On September 29, 1983, A Chorus Line became, at the time, the longest-running show in Broadway history. After winning the Pulitzer Prize and nine Tony Awards, A Chorus Line next premiered in London, where it played 903 performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It was revived at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway in 2006 and played for 759 performances.

To enter the competition, schools must complete a written application, including an essay that answers the prompt: What makes your students singular sensations? Guidelines for an additional, optional video entry are also provided. Ten schools will be chosen based on a variety of factors, including financial need and creativity of answer. Each recipient will be awarded a three-performance licensing package for A Chorus Line: Teen Edition, including all rental material.

Applications are open now through Monday, February 12, 2024, at 11:59pm ET. Selected schools must present their production of A Chorus Line: Teen Edition between June 2024 and December 2025. For more information and to apply, visit www.concordtheatricals.com/singular-sensation.

ABOUT Concord Theatricals

Concord Theatricals is the world's most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Our unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Tom Kitt, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. We are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production. www.concordtheatricals.com  

ABOUT Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Hamlisch is one of America's most decorated composers and conductors. Known for his work in both film and theatre, Hamlisch won virtually every major award that exists: three Oscars, four GRAMMYs, four Emmys, a Tony, three Golden Globe Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize (won by A Chorus Line). He is one of only two people to have ever achieved a “PEGOT.” Over his four-decade-long career, Hamlisch composed more than 40 prolific film scores, including his Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were; his adaptation of Scott Joplin's ragtime music for The Sting, for which he received a third Oscar; as well as the original compositions for Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People, The Swimmer, Three Men and a Baby, and Ice Castles. On Broadway, he composed the smash hit A Chorus Line, as well as They're Playing Our Song, The Goodbye Girl and Sweet Smell of Success. Hamlisch was musical director and arranger of Barbra Streisand's 1994 concert tour of the U.S. and England as well as of the television special “Barbra Streisand: The Concert,” for which he received two of his Emmys. Hamlisch also held the position of principal pops conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, The Buffalo Philharmonic and The National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. At the time of his death he was preparing to assume responsibilities as principal pops conductor for The Philadelphia Orchestra.