Michael Bennett's 1975 valentine to "gypsies," the dancers who are often treated as so much mobile scenery in Broadway musicals, is sometimes considered to have broken new ground with its frank portraits of talented but frustrated performers. The score by
Marvin Hamlisch and
Edward Kleban is a favorite of "theater people" everywhere, but was designed to showcase the abilities of dancers rather than singers. Consequently, only the ballad "What I Did for Love" has had a life outside of the show's context. Columbia/Legacy's 1998 CD reissue of the original Broadway cast recording of
A Chorus Line contained the previously unreleased "Montage, Pt. 1: Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love," plus extensive liner notes featuring memorabilia, cast listings, and previously unpublished photos. ~ Marjorie Ellen Ruhlmann