Exclusive: Music, Mirrors & Memories- 4 Cassies Reflect on One of Broadway's Greatest Roles

"[The role] is so fulfilling, so demanding, but its more than  just the steps of course. It's acting based... Every woman who has played her has made it their own. I've seen them all."

The role that Broadway legend Donna McKechnie is talking about is Cassie, and she knows more than anyone about her nuances as the Tony-winning creator of the character.

Tomorrow, July 25, marks the 50th anniversary of the show that changed her life- A Chorus Line. A Chorus Line opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on July 25, 1975. Directed by Michael Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian, the musical quickly became an unprecedented and critical hit. It went on to run for 15 years and was the longest-running Broadway show when it closed on April 28, 1990, playing 6,137 performances—and has continued to span the globe for decades.

On Sunday, July 27, Broadway will come together to celebrate the epic occasion at the Shubert Theatre with a benefit for the Entertainment Community Fund. At the event, McKechnie will reunite with some of her other original cast mates and notable alumni, including three other Cassies: Charlotte D'Amboise (2006 revival), Robyn Hurder (2010 national tour, 2018 New York City Center), and Jessica Lee Goldyn (2006 revival, 2012 Paper Mill Playhouse).

Hurder returned to the role almost a decade after playing her on the road. "The show was so important to me. Even though I had never done it before, I felt like to play this role honestly I needed to have history. Then ten years go by and I went through everything," she explained to BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. "You get back into show business and all of a sudden you get this gift again and it was the greatest moment and the highlight of my career."

"I remember doing it at one of our first run throughs  and I couldn't even get through it," added D'Amboise on her Cassie experience. "It's personal and you want to make it personal. The character needs honesty. Every move has to be honest."

All four women agree that playing Cassie is an honor. "Anytime anyone asks me,'Will you play Cassie?' I am someone new every time I do it," added Goldyn "I would drop my armor, pull back another layer of the onion, revealing another side of me each time."

Watch in this video as all four Cassies chat more about what it takes to play one of Broadway's most demanding dance roles and why the A Chorus Line legacy lives on.