Photo Coverage: HAMILTON Cast Celebrates 40th Anniversary of A CHORUS LINE at the Public!

The Public Theater just presented a special 40th anniversary tribute to A CHORUS LINE last night, April 16 in honor of the first performance of this legendary musical that premiered in The Public's Newman Theater 40 years ago and went on to make musical theater history. To commemorate this landmark event, the cast of the critically-acclaimed musical Hamilton, currently playing on the same Newman stage, presented original cast members of A CHORUS LINE with a plaque that will hang in the Ford Foundation Lobby of The Public. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the special event below!

A CHORUS LINE first premiered at The Public Theater on April 16, 1975 with a book by Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. The musical was conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett and later transferred to Broadway to win the 1976 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as eight other Tony Awards, including Best Book, Best Score, Best Director, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, Donna McKechnie as Best Actress, Kelly Bishop for Best Featured Actress, and Samuel Williams for Best Featured Actor. Additionally it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, as well as a special Tony Award in 1984 for Longest-Running Broadway Musical. The 2006 Broadway revival received a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.

The original production at The Public ran for 101 performances before moving to Broadway, where it ran for a record-breaking 6,137 performances. A Chorus Line has toured nationally and internationally including productions in London, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Austria.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Lopez

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Lopez and the cast of Hamilton

Cynthia Lopez

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Lopez

The cast of Hamilton

Andy Blankenbuehler and the cast of Hamilton

Andy Blankenbuehler and the cast of Hamilton

Andy Blankenbuehler and the cast of Hamilton

The cast of Hamilton

Ronald Dennis, Donna McKechnie, Wayne Cilento

Nancy Lane, Baayork Lee, Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop, Patricia Garland, Michael Serrecchia

The original cast of A CHORUS LINE with the cast of Hamilton

Patrick Willingham, Oskar Eustis, Christopher Jackson, Wayne Cilento, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Seth Stewart

Jon Rua, Sasha Hutchings, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sydney James Harcourt, Baayork Lee, Phillipa Soo, Donna McKechnie, Michael Serrecchia

Michael Serrecchia, Kelly Bishop, Jonathan Groff, Nancy Lane, Okieriete Onaodowan, Patricia Garland, Ronald Dennis

Okieriete Onaodowan, Patricia Garland, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ronald Dennis, Carole Schweid, Chuck Cissel, Scott Allen, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Renee Baughmann

Sammy Williams, Carleigh Bettiol, Thayne Jasperson, Priscilla Lopez, Javier Munoz

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sydney James Harcourt, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, Donna McKechnie

Oskar Eustis with the original cast of A CHORUS LINE and the cast of Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, Donna McKechnie

Patrick Willingham

Patricia Garland, Ronald Dennis, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ariana DeBose, Carole Schweid, Scott Allen, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Renee Baughmann

Seth Stewart, Carolyn Kirsch, Jon Rua, Sasha Hutchings, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Baayork Lee