Playlist: The Best of Marvin Hamlisch

This weekend, the best of Broadway will gather at the Shubert Theatre to celebrate 50 years of one of the most revered musicals in Broadway history- A Chorus Line. A one-night-only special concert A Chorus Line Official 50th Anniversary Celebration will benefit the Entertainment Community Fund programs serving dancers and will star original 1975 Broadway cast members Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez and Donna McKechnie, with special performances by other notable alumni.

Originally conceived by Michael Bennett, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on July 25,1975. Directed by Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian, the musical quickly became an unprecedented and critical hit. It ran 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. The man behind the music was the great Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away in 2012. 

Hamlisch, born in New York City on June 2, 1944, showed his musical talent at an early age, composing his first pieces when he was just eight years old. A graduate of both the Juilliard School of Music and Queens College, Hamlisch scored his first hit song, “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,” at the age of 16. Hamlisch rose to national fame in 1974 when he won three Academy Awards in a single evening for his work on two acclaimed films: The Sting and The Way We Were (the latter made famous by Barbra Streisand). His impressive list of Hollywood credits includes the scores for The Spy Who Loved Me, Sophie’s Choice, Ordinary People, Save the Tiger, Take the Money and Run, and Ice Castles. He also composed the theme for ABC’s Good Morning, America.

His debut Broadway score was for A Chorus Line in 1975. In 1979, he teamed up with Neil Simon and Carole Bayer Sager for They’re Playing Our Song, and in the late 1980s, he produced Smile. Over the course of his career, Hamlisch earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for his A Chorus Line score, as well as three Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe. 

Today we celebrate his iconic catalog with just a few of our favorite Marvin Hamlisch songs:

Did we miss one of your favorites? Tell us which Marvin Hamlisch song stands out to you.

Want more showtunes? Study up on Broadway history with music from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. Check out our favorite Overtures, Opening numbers, 'I Want' songs, Act 1 finales, Entr'actes, Act 2 openers, 11 o'clock numbers, and Finales. And study up on the basics of Broadway with Broadway 101, Broadway 201, Broadway 301, Broadway 401, and Never on Broadway. Plus, jam to Broadway Beach Bops and celebrate Summer 2025!

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