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Exclusive: Music, Mirrors & Memories- 4 Cassies Reflect on One of Broadway's Greatest Roles
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Jul 25, 2025
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. Watch in this video as 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.
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What I'm most excited about is, you know, being in the theater with all the alumni and people who love this show so much
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But it's really being on the stage, on the line that this woman next to me originated is still, I think about it every single day
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That's what I'm most excited about is stepping on that stage. Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge
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Michael Bennett's groundbreaking musical, A Chorus Line, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a one-night-only benefit concert
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for the Entertainment Community Fund at the Shubert Theatre on July 27th
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It will feature original cast members and alumni, including my four guests who took on the iconic role of Cassie
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Please welcome the Tony Award-winning original Donna McKechnie, Robin Herter, Charlotte Amboise, and Jessica Lee Golden
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You know, the show is so important, and it's touched so many lives. And I'm really excited to be in the building with so many alumni from 75 on
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I feel like I have to prepare myself for that because it's really
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it's just so exciting, and I'm honored to be a part of it. You know, there are roles, and then there are roles. Right
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I mean, I'm sure for a dancer, the role of Cassie is something like, you know
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you're like, one day will I get to play the iconic role of Cassie
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So Donna, you, of course, created this role and won the Tony Award for this
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Yeah, I, yes, but, you know, I remember, I was thinking, I knew I would see you today and I was excited to talk about it
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even though we still don't know what the show is. But I remember when I came back to do the show 10 years later
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when I think that Cassie got pregnant then and Joe Papp said, I hear you're dancing again
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so come back, and I stayed like eight months. But I remember, and it was ten years later
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it was always hard, it was really hard, but I thought I was so proud of the show
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and that I was so proud that I could get back ten years later and do it in the same theater
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the same production. And I remember I was doing these, right? the end and I thought this thought came in my head I thought this is going to be a great gift
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for every dancer who does this role and it was it wasn't because I was just tired and I was ready
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but I thought it's so fulfilling it's so demanding but it's more than just the steps of course they
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all know that, that it's a really an acting role. When I work with Jessica and her students, you know
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I make a point to say, you know, have your own storyboard, you know, make it personal, a beginning
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a middle, and an end. And it's acting-based, right? And every woman, all these beautiful ladies
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have found, have made it their own. I've seen them all, and there's a lot of room for interpretation
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even though I love to see Michael's choreography you know certain things and his style and everything I really like
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but it's changed over time but not that much really right? Yeah, I mean I'm doing what you did
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I'm doing what you did but it's beautiful to see the dancer
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make it such a personal experience because there's a place to go with it
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and it demands so much of you, physically, emotionally, and it's very gratifying
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I'm glad I don't do it anymore. Before Music in the Mirror, you had Inside the Music
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which was the first number that was written for you, which I know you were thrilled that it left. So when you got Music in the Mirror
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when you were working with Michael Bennett, how collaborative was he with you
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Because when I watch you and all the ladies do this role, it's an acting role, it's so emotional, it's physical
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It's a play amongst itself. It's one of the most greatest show-stopping numbers ever
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How much of you is in that number when you were working on this with Michael the first time around
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Michael was very collaborative with everyone. You know, he loved talent. He loved dancers
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And he just, you know, so I liken it to, you know, someone starts a sentence and you finish it
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You know, if you work with someone for years, you kind of, you know, you have a different language, you know
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and it was that was very important to me because I was very eager to follow just tell me what to do
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dancers you know tell me what to do I'll do it actors why why do I do it but I was eager to do
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whatever he and so to be able to to get to have that opportunity to create from your your personal
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emotional condition in dance is a is rare and i think and it's it's a wonderful to be able to
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i mean i even stepped out and i said maybe we should change the tempo and do four four here
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instead of the and he went oh i like that and so you know those things happen and you don't think
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much of it you're just trying to make it work and uh and then it never works in the beginning
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You know? And then you go, oh, this is never going to work. And it was really not working
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And then Michael had that ability to see. And every show I had ever done with him
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it never worked the first time. He had to stand back and see the mistake and go now I know how to fix it Every show So that was kind of a process It nice when they can fix it You know what I mean You can see it
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Yeah, I mean, that's the genius, right? A lot of people just leave and say, I can't do this
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Yeah, or they don't see it. You know what I mean? That's the genius to be, you know
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because nothing ever comes out perfect, right? And that's the eye. So for each of you, learning the number
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was it the steps first was you talk emotionally with your director like learning music in the
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mirror like robin how did you learn the number first um it was a long time ago um i was alone
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you know we do the cassie camp where it's just you know the cassie alone with byorg and you know
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we just started with her warm-up and then um we know that warm-up yep we know the warm-up
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yeah but I um you know she's like let's start with pirouettes and so I remember she's like this
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is how we do it we're going to start with the pirouettes and then after the pirouettes we're
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going to go from heat wave and so you start from the from the end and you keep adding on sections
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to the beginning so she kind of started with with me it was just here are the steps and then she went
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full-on Michael Bennett interrogation. She really put me through it, just yzing the scene before
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the dance and then going through, what is your inner monologue? Back then, I was 26, 27. I already
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felt like I was too young to do the role. I was just like, oh, I was so nervous and too in my head
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back then. But I kind of, I don't know, when I think about it now, I was very
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like where you said like tell me what to do and i'll do it and city center was like
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now i can do it for myself yeah because that was really magical i'm sure like you said early on
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you didn't think you were ready for it then you were given the opportunity to do it at city center
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and blew the roof off the place that was a that was a gift because i did definitely spent a year
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on tour honestly feeling like a fraud i i i'm like well yeah i'm singing it and i'm dancing it and i'm
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I'm acting it, but I don't know who this woman is. I have not experienced any of this
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and I feel like the show was so important to me. Even though I'd never done it before
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I felt like I should, to play this role, honestly, I needed to
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Have history. History. A little history of the business. And then 10 years go by, and I went through everything
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I didn't work for three years, and I got married, and I had a baby, and you get back into show business
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and then all of a sudden you get this gift again and it was just the greatest moment
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You were able to come. Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was just really still to this day
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I think forever. The gift that keeps giving, right? It was the biggest gift and the highlight of my career
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Yeah. Charlotte, for you. Well, I was the same pretty much, you know
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with Bayork in rehearsals and, God, you remember? You were there and, you know, it was like I was working at lunch
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Yeah, she makes every lunch time. Get out. I didn't have to watch the door. I was working at lunch
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It was like, everybody go, Charlotte, run the Cassie dance. You know what I mean? I wouldn't leave
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I would eat my sandwich in the hall so I could watch you. Aw. Well, thanks
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I remember doing it and couldn't. You remember one of our first run-throughs? I couldn't even get through it
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No, you did. You always did. I think I did. I remember not getting through it. Oh, man
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I don't know. Maybe I did. But I do remember, like, no lunch break for you, Charlotte
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You're back there doing Cassie, which I'm happy to do. You know, we're all workhorses
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Yeah. I'm like over and over and over again. And it's the kind of thing, you know, you want to, it's personal
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It's personal. And you want to make it personal. And it needs honesty
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The number, the whole character, it needs just honesty. Yeah. You know, and every move has to be honest, I feel
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So, you know, it's a combination of a lot of practice and a lot of mental work
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and a lot of finding yourself in it and also a little bit of weight of age
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of history to capture it, you know, really honestly. Jess, for you learning it, steps first
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Yes, steps first. Watching her at lunch break. Well, even before. You know, I've had such an amazing journey
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of learning it so young from Louis Villibon, who worked really closely with Bayouac
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Right. Well, that tape that you saw was... Oh, you were 11
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Were you 11? It was amazing that they did a chorus line every year. And so I learned really early on, you know, that you kind of learn everything and that you learn the show, even to like learning men and women kind of in the way that Fosse works of like, you're learning everything
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and so I learned it originally from Louis Villaban who was an incredible Paul and also worked closely
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with Bayork and then I got to work with Donna Drake and so the first time I got my equity card
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doing the show the first time that I really did it professionally and learned it fully through was
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with her and Michael Gorman and then I had you know again kind of a I was thrown in essentially
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to the revival to replace Charlotte because she couldn't do that final. I couldn't do the final show
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I had something. I forgot something. And so I was able to work with By York
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but it was pretty fast and furious. And then, you know, I had kind of touchstones all along the way
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and working with Jill Slider, who did 32 productions of Cassie. You know, she was this wealth of knowledge
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That was the first production that I did post the revival and then working with you know Mitzi Hamilton and then working with Donna kind of changed everything It was kind of you know at such a young age I understood the love
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dance, right? And saying, this is what I need to, this is what my gift is on this earth to
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like, this is like breathing. But I didn't quite understand, like everyone else is saying of
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you know, the weight of life, and the ups and downs, and the successes and the failures, and
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how to incorporate that within the dialogue and the song and then the movement, the, you know
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the monologue of the movement. And that was the gift that Donna gave me. You can never stop
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discovering. There's so many layers, even going back, you know, and Jill was helpful. She said
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remember when you said this and you went, no, I don't know. Did I say that? Yeah. Because there's
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so much uh it's so rich the material I mean you can you can just create the story every a new story
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every time um yeah it's it's yeah you constantly discover when you do it it's very fulfilling right
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yes that's why I can't stop saying yes all these different your imagination can take over yeah and
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you always have that structure yeah that beginning that middle and that end it's like starting with
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a fragmented person and by the end of it she has reclaimed her life I think that's what it's about
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yeah not just her power in her life yeah yeah her wholesomeness right that's why I keep saying yes
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to the show anytime anyone asks me will you play Cassie it's I am someone new every time I do it
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and there is like another she would say to me drop your armor you know and it would I would
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drop my arm or I would like peel back another layer of the onion and it was I you know revealing
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another side of me each time yeah I'm sure it's freeing all at the same time once you
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you do Cassie numerous times like you know the older you get with more stuff behind you like oh
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my god it's freeing I'm sure when you do the number well and also killer I have to say how
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great for a dancer to have a stage yep by yourself with mirrors and an audience
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what could be better than that? And then the music and you just get to let go
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And then the music and that'll support you. But also it's like a dream come true for a dancer, right
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And they're rooting for you. And they're rooting for you. So what's the hardest section for each of you
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Like when you're working on this, like I'm coming up to this, like in rehearsal or like what part of the number
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like, oh my God, I have to get through this. I'm trying to think. I'm like, yeah, that, I agree
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That whole section. Because you, the flying, you fly, and then you have the thing
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and then you have the joy and then it's the done and then you're like, it, get the pirouette's coming. And you're like, they're coming
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They're coming. They're coming and you have to. And we're almost home. Yeah, right. But we're not
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But the thing is, it's like in my head, And that's not an easy step either. You're turning this way
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you're turning that way. No, this one, two, three. But Bayork said, Robin, I know you're tired
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This is when you have to depend on your technique. Yeah. Yeah, yeah
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If you just think about your technique, focus on that and don't
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you know, it'll make you a little and keep breathing. Reacting aside. Yeah, yeah. That's what Michael told me, you know, at the end
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You know, he said you're just, you know, just technique. Just to get through it because it's going to be, you're going to, yeah
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Is the last, the layback, what do you call that? I was going to say that's my back bend
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It's the hold. Is it the back bend? It's just staring at the ceiling. Well, the applause is going on for five minutes
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Oh, that, oh, the end. And trying to breathe with your neck in that position. Yeah, it's like the lip goes numb
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Yeah. I'm just thinking, it takes me back. I remember when we, before we had an audience
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you know, do it and they'd stand up, but you're exhausted, so the scene continues
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I know, yeah. Right? So I was so happy that people liked it
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that they applauded, and I would, you know, sometimes if you hold it long, they'll applaud more
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you know, so then you can breathe. And you're going, yep. Two
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Yeah, I'm okay. All right, favorite memory. You've all done a chorus line in numerous productions
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you must have so many incredible favorite memories of a performance or just something magical that happened
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Anybody want to start and share a wonderful favorite memory from a chorus line
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Well, I can tell you one, the thing that comes to mind, it always, when I knew we were doing this
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the 50th, I remember in 1983 when Michael had all of the dancers come out in the finale
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and one line after another and the audience was going crazy and then we started the numbers and
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all of a sudden the aisle he had the dancers come on each aisle and in the balcony and I remember
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being on stage we're at the end of it we're going you know hat no hat hat hat and we're taking off
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and we're doing the step and everybody in the aisle all the dancers I looked up and we were all
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that we're taking our hats off to each other. That's what it seemed like. Yeah, yeah. And it was just so magical
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Wow. And the audience, you know, it was a thrilling, thrilling celebration
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I mean, I have lots, but when I think about, like, when I first did it on the national tour
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you know, Clyde was Mike, and we got married on the tour
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and he knew I was going through it. Because we're also touring the country
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we're in different climates, the stage feels different, and then it's like my knees are hurt. You know, it was just
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It was so hard to travel for me, at least with the show
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I couldn't really explore because I was thinking about my legs. Like don't walk too much because you have to do the show at night
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But he knew how hard it was for me. And every night he'd have to move away
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But every night he would sit right on stage right underneath Larry And he would just have his Cheshire Cat grin and every single night he was there
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And I wouldn't spot him, but he was like, you could do it, you could do it
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So yeah, that's like the biggest memory for an entire year. He sat there and made sure I had his strength
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doing the pullbacks and all that stuff. I have to say to me
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the first time we all as a company stood and sang kiss today goodbye yeah to me yeah as a dancer
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yeah uh the power of that was breathtaking for me and and overwhelming um that and also my kids
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at the time my two girls were about six right six or seven i don't remember a little shelby and i
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remember they came to see the show for some reason by themselves like i had them because terry wasn't
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around. So we like got him in seats. And then after the show, we got him backstage and they
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were like, mommy, you know, they were really, they were like, I like the way Zach talked to you
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You know, they were really upset about it. And they said, and I said, and I said, oh, I'm so sorry. And she goes, they said, but you know what, don't worry about it. We just raspberryed him the
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whole show. So they had him. Defending you. The whole day, the whole time. I just imagined my two
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little five-year-olds, just the whole other thing next to that. Anyway, I don't know. It just was
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I think the whole thing is overwhelming, right? Just overwhelming and so emotional for a dancer, an ensemble, right
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I mean, I remember my father coming to see the show and he said, it's a tribute
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God, Michael Bennett did a tribute to dancers. Like what a tribute to dancers
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Jess, for you. Oh, it's hard to pick a moment because there are so many moments
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I was really proud of the final performance of the revival because I was 21 at the time
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And I felt a lot of pressure. You know, it was the end of a two-year run and I had been conditioned to play Val and taking on a totally new role that was my dream role
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But I didn't want to play when I was 21. You know, I wanted to play when it felt appropriate to play it
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And so I just, you know, tried to go out there and do everybody proud with, you know, family and friends and alumni in the audience and trying to do this lady proud
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And, you know, that I'm proud of that moment. Yeah. Yeah. The 50th anniversary is coming up
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Just what are you looking forward to the most? Seriously, I know you're all working and it's a lot, but you're still working on what's happening for this show
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You're in great hands with Bayork Lee. Yeah. I mean, she's the keeper of the flame
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It's all going to come together. It always does, right? But it's nerve-wracking because we don't know
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I don't know. We're going to find out as we go each day. But I know that I always have a great time in reunions
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when I see people I haven't seen in a long time. And I haven't seen Kelly
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I just bought her a book so I could read it and have her sign it for me. I heard it's fabulous
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She's the audience. Priscilla. I'm excited. And Wayne. Oh, Wayne's coming. Wayne
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ways. I mean, you're going to see all this history up there. People you've either danced with or
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studied with are like, Oh my God, that's the original Mike. Yeah. Well, when I, um, my very
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first job was a cruise ship in 2002 that went to Europe. And, um, I didn't even realize when I was
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auditioning, it was this, you know, Wayne Slanto. And I was like, it sounds familiar. And then I
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realized, Oh my God, I'm, I'm working with the original Mike. It was wild. It's wild. I just saw
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a few weeks ago yeah yeah we're looking forward to the most jess oh my gosh the same i i i i'm
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it's overwhelming i'm i get emotional thinking um about how much the show means yeah to so many of
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us and um to be on stage with you i remember pinching myself you know doing hello dolly and
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being on that stage and knowing that that's where chorus line happened and so the fact that this
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night happens and it's there and that you know I get to stand with so many alumni it's and when
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you think of the all of the dancers the young dancers over 50 years that that have had a career
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that have have uh have done found a way to have you know live their dream and it's it's all these
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the lives that were changed, you know, and not just dancers, but, you know, people who are fans
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of the show and love the show, and it changed many lives. And continues to. Yeah, continues to. I
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want to, you know, to live on. It's always playing somewhere. Yeah. Thank you
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Thank you
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