History Theatre / AChorusLine

* FrozenInTime: The script for the original production included the description "Time: Now. Place: Here." However, the dialogue ties it very firmly to the 1970s, when Broadway was at a low ebb (a brief exchange in the lead-in to "What I Did for Love" sees some of the characters discussing the "Broadway is dying" naysaying that was going on at the time).[[note]] Characters reference growing up with ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' and refer to seedy areas of New York City that were replaced with more family-friendly attractions around the 1990s. Indeed, the success of the original production was one of several factors that led to a turnaround in Broadway's fortunes.[[/note]] Some productions, particularly Broadway revivals, run with this and explicitly identify the setting as 1975, while others try to impose a SettingUpdate.

* {{Irony}}: In the film, Kristine is played by Creator/BobFosse's daughter Nicole. Fosse and Bennett had a famously heated rivalry, and the opening of ''Film/AllThatJazz'' was reportedly Fosse doing ''A Chorus Line'' better than Bennett. The film ''A Chorus Line'' copied ''All That Jazz'' in return. Nicole ''also'' appeared in ''All That Jazz''.

* MovieBonusSong: "Surprise, Surprise" (UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominated) replaced "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" and the montage, while "Let Me Dance for You" replaced "The Music and the Mirror". The latter was well received. The other... not so much, despite the nom. "What I Did for Love" is changed into a solo by Cassie in the film as well.

* OurActsAreDifferent: The original production was two hours long with no intermission. Some revivals insert an intermission after "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love".
* ParentalSexualitySquick: As revealed in the montage, Sheila's father may have been a serial philanderer, but he still had sex with his wife even after Sheila was born - as she found out the hard way when she accidentally walked in on them "doing it".

* AwardBaitSong: From the film adaptation, "Surprise, Surprise", which many fans of the musical despised because it cut out "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen", with some ''really'' dumb lyrics. (And yes, it earned an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination.)

* BaitAndSwitch: At the very end, with [[spoiler:Paul]] having been eliminated through injury, Zach asks eight of the remaining sixteen dancers - [[spoiler:Don, Maggie, Connie, Greg, Sheila, Bebe, Al, Kristine]] - to step forward, seemingly implying that they are the eight he has chosen. However, the sharper characters (and audience members) note that he has called forward three men and five women... because they're the eight he has ''not'' chosen.

* ComingOfAgeStory: Seventeen in all!

* FrozenInTime: The script for the original production included the description "Time: Now. Place: Here." However, the dialogue ties it very firmly to the 1970s, when Broadway was at a low ebb (a brief exchange in the lead-in to "What I Did for Love" sees some of the characters discussing the "Broadway is dying" naysaying that was going on at the time).[[note]] Indeed, the success of the original production was one of several factors that led to a turnaround in Broadway's fortunes.[[/note]] Some productions, particularly Broadway revivals, run with this and explicitly identify the setting as 1975, while others try to impose a SettingUpdate.

--->"[[CatchPhrase Tits! When am I gonna grow tits?]]"\\

Winning nine of its twelve UsefulNotes/{{Tony Award|Winners}} nominations, as well as the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize for Drama, the original production was a {{Long Runner|s}} for fifteen years (1975–90) on Broadway, while it ran for three years (1976–79) in London's West End. It was revived in 2006 (Broadway) and 2012 (West End). Two of its songs ("One" and "What I Did for Love") have become fan favorites. In 2000, a Tony-nominated semi-autobiographical musical was mounted about Ed Kleban and the creation of ''A Chorus Line'' called ''A Class Act'', deliberately repeating the "A" placed ahead of the name employed to give the original show alphabetical priority in the theater listings.

[[caption-width-right:350:''God, I hope I get it\\

How many people does he need?'']]

-->-- Zach

How many people does he need?"'']]

->''"God, I hope I get it.\\
I hope I get it.\\
How many people does he need?"''
-->-- from the OpeningChorus number

* {{Fanservice}}: Justified since they're all actual dancers, and the clothing they wear is [[TruthInTelevision what real dancers wear for practices]], but the entire cast spends the vast majority of the play walking around in their practice uniforms, which means form-fitting tights (for the boys) and leotards (for the girls). "One," the final number, is basically one big leg show.