Dark Monday • Priscilla Lopez Sings Nothing

Michael Bennett was the mind behind 'A Chorus Line'. The show began life with tape recorded discussions with Broadway dancers, which went on to form the story of the show. Bennett utilized the stories, and the performers who created them, to form the storyline, and musical numbers were created for them. After several workshop productions and an Off-Broadway run, the show moved to Broadway in 1975. It certainly was considered groundbreaking, featuring the members of a chorus line, whose very job is to not stand out. The cast all had their problems, from racial discrimination to parents discovering their son was doing drag.

It also included the story of a young Hispanic girl who, like the actress who portrayed her, Priscilla Lopez. During those early taped sessions, Lopez had shared her struggles at the Highs School for the Performing Arts with an acting teacher. Listen as Lopez, who was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as winning the Obie Award for Best Actress for the Off-Broadway run of the musical. The Tony was won by her fellow castmate, Kelly Bishop. In fact, 'A Chorus Line' swept the Tony Awards, winning all four performance categories, the leading and featured actor/actress awards. As well as being a prat of the chorus line, Lopez sang two amazing songs. There is just so much charm to her first solo turn n the show, with Music by the late Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. Here is Priscilla Lopez singing "Nothing".

Priscilla also the final solo of the show, perhaps one of the most moving songs written in a very touching show. While some might think of the song "One" as the most popular fromt he show, I would have to beet that "What I Did For Love" could give it a run in popularity, and has been sung by so many people since. But it was Lopez who debuted the song on Broadway, and brought down the house night after night. While I couldn't find a clip of her singing it live, here is a clip from the Original Broadway Cast album.

To hear more of 'A Chorus Line', you can purchase the album from iTunes and Amazon.