Each day, the Bbox team trolls YouTube for the hot clip—sometimes it's a brand-new moment and sometimes it's a throwback to an oldie but goodie. No matter what praise hands are shot up, pearls are clutched and the repeat button is hit.
Tony Tribute to Michael Bennett (Angela Lansbury, Donna McKechnie, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more)
Ulterior Motives: It is the extraordinary Michael Bennett's birthday today. The seven time Tony Award winner would have been 77 years old.
Starting his career as a triple threat actor himself, Bennett's contributions to musical theatre as a director and choreographer are vast. He was responsible for putting "Turkey Lurkey Time" on the map from Promises, Promises, providing divine girl group synchronized choreo for Dreamgirls and most importantly providing that final kick line in the musical masterpiece A Chorus Line.
Following his death in 1987 due to AIDS related illness, this special tribute was performed at the 1988 Tony Awards. In this clip, Angela Lansbury stated that Bennett wanted to do "three things: to tell the truth, make the audience happy and to keep his dancers working for a long, long time." Hats off to you Mr. Bennett, a singular sensation in every sense of the word.
Ultimate 🙌 🙌 moment: The goosebump moment was in the middle of Queen Donna McKechnie's "The Music and the Mirror" dance break when the A Chorus Line auditionees came in at 4:58 while she danced in all of her grace. The FULL OUT ensemble echoed her and then she went into Cassie's backward run sequence with them finally ending in the legendary poster poses with the ensemble. We have to go watch it again!
