Talking with Bob Avian

Legendary. Iconic. These words get tossed around a lot these days, but they are truly apt when describing the ground-breaking musical A Chorus Line, which won nine Tony Awards and ran on Broadway from 1975-1990. From the opening bars of “I Hope I Get It” (“step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...again!”) to the perfectly synchronized kick step of the show’s finale, “One,” A Chorus Line vividly brought to life the dreams and realities of aspiring Broadway performers everywhere. To create such a master work, it took someone who is legendary and iconic in his own right: choreographer, director and producer Bob Avian.

Bob first stepped onto a Broadway stage at the age of 23 as one of the Sharks in the 1960 revival of West Side Story starring Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert. Bob later went on to appear as a swing in Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. While continuing his dancing career, Bob worked as a production assistant on I Do! I Do!, Twigs and other shows.

It was as a performer in a European tour of West Side Story in the early ‘60’s that Bob first met Michael Bennett. The two were close friends and collaborators for the next 25 years. Together, Bob and Michael brought to life glorious original productions of Promises, Promises (featuring Jerry Orbach and Jill O’Hara), Company (with Dean Jones as Bobby and Elaine Stritch as Joanne), Follies, Seesaw and, of course, A Chorus Line. Bob’s first solo producing credit was the equally iconic Dreamgirls, starring an unforgettable Jennifer Holiday.

Bob’s achievements in London’s West End include choreographing Martin Guerre, The Witches of Eastwick, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard (starring Patti Lupone). When the latter two productions transferred to Broadway (starring Lea Salonga and Glenn Close, respectively), Bob reprised his role as choreographer.

Bob “retired” in 2000, though he later directed the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. He is currently at work on the forthcoming Broadway revival of Miss Saigon.