MICHAEL BENNETT - A CHORUS LINE DANCERS: 'WE SIGNED OUR LIVES AWAY'

A CHORUS LINE DANCERS: 'WE SIGNED OUR LIVES AWAY'

The dancers who inspired A CHORUS LINE are fuming because they won't receive royalties from the forthcoming Broadway revival of the musical. A Chorus Line has grossed $280 million (GBP149 million) worldwide, and the original production was the longest-running show in Broadway history. Its origins lie in a late-night gathering at a rehearsal studio in Manhattan in January 1974, where choreographer MICHAEL BENNETT invited 19 of Broadway's best dancers to talk about their lives. The dancers spent more than 12 hours sharing their experiences, and these memories form the basis of the show. Bennett later arranged to split a portion of the box office takings and royalties with them, but these royalty agreements apply only to the original production - and not a revival. WAYNE CILENTO, one of the dancers, claims, "When we were young and stupid, we kind of signed our lives away, and they exploited that. "We were the authors of the show and we should have been paid accordingly." JOHN BREGLIO, executor of Bennett's estate, says the dancers will have to negotiate with the heirs to the Bennett estate if they wish to claim royalties from the new production.