Donna McKechnie Wiki Biography
Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, “Cassie” from the musical A Chorus Line, for which she earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows from 1969 to 1970.
| Full Name | Donna McKechnie |
| Net Worth | $250 Thousand |
| Date Of Birth | November 16, 1940 |
| Place Of Birth | Detroit, Michigan, USA |
| Profession | Actress, Soundtrack, Miscellaneous Crew |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Michael Bennett |
| Parents | Murel Vera Stevenson, James McKechnie, Turkey Lurkey Time, You Could Drive a Person Crazy, The Music and the Mirror |
| IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571124 |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Turkey Lurkey Time, You Could Drive a Person Crazy, The Music and the Mirror |
| Nominations | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production, Turkey Lurkey Time, You Could Drive a Person Crazy, The Music and the Mirror |
| Movies | The Little Mermaid, The Little Prince, Original Cast Album: Company |
| TV Shows | Hullabaloo |
| Quote | |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Once, I was out of a job and I was really scared because I couldn’t pay the rent…I was cleaning the apartment, crying and feeling sorry for myself…The game show Jeopardy! (1964) was on [and] I heard my name. I looked up and I was the answer to a question. It was so ironic”. |
| 2 | I was terribly shy, but I was always in harmony when I was dancing. |
| Fact | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Appearing with Carol Lawrence in the play “Girl’s Room” at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, California. [October 2008] |
| 2 | Release of her autobiography, “Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life”. [September 2006] |
| 3 | She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City. |
| 4 | The night her father died, Sir Laurence Olivier was in the audience of a performance of “A Chorus Line”. Donna went on, claiming that the only way she could cope was to go on with the show. When she was doing a production of “Sweet Charitiy”, she learned that longtime friend and former husband Michael Bennett had died of AIDS. Again, she went on for the performance, claiming it helped her deal with his death and Michael would have wanted her to. |
| 5 | The character of Maggie in “A Chorus Line” is partially based on her childhood. |
| 6 | Won Broadway’s 1976 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for “A Chorus Line.” |
| 7 | Trained in ballet at age 7, she ran away from home at the age of 15 to New York to become a dancer. She got a show on her very first audition. |
| 8 | Met second husband, Michael Bennett, when both were dancers on the Hullabaloo (1965) variety show in the mid-60s. After he turned into a famous choreographer and director, she became a major Michael Bennett dancer, utilizing her talents in “Promises, Promises”, “Company” and, of course, “A Chorus Line” in which she won both the Tony and Drama Desk awards as the over-the-hill dancer “Cassie” who gets to sing the show-stopping “The Music and the Mirror”. |
| 9 | Married once very briefly in 1965. |
| 10 | Made her Broadway debut in 1961 in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” |
| 11 | In the late 70s she was forced to abandon the limelight when she became nearly paralyzed by rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors told her she may never walk again, let alone dance. Thanks to intense physical therapy and proper nutrition, she battled back and miraculously returned to perform the “Chorus Line” role of Cassie again in 1983 at age 43. |
| 12 | Has performed her one-woman singing/dancing show “Inside the Music” since 1997. |
| 13 | Bob Fosse died shortly before the curtain went up on his last successful musical venture, the revival of “Sweet Charity”, starring Donna in the title role. |
| 14 | 1958 Graduate of Troy High School, Troy, Michigan, USA. |
Actress
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 Saints | 2013 | Miss El | |
| Smash | 2013 | TV Series | Female Previewer |
| Pzazz 101 | 2012 | TV Series | Donna |
| Aladdin | 1990 | TV Movie | Fatima the Dancing Doll |
| Faerie Tale Theatre | 1987 | TV Series | Anemone |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | 1986 | TV Series | Sandra Wall |
| Fame | 1984-1985 | TV Series | Suzi Laird Susan Laird |
| MacGruder and Loud | 1985 | TV Series | Barbara |
| Breakin’ Through | 1984 | TV Movie | |
| Family Ties | 1983 | TV Series | Cynthia |
| Loving | 1983 | TV Series | Margie (1993) |
| Cheers | 1982 | TV Series | Debra |
| Twirl | 1981 | TV Movie | Louise |
| The Little Prince | 1974 | The Rose | |
| Dark Shadows | 1969-1970 | TV Series | Amanda Harris / Olivia Corey |
| N.Y.P.D. | 1968 | TV Series | |
| Billie | 1965 | Dancer (uncredited) |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 42nd Annual Tony Awards | 1988 | TV Special performer: “Music and the Mirror” | |
| Great Performances | 1985 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| Fame | 1984 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| The Little Prince | 1974 | performer: “Be Happy” | |
| The 23rd Annual Tony Awards | 1969 | TV Special performer: “She Likes Basketball/Turkey Lurkey Time” |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billie | 1965 | assistant choreographer |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Making the Boys | 2011 | Documentary this movie count not have been made without the help and support of | |
| Every Little Step | 2008 | Documentary special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pearl Bailey Show | 1971 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1969-1971 | TV Series | Herself / Herself – Guest |
| Original Cast Album: Company | 1970 | Documentary | Herself (Kathy) |
| The 23rd Annual Tony Awards | 1969 | TV Special | Herself – Performer |
| Hullabaloo | 1966 | TV Series | Dancer |
| Talent Scouts | 1962 | TV Series | Herself |
| Broadway: The Next Generation | 2018 | Documentary filming | Herself |
| Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age | 2017 | Documentary post-production | Herself |
| Move | Documentary filming | Herself | |
| Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love | 2013 | Documentary | Herself |
| Move TV | 2012 | TV Series | Herself |
| Every Little Step | 2008 | Documentary | Herself – Original Cassie |
| Broadway: The American Musical | 2004 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Herself / Cassie (in ‘A Chorus Line’) |
| Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There | 2003 | Documentary | Herself |
| The Rosie O’Donnell Show | 2002 | TV Series | Herself |
| The 55th Annual Tony Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Herself – Presenter: A Class Act |
| The 50th Annual Tony Awards | 1996 | TV Special | Herself – Previous Winner |
| Working in the Theatre | 1996 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | 1992 | TV Movie | Herself |
| Dark Shadows: Behind the Scenes | 1991 | Video | Herself |
| Night of 100 Stars III | 1990 | TV Movie | Herself |
| Donahue | 1990 | TV Series | Herself |
| The 42nd Annual Tony Awards | 1988 | TV Special | Herself – Performer |
| Great Performances | 1985-1987 | TV Series | Herself |
| Musical Comedy Tonight III | 1985 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The 30th Annual Tony Awards | 1976 | TV Special | Herself – Winner: Best Actress in a Musical |
| The 27th Annual Tony Awards | 1973 | TV Special | Herself – Presenter |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six by Sondheim | 2013 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |