Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, moveme ...

dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, the character of Cassie Ferguson in the musical ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

''. She earned the

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a m ...

at the 30th Tony Awards for this performance in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the gothic

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...

'' from 1969 to 1970.

Early life

Donna McKechnie was born in 1942 in

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...

, the daughter of Donald Bruce McKechnie and Carolyn Ruth Johnson. She began ballet classes at age five. Her earliest influence was the classic

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

film '' The Red Shoes'' (1948), which prompted her, at age eight, to plan a career as a ballerina. She studied for many years at the Rose Marie Floyd School of Dance in Royal Oak. Despite her parents' strong misgivings, she moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

when she was 17. Rejected after an audition for the

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...

, she found employment in the

corps de ballet In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French language, French for "body of the little dance") is the group of ballet dancer, dancers who are not principal dancers or Soloist (ballet), soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and ...

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

but walked off the job on the day of dress rehearsal to do

summer stock In American theater, summer stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock ...

at the Carousel Theater in

Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston ...

. She studied theatre at

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...

in New York City. After doing a

Welch's Welch Foods Inc., commonly known as Welch's, is an American company, headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts, Concord, Massachusetts. It has been owned by the National Grape Cooperative Association, a Agricultural cooperative, co-op of grape ...

grape juice commercial and the first L'eggs stockings commercial, McKechnie was cast in a touring company of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

''. In 1961, she made her Broadway debut in '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', where she met

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, and stage director. Known for his work on stage and screen, he is arguably the most influential figure in the field of jazz dance in th ...

and his wife,

Gwen Verdon Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach ...

. A stint in a

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

production of ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

'' (as Philia) was followed by the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

music series '' Hullabaloo'', on which she was a featured dancer. While working on ''Hullabaloo,'' she met Michael Bennett, who became her husband and a guiding force in her life and career. She also appeared as Philia in the national tour of ''Forum'', starring Jerry Lester (Pseudolus), with Paul Hartman (Senex), Erik Rhodes (Marcus Lycus),

Arnold Stang Arnold Sidney Stang (September 28, 1918 – December 20, 2009)
''

Edward Everett Horton (Erronius), produced by Martin Tahse.

Early Broadway career

In April 1968, McKechnie was back on Broadway in the short-lived musical version of

Leo Rosten Leo Calvin Rosten (Yiddish: ; April 11, 1908 – February 19, 1997) was an American writer and humorist in the fields of scriptwriting, storywriting, journalism, and Yiddish lexicography. Early life Rosten was born into a Yiddish-speaking famil ...

's collection of short stories '' The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N'', which led to a featured role in

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

and

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

's '' Promises, Promises'', choreographed by Bennett. Along with

Baayork Lee Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author. Early life and career Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started danci ...

and Margo Sappington, she danced in one of Broadway's most famous numbers, " Turkey Lurkey Time", which was when she first began to attract notice from critics and theatergoers alike. This was followed by a role in the touring company of '' Call Me Madam'', starring

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obitua ...

. Bennett showcased McKechnie again in

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

's ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' (1970), where she danced "Tick-Tock." After leaving the Broadway cast, she reprised her role in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

companies, and also toured in the 1971 revival of '' On the Town'' as Ivy. In March 1973, she choreographed and performed in the highly acclaimed one-night-only concert ''Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'' at the Shubert Theatre in New York. Later that year, McKechnie starred in a production of at the Wayside Theatre in Middletown, Virginia. In 1974, she co-starred with Richard Kiley and Bob Fosse in the unsuccessful musical film version of the classic ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (, ) is a novella written and illustrated by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 and was published po ...

''. McKechnie was part of Bennett's group therapy-style workshops that evolved into the Broadway smash ''

'', in which she portrayed Cassie Ferguson, a character based in large part on herself. She danced her third famous Bennett-McKechnie number, "The Music and the Mirror", in which the vocal sections were tailored to her unusually wide range. Initially, McKechnie was to perform the number with four of her male co-stars; however, four previews before opening, McKechnie voiced concern about dancing around the four men, and at the last moment, Bennett changed the direction to have McKechnie perform the song-dance number alone. Her performance earned her the

at the 30th Tony Awards. The role of Maggie Winslow was also based on her life. She married Bennett in 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced, although they remained good friends until his death from

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

in 1987. In 1980, McKechnie was diagnosed with

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

and told she never would dance again. She went on to choreograph the NFL's Football's Fabulous Females, The

Los Angeles Raiderettes The Las Vegas Raiderettes are the NFL Cheerleading, cheerleading squad for the Las Vegas Raiders professional American football team. They were established in 1961 as the Oakland Raiderettes. When the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, the c ...

in 1983 as they made their debut in L.A. The same year, in season 2 of the TV show '' Family Ties'', she played Cynthia Bailey, a divorcee who planned to move west with her young son Keith ( David Faustino) away from his father Richard (James Sutorius). McKechnie pursued various physical, psychological, and holistic healing remedies, and was well enough to return to the Broadway company of ''A Chorus Line'' in 1986. Later in the 1980s, she toured in ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...

'' and '' Annie Get Your Gun'', and she appeared in a London revival of ''

Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

''. She also participated in the ''Chorus Line'' extravaganza to celebrate its then record-breaking run on Broadway in September 1983.

Later career

McKechnie's television work included a regular role on the gothic

'' early in her career. She appeared as Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey from 1969 to 1970. After her rise to fame, she made guest appearances on ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' (whose female lead,

Kate Jackson Lucy Kate Jackson (born October 29, 1948), known professionally as Kate Jackson, is an American actress and television producer, known for her television roles as Sabrina Duncan in the series ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1979) and Amanda King i ...

, was also a ''Dark Shadows'' alumna), ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh In'', and ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'' as Debra, the ex-wife of Sam Malone (

Ted Danson Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe A ...

). She played Suzi Laird on several episodes of '' Fame''. In the early 1990s, McKechnie appeared

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

twice, first in a revue entitled ''Cut the Ribbons'', followed by '' Annie Warbucks'', a less successful sequel to the hit '' Annie''. In 1993, she reunited with most of the original cast of ''Company'' for three concert performances. In 1996, she was awarded the Fred Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer for her performance in a Broadway adaptation of

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

's film ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in t ...

''. In the same year, she was in a production of '' You Never Know'' at the

Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

. In February, 1997, she played Phyllis Rogers Stone in a concert performance of '' Follies'' at London's Drury Lane Theatre, and the following year took on the role of Sally Durant Plummer in a production of that same show at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. McKechnie also starred opposite

Carol Lawrence Carol Lawrence (born Carolina Maria Laraia; September 5, 1932) is an American actress, appearing in musical theatre and on television. She is known for creating the role of Maria on Broadway theatre, Broadway in the musical ''West Side Story ( ...

in the Los Angeles and New York production of Joni Fritz's ''Girl's Room'', produced by Dennis Grimaldi and directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, both former Michael Bennett dancers. In 2001, McKechnie created the role of Lela Rogers, mother of

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

, in the world premiere of ''Ginger: The Musical''. In 2002, McKechnie starred in the pre-Broadway production of the Jerry Herman musical revue '' Showtune''. In recent years, she has toured periodically in her one-woman show ''Inside the Music'', a potpourri of songs, dances and anecdotes about her life in the theater and her successful battle with arthritis, directed by her old ''Chorus Line'' castmate,

Thommie Walsh Thomas Joseph "Thommie" Walsh III (March 15, 1950 – June 16, 2007) was an American dancer, choreographer, director, and author. Biography Thommie Walsh was born in Auburn, New York, and began to study dance at age five at the Irma Baker School ...

. McKechnie's autobiography, ''Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life'', written with Greg Lawrence, was published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

on August 29, 2006, only weeks before the Broadway revival of ''A Chorus Line'' opened on October 5. In June 2010, McKechnie appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. McKechnie was on the faculty of

in New York City. In 2015, she served as the standby for

Chita Rivera Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024), known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awa ...

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musical theatre, musicals, whi ...

's musical '' The Visit'' on Broadway, but never went on. In the fall of 2017, McKechnie appeared as Mabel in ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

'' produced by Arena Stage in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

On March 5, 2024, McKechnie joined the Broadway cast of '' Wicked'', playing Madame Morrible. She departed the production in March 2025.

Stage credits

Awards and nominations

;Awards *

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

– ''

'' * 1976 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical – ''A Chorus Line'' * 1976 Theatre World Special Award – ''A Chorus Line'' ;Nominations * 1996

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The a ...