The award, which will be presented to the chorus of the new musical at the fall ACCA meeting at Equity's NYC headquarters, is the first industry award to honor "the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus."
The Legally Blonde chorus, as of opening night, included April Berry, Paul Canaan, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Beth Curry, Tracy Jai Edwards, Amber Efé, Gaelen Gilliland, Jason Gillman, Becky Gulsvig, Rod Harrelson, Manuel Herrera, Andy Karl, Nick Kenkel, Michelle Kittrell, Rusty Mowery, Kevin Pariseau, Matthew Risch, Jason Patrick Sands, Noah Weisberg and Kate Wetherhead.
In a statement, Equity 2nd vice president and ACCA chair Jean-Paul Richard said, "This award honors the contributions made by the hard working men and women of the chorus and is the first to ever do so. All the choruses on Broadway are incredibly talented and versatile and it was a tough decision. The chorus of Legally Blonde — The Musical really exemplified for us what it takes to be outstanding in a Broadway musical."
Five of the 11 chorus musicals during the 2006-2007 season were nominated. Those musicals included Curtains, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, The Pirate Queen and The Times They Are A-Changin. In making a decision, the ACCA, according to a press release, "painstakingly discussed what was required of each of the choruses from the director, the choreographer and the musical director and the exemplary skill they used to execute those requirements. The Committee, which is comprised of Equity members who work under Chorus contracts, then deliberated on the technical skill required by the chorus actor and the contributions the entire chorus makes to the overall production."
Equity executive director John P. Connolly said, "Members of Equity are talented, dedicated professionals who light up the Broadway stage and it is exciting to see the versatility and creativity of the chorus. Legally Blonde —The Musical has a terrific cast and the chorus richly deserves this award." Actors' Equity Association, founded in 1913, represents more than 46,000 professional stage actors and stage managers nationwide. Equity "seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society."
