A Chorus Line No. 14 - Ronald Dennis
- Lauryn Johnson
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
"Between the second and third sections of 'the Montage,' Richie was supposed to have his moment in the sun. The authors had reserved a space for him there, but they didn't know how they were going to use it. Time was growing short. Just about a week before previews, Michael got together with Bobby Thomas, the rehearsal drummer, and began scat-singing from material that Candy Brown had contributed.
Candy, whose family traveled around with her Air Force dad, was very sheltered. 'Everything was just hunky-dory,' she recalls, 'so I was petrified to graduate from high school. I didn't know how to act out in the real world. So I went to college. I was in the chorus, the band, cheerleader, student council, vice-president of the junior class—you name it and I did it. I was originally going to be a kindergarten teacher. That was soft and nice again, but that's when I got my eyes opened, 'cause there were people from all over the world at college and I learned everybody didn't take piano lessons, everybody wasn't a Brownie, everybody didn't go to dancing school. And I thought, 'Man, I gotta get outta here. I'm gonna be too scared to leave this kind of environment.' That's why I really left school, 'cause I said, 'Nobody's gonna hand you a scholarship to life.'"
"The character of Richie became a combination of Candy's and Ron Dennis's personalities. Michael called Ron into the room where he'd been working with the understudies. They had been doing background for the number that Michael was singing a cappella, in a Joe Cocker-ish style. Michael knew what kind of black sound and feeling he wanted but he couldn't sing it. They put it down on tape in a rough form and Ron took it home and, using his experience in the black gospel show Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, went to work on it. It became 'Gimme the Ball'"
--What They Did for Love by Denny Martin Flinn
Correspondence between Seth Rudetsky and Ron Dennie [original Richie]
"I came to ACL by default for the very last workshop of the show. Candy Brown is one of my close girlfriends. Candy had worked for Bob Fosse in Liza With A Z and in Pippin. She was offered Chicago, which was going into production at the same time as A Chorus Line. Candy joined Chicago because, as she told me, 'Chicago was a sure thing!'
"I had auditioned for Michael Bennett several times over the years leading up to being hired for A Chorus Line. I went in to audition for any role that might be open, and Baayork Lee, the original Connie, and Michael’s assistant, told me that after my audition Michael turned to her and said, 'The part calls for Candy’s story!' Baayork asked him, 'Why does it have to be a girl? You’ve always liked Ron.' I got the part.
"Baayork and I had a song that we shared, called 'Confidence,' right at the beginning of the show. We sang it for the very first audience invited run-through. Baayork was on the line at the very same position that she remained on throughout and I was next to Trish Garland, who played Judy Turner. I would look down the line in Connie’s direction and sing:
I’m sure that Connie thinks she’s got it.
But she’s wrong, if only she could spot it.
I have got that special quality
Confidence, Confidence,
It's written plain all over and will remain all over me!
"After that first run-through, the opinion from Michael’s invited friends, actors, and regular civilians, and our producers, was that opening the show with 'Confidence' right out of the box was just 'too musical comedy.'
I did not feel that way 39 years ago. It was no laughing matter for me while I watched everyone have their moment in the sun, creating, rehearsing, and showcasing their songs.
"Lo and behold, about two weeks before we were to open at the Newman, M.B. comes to me just before lunchtime and says that he needs to see me in the rehearsal room. I’m thinking, 'Oh sh*t. Now what?' I meet him and find Fran Liebergall and Bobby Thomas, our drummer, with Michael. Our director proceeds to sing lyrics that will become 'Gimme The Ball.' Fran, Bobby, and I came up with a very rough version of the song in Michael’s mind. At the end, he turned to me and said, 'Here. Go home and make something out of this.'
"Gobsmacked, but not one to back down to an order or a challenge, I went home, retreated to my bedroom, and channeled Aretha Franklin. The rest is history. A Chorus Line was truly an amazing, amazing, amazing experience and career high."
---How Ron Dennis Helped Michael Bennett Write a Song for A Chorus Line by Seth Rudetsky
Ron Dennis: “When we were recording the cast album, Marvin Hamlisch sidled up to me and said, ‘Richie (he never called me by my real name, it was always Richie), you know, we can't put Gimme the Ball on the album.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘Because you say 'shit' a couple of times.’ That had me fuming, so I high-tailed it over to Michael.
‘What is this about, Gimme the Ball not being on the album because I say 'shit?’
He said, ‘Who told you that?’
’Marvin. If Pam Blair can say 'tits and ass' ninety-nine times, why can't I say 'shit'? He said, "Ron, don't worry about it.’
Needless to say, the song is on the album.
“I finally realized that Marvin wanted sole credit for everything on the album. Since Gimme the Ball was the only thing he did not write the music to, he was pissed that it was going to be on it.”
—The Longest Line by Gary Stevens and Alan George
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