McKechnie visited with the cast Wednesday evening and told 半岛体育.com, "I am loving this...and everyone involved, especially Chita!"
Rehearsals for the new musical began this week.
"Who else could go on for a Broadway legend like Ms. Rivera but another Broadway legend?" said producer in a statement. "The tradition of an actor standing by, should the star not be able to perform, though unlikely in Ms. Rivera's case, has been turned on its ear by this news. We are ecstatic that Donna is joining our company."
McKechnie, 72, has worked steadily in theatre around the U.S. and London in the 40 years since A Chorus Line premiered, but she has rarely appeared on Broadway, the last time being in 1996. She will stand by for the 82-year-old Rivera, who plays Claire Zachanassian, a wealthy courtesan who returns to the small village where she grew up, in order to destroy the man who robbed her of her virtue when she was a girl. Based on the 1958 drama of the same title by Swiss author Friedrich D眉rrenmatt, The Visit musical has a score by and the late , and a book by . Choreography for the two legendary dancers will be supplied by .
John Doyle directs.
Rivera will co-star with , who will play Anton Schell. The Broadway cast also features as Karl, as Frederich Kuhn, as Louis Perch, as Annie Dummermut, Tony nominee as Peter Dummermut, as Father Josef, as Rudi, as Jacob Chicken, as Matilde Schell, as Otto Hahnke, as Ottilie, as Hans Nusselin, with and .
The Visit begins previews March 26 at the Lyceum Theatre.
