Jacket worn in the Broadway show A Chorus Line: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Jacket worn by Sammy Williams in the role of Paul in the original Broadway production of the musical A Chorus Line. Light brown, long sleeved satin jacket with brown and white beading on the back, collar, and at wrists. Six large, clear, white buttons on front, three on each side.

In the show, Paul delivers a monologue about how performing helped him discover his identity as a gay man, climaxing in a tearful recounting of his parents' rejection and condemnation. This scene was a landmark in LGBTQ+ representation in American theater and inspired many audience members who faced similar challenges coming out to loved ones in the mid-late 20th century. Williams won a Tony Award as Best Supporting Actor for this role, which was inspired by writer Nicholas Dante's experiences growing up gay in New York City.

Materials, dates and provenance

• wearer: Williams, Sammy
• maker: Barbara Matera Ltd.
• Object Name: jacket
• Physical Description: satin (overall material)
• Physical Description: glass (beads; buttons material)
• Measurements: overall: 20 1/2 in x 15 in; 52.07 cm x 38.1 cm
• Measurements: overall, mounted: 60 in x 21 in x 9 in; 152.4 cm x 53.34 cm x 22.86 cm
• Subject: Musical Theater
• ID Number: 1990.0580.03
• accession number: 1990.0580
• catalog number: 1990.0580.03
• Credit Line: Gift of Joseph Papp
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.