It was a heartwarming cast reunion for one of the millennial generation’s favorite comedy-drama series over the weekend.
Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham shared an endearing selfie on Instagram Sunday, where she is seen posing up close with Kelly Bishop, who plays Graham’s mom on the hit show. They reunited at the Shubert Theatre in New York City for a special musical performance, as confirmed in Graham’s social media post.
“It was beyond thrilling to get to introduce Ms. Kelly Bishop at the 50th Anniversary of A Chorus Line at the @shubertorg theater Sunday night,” Graham, 58, wrote in her caption to accompany the Instagram pic. “The performances were incredible, magical, inspiring!”
Bishop, 81, starred in the original Broadway run of A Chorus Line in 1975. Set on a bare stage, the musical centers on 17 dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line — hence the title. Fifty years later, other celebrated performers besides Graham turned out at the Shubert — the very theater where A Chorus Line had debuted — to pay tribute to Bishop and the award-winning play.
Graham and actress Alexis Bledel were always the “Gilmore Girls” at the center of their beloved show — portraying Lorelai and Rory, respectively — though Graham’s moments opposite Bishop as scene-stealing matriarch Emily Gilmore were always standouts.
In fact, Bishop released a memoir in 2004 titled The Third Gilmore Girl, which includes anecdotes from her time on set as well as a reflection on her career at large. Bishop is also known for her role as the mother of “Baby” Houseman in the classic film Dirty Dancing (1987).
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who is also responsible for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Gilmore Girls premiered on The WB on October 5, 2000, and ran for seasons. The series was such a success that it led to a sequel miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which was released on Netflix in its entirety in November 2016.
