Biography

In the late 70s she was forced to abandon the limelight when she became nearly paralyzed by rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors told her she may never walk again, let alone dance. Thanks to intense physical therapy and proper nutrition, she battled back and miraculously returned to perform the "Chorus Line" role of Cassie again in 1983 at age 43.

The night her father died, Sir Laurence Olivier was in the audience of a performance of "A Chorus Line". Donna went on, claiming that the only way she could cope was to go on with the show. When she was doing a production of "Sweet Charitiy", she learned that longtime friend and former husband Michael Bennett had died of AIDS. Again, she went on for the performance, claiming it helped her deal with his death and Michael would have wanted her to.

Bob Fosse died shortly before the curtain went up on his last successful musical venture, the revival of "Sweet Charity", starring Donna in the title role.

Made her Broadway debut in 1961 in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

Trained in ballet at age 7, she ran away from home at the age of 15 to New York to become a dancer. She got a show on her very first audition.