Category Archives: Broadway

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I’ musical premieres on Broadway 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 29 1951)


Video: 'THE KING AND I - Through Time and History'

(Thursday, March 29, 1951, 8:00 p.m. EST)The King and I, the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, about the relationship between the King of Siam and a British schoolteacher, premiered tonight at Broadway’s St. James Theatre located at 246 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.
Continue reading Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I’ musical premieres on Broadway 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 29 1951)

‘Bye Bye Birdie’ stage musical opens on Broadway 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 14 1960)


Video: '"Put on a Happy Face" – BYE BYE BIRDIE on Ed Sullivan'

(Thursday, April 14, 1960, 7:45 p.m. EST)Bye Bye Birdie, a Broadway musical inspired by the phenomenon of popular singer Elvis Presley and his draft notice into the Army in 1957, opened tonight at the Martin Beck Theatre at 302 West 45th Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Continue reading ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ stage musical opens on Broadway 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 14 1960)

‘The Sound of Music’ musical opens on Broadway 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 16 1959)


Video: '- The Sound of Music (Original Broadway Cast Recording)'

(Monday, November 16, 1959, 7:30 p.m. EST)The Sound of Music, a Broadway musical about a woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower, opened tonight at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City.

With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, the original cast included Mary Martin as Maria, Theodore Bikel as Captain Georg von Trapp, Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess, Kurt Kasznar as Max Detweiler, Marion Marlowe as Elsa Schräder, Brian Davies as Rolf and Lauri Peters as Liesl.

Carol Lawrence, Larry Kert perform ‘Tonight’ on ‘Sullivan’ 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 2 1958)


Video: 'Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert sing "Tonight"'

(Sunday, November 2, 1958, 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST) — Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert performed “Tonight” from Broadway’s West Side Story on tonight’s CBS-TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show live from CBS Studio No. 50 in New York City. Continue reading Carol Lawrence, Larry Kert perform ‘Tonight’ on ‘Sullivan’ 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 2 1958)

‘West Side Story’ Broadway cast perform on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 14 1958)


Video: 'West Side Story "Cool" on The Ed Sullivan Show'

(Sunday, September 14, 1958, 8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) — The Broadway cast of West Side Story performed “Cool” on tonight’s 11th season premiere of the CBS-TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show live from CBS Studio No. 50 in New York City. Continue reading ‘West Side Story’ Broadway cast perform on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 14 1958)

Broadway cast recording of ‘Hair’ recorded 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 6 1968)


Video: 'Hair (Original Broadway Cast Recording)' (32 videos)

(Monday, May 6, 1968) — The original Broadway cast recording of the rock musical Hair was recorded today, one week after the show opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City. Continue reading Broadway cast recording of ‘Hair’ recorded 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 6 1968)

Gay-themed ‘The Boys in the Band’ premieres Off-Broadway 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 14 1968)


Video: '"THE BOYS IN THE BAND"'

(Easter Sunday, April 14, 1968, 7:30 p.m. EST) — The play The Boys in the Band, one of the first works to present a story centered around homosexuals, premiered Off-Broadway tonight at Theater Four in New York City. Continue reading Gay-themed ‘The Boys in the Band’ premieres Off-Broadway 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 14 1968)

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ opens on Broadway 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 26 1988)


Video: 'Phantom of the Opera 1988 Tony Awards'

(Tuesday, January 26, 1988, 6:30 p.m. EST)The Phantom of the Opera, a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe about a beautiful soprano who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the Opera Populaire, opened tonight on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. Continue reading ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ opens on Broadway 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 26 1988)

‘The Cradle Will Rock’ opens on Broadway 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 3 1938)


Video: 'American Musical The Cradle Will Rock'

(Monday, January 3, 1938, 8:40 p.m. EST) — The musical play The Cradle Will Rock, which follows the efforts of Larry Foreman to unionize the town’s workers and combat wicked, greedy businessman Mr. Mister, made its Broadway debut tonight at the Windsor Theatre in New York City. Continue reading ‘The Cradle Will Rock’ opens on Broadway 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 3 1938)