Category Archives: Broadway

‘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.

‘Hair’ by The Cowsills peaks at #2 in USA 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1969)

(Saturday, May 10, 1969)“Hair” by The Cowsills peaked at #2 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks. Continue reading ‘Hair’ by The Cowsills peaks at #2 in USA 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1969)

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)

‘Show Boat’ opens on Broadway 90 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 27 1927)


Video: 'SHOW BOAT (1929 Footage)'

(Tuesday, December 27, 1927, 8:15 p.m. EST)Show Boat, a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II about riverboat entertainers who find love, laughs and hardships as they sail along “Old Man River,” opened tonight on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City. Continue reading ‘Show Boat’ opens on Broadway 90 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 27 1927)

‘The Music Man’ musical opens on Broadway 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 19 1957)


Video: 'The Music Man (Original Broadway Cast)' (18 videos)

(Thursday, December 19, 1957, 1957, 7:30 p.m. EST)The Music Man, a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey about a con artist who hawks musical instruments and band uniforms to small-town America, opened tonight on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. Continue reading ‘The Music Man’ musical opens on Broadway 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 19 1957)