Happy As Larry
Jan 6 Mischa Portnoff, Wesley Portnoff, and Donagh MacDonagh's musical "Happy As Larry", starring Burgess Meredith and Gene Barry, opens at the Coronet Theater, NYC; runs for 3 performances
- Jan 7 Mischa Portnoff, Wesley Portnoff, and Donagh MacDonagh's musical "Happy As Larry", starring Burgess Meredith and Gene Barry, closes at the Coronet Theater, NYC, after 3 performances
- Jan 14 "As the Girls Go" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 420 performances
- Jan 17 "Alive & Kicking" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 46 performances
- Jan 20 "Dance Me a Song" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 35 performances
- Jan 21 "Lend an Ear" closes at National Theater NYC after 460 performances
"Arms and the Girl"
Feb 2 Morton Gould and Dorothy Field's colonial-era musical "Arms and the Girl", starring Nanette Fabray and Pearl Bailey, opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 134 performances
Your Show of Shows
Feb 25 "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca premieres on NBC. Writers include Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Woody Allen.
Music History
Feb 26 Jerome Robbin's ballet choreographed to Leonard Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" premieres at the New York City Center Theater
- Feb 28 "Alive & Kicking" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 46 performances
- Mar 15 Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize winning opera "The Consul" opens at Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 269 performances
- Mar 18 "Touch & Go" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 176 performances
- Mar 23 "Great to Be Alive" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 52 performances
Erroll Garner Concert
Mar 27 Jazz pianist Erroll Garner performs a solo recital at Cleveland Music Hall, a venue for traditionally classical concerts, in Cleveland, Ohio
- Apr 8 "Miss Liberty" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 308 performances
Peter Pan
Apr 24 Leonard Bernstein's musical "Peter Pan", starring Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff, opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 320 performances
- Apr 27 Musical revue "Tickets, Please" opens at Coronet Theater, later transferring to the Mark Hellinger Theatre, NYC; runs for 245 performances
- May 1 Pulitzer prize awarded to Rodgers & Hammerstein for musical "South Pacific"
- May 6 Russell Bennett, Abraham Ellstein, and Walter Bullock's musical "Great to Be Alive!" closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 52 performances
- May 9 Norman Dello Joio's opera, "The Triumph of St. Joan", premieres in Bronxville, New York
Bolivar
May 12 Darius Milhaud's opera "Bolivar" premieres in Paris
- May 18 "Liar" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 12 performances
4 Last Songs
May 22 Richard Strauss' "4 Last Songs" (4 letzte Lieder) premieres in London
- May 27 Morton Gould and Dorothy Field's colonial-era musical "Arms and the Girl", starring Nanette Fabray and Pearl Bailey, closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 134 performances
Carter Family Debut
May 29 The Carter Family debut on the Grand Ole Opry with Chet Atkins
Lost in the Stars
Jul 1 Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill's "Lost in the Stars", based on Alan Paton's novel "Cry the Beloved Country", closes at Music Box Theater, NYC, after 281 performances
Intimations of Immortality
Sep 5 1st performance of Gerald Finzi's setting of William Wordsworth's "Intimations of Immortality" at Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester (England) Cathedral; Eric Greene as solo tenor with Herbert Sumsion conducting orchestra and choir
- Sep 9 "Texas, Li'l Darlin'" musical closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 293 performances
- Oct 27 Paul Creston's 3rd Symphony, "Three Mysteries," 1st performance with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra
- Oct 30 David Diamond's 3rd Symphony premieres with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Munch
- Nov 23 Howard Swanson's "Short Symphony" premieres
Guys & Dolls
Nov 24 Frank Loesser's musical "Guys & Dolls", starring Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, and Sam Levene, opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 1200 performances, winning 5 Tony Awards
Hindemith's Concerto for Clarinet
Dec 11 Paul Hindemith's Concerto for Clarinet premieres with Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy, and Benny Goodman as soloist, at the Academy of Music
"Out of This World"
Dec 21 Cole Porter's musical "Out of This World" an adaptation of Titus Plautus's mythological comedy Amphitryon, starring George Gaynes, opens at New Century Theater, NYC; runs for 157 performances
- Dec 30 "Sixty Minute Man" record single released by The Dominoes (Billboard Song of the Year 1951)
Tennessee Waltz
Dec 30 "Tennessee Waltz" sung by Patti Page hits #1 on the Billboard Pop Chart (stays for 9 weeks)
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers