- May 1 Pulitzer prize awarded to Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II 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
Arms and the Girl
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
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