"Peter Pan"
Jan 27 Leonard Bernstein's musical "Peter Pan", starring Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff, closes at Imperial Theater, NYC, after 320 performances
"The Victor Borge Show"
Feb 3 "The Victor Borge Show" debuts on NBC-TV
- Feb 10 "John and Marsha" by Stan Freberg, a parody of daytime soap operas which had only two voices repeating each other's names, peaks at #21 in the USA
- Feb 24 "Bless You All" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 84 performances
- Feb 25 "Michael Todd's Peep Show" closes at Winter Garden, NYC, after 278 performances
- Mar 10 "Where's Charley?" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 56 performances
- Mar 18 William Grant Still's Symphony No. 4 ("Autochthonous"), premiere performance, by the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra with Victor Alessandro conducting
I'm a Fool to Want You
Mar 27 Frank Sinatra records "I'm a Fool to Want You"
The King and I
Mar 29 Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The King and I", based on the novel "Anna and the King of Siam", opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 1,246 performances, winning 5 Tony Awards; Star Yul Brynner would lead the cast of the 1956 film version, and play the role over 4,200 times
Music Premiere
Mar 30 1st performance of Walter Piston's 4th Symphony commissioned to mark the University of Minnesota's centennial, debuts by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti conducting
- Apr 18 Hugh Martin and Preston Sturges' musical "Make a Wish" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 102 performances
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Apr 19 Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" adapted from Betty Smith's novel, and starring Shirley Booth, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 267 performances
Out of This World
May 5 Cole Porter's musical "Out of This World" an adaptation of Titus Plautus's mythological comedy Amphitryon, starring George Gaynes, closes at New Century Theater, NYC, after 157 performances
- May 14 Sammy Fain and Yip Harburg's musical "Flahooley" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 40 performances
Courtin' Time
Jun 14 Jack Lawrence and Don Walker's musical "Courtin' Time", starring Joe E. Brown, with choreography by George Balanchine, opens at National Theater, NYC; runs for 37 performances
1st Color TV Broadcast
Jun 25 First color TV broadcast, Arthur Godfrey hosts a musical variety special titled "Premiere" from CBS NYC to a network of 5 East Coast cities
- Jun 30 "Victor Borge Show" last airs on NBC-TV
- Jul 14 Hugh Martin and Preston Sturges' musical "Make a Wish" closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 102 performances
- Jul 14 Jack Lawrence and Don Walker's musical "Courtin' Time", starring Joe E. Brown, with choreography by George Balanchine, closes at National Theater, NYC, after 37 performances
- Jul 19 "2 in the Aisle" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 276 performances
- Jul 28 Cole Porter's musical "Kiss Me, Kate", an adaptation of Shakespeare's " The Taming of the Shrew", closes at Shubert Theatre, NYC. after 1077 performances, and 5 Tony Award wins
Alice In Wonderland
Jul 28 Walt Disney releases animated musical film "Alice In Wonderland", featuring Kathryn Beaumont, J. Pat O'Malley, Ed Wynn, and Sterling Holloway and songs by Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard
An American In Paris
Aug 26 Film "An American In Paris" with music by George Gershwin, directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron premieres in London (Academy Awards Best Picture, 1952)
The Rake's Progress
Sep 11 Igor Stravinsky's opera "The Rake's Progress", with libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, premieres at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Italy
Music in the Air
Oct 8 Revival of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "Music in the Air" opens at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC ; runs for 56 performances
Music History
Nov 1 Johnny Mercer's musical "Top Banana", starring Phil Silvers, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 356 performances, winning a Tony Award
Billy Budd
Dec 1 Benjamin Britten's opera "Billy Budd" premieres in London
The Pied Piper
Dec 4 Aaron Copland's and Jerome Robbins' ballet "The Pied Piper" premieres in New York City
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