"Suite Hebraique"
Jan 1 Ernest Blochs's work for viola and piano "Suite Hebraique,", part of his "Jewish Cycle", premieres in Chicago
My Darlin' Aida
Jan 10 Charles Friedman and Giuseppe Verdi's musical '"My Darlin' Aida", an adaptation of Verdi's opera "Aida" closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after for 89 performances
Wonderful Town
Feb 25 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musical "Wonderful Town", starring Rosalind Russell, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 559 performances, wins 5 Tony Awards
Two's Company
Mar 8 Vernon Duke, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn's musical revue "Two's Company", starring Bette Davis, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for, after 90 performances
Pal Joey
Apr 18 Revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Pal Joey", starring Harold Lang and Vivienne Segal, closes at Broadhurst Theater, NYC, after 540 performances, winning 3 Tony Awards
Can-Can
May 7 Cole Porter's musical "Can-Can" opens at the Shubert Theatre, NYC; runs for 892 performances
Elvis Graduates
Jun 14 Elvis Presley graduates from L. C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee
- Jul 18 Elvis Presley pays $3.98 to make his first demo, at Sun Studio in Memphis, records "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin". Reportedly gives the record to his mother as a belated birthday present.
From Here to Eternity
Aug 5 "From Here to Eternity" based on book by James Jones, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1954)
- Aug 28 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Me and Juliet" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 358 performances
Music History
Sep 8 Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's musical "Carnival in Flanders", adapted by Preston Sturges from a 1935 French film, and starring Dolores Gray and John Raitt, opens at the New Century Theatre, NYC; runs for 6 performances and wins Gray a Tony Award
- Sep 12 Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's musical "Carnival in Flanders", adapted by Preston Sturges from a 1935 French film, and starring Dolores Gray and John Raitt, closes at the New Century Theatre, NYC, after 6 performances, and a Tony Award win for Gray
Music History
Oct 2 Victor Borge's one-man show "Comedy in Music" opens at John Golden Theatre, NYC; runs for 849 performances, a Guinness world record
Music History
Oct 19 Singer Julius LaRosa is fired on TV by Arthur Godfrey
Music Release
Oct 25 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 10th Symphony
- Nov 6 Masao Oki's symphony "Atomic Bomb" premieres
- Nov 13 Dmitri Shostakovich's 4th String Quartet premieres
Guys & Dolls
Nov 25 Frank Loesser's musical "Guys & Dolls", starring Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, and Sam Levene, closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 1,200 performances and 5 Tony Awards
- Dec 3 Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich' 5th String Quartet in Leningrad
- Dec 3 Webb Pierce records single "In the Jailhouse Now" (Billboard Song of the Year, 1955)
John Murray Anderson's Almanac
Dec 10 Musical revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac", starring Harry Belafonte, Hermione Gingold, and Orson Bean, opens at Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs for 229 performances, with Belafonte earning a Tony Award
- Dec 17 Dmitri Shostakovich's 10th Symphony premieres in Leningrad
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers