Elvis Records Second Demo
Jan 4 Elvis Presley records his second demo at Sun Studios, a recording studio in Memphis, "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way"
"South Pacific"
Jan 16 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "South Pacific", starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, closes at the Majestic Theater, NYC, after 1928 performances;, winning 10 Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prize
"Concertino Opus 94"
Jan 20 Dmitri Shostakovich's "Concertino opus 94" premieres
"De Profundis"
Jan 29 Arnold Schoenberg's last musical work "De Profundis" premieres in Cologne, Germany
"The Nutcracker"
Feb 2 "The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New York, establishes its popularity in the US
- Mar 5 "Girl in Pink Tights" opens at Mark Hellinger NYC for 115 performances
- Mar 12 1st performance of Arnold Schoenberg's opera "Moses und Aaron", in a concert setting in Hamburg, Germany
Music History
Mar 20 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "The King and I", starring Yul Brynner, closes at the St James Theater, NYC, after 1,246 performances
Me and Juliet
Apr 3 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Me and Juliet" closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 358 performances
Music Premiere
Apr 8 Andrew Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "By the Beautiful Sea", starring Shirley Booth, opens at the Majestic Theatre, later transferring to the Imperial, NYC; runs for 270 performances
Music History
Apr 12 Bill Haley and the Comets record "Rock Around Clock"
- Apr 20 "Golden Apple" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 125 performances
Music Concert
Apr 30 Darius Milhaud's 4th Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (Op. 295) premieres in Haifa, Israel
- May 13 "Pajama Game" opens at St James Theater NYC for 1063 performances
- Jun 12 "Girl in Pink Tights" closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 115 performances
- Jun 12 Bill Haley & His Comets release the hit single "Rock Around the Clock"
John Murray Anderson's Almanac
Jun 24 Musical revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac", starring Harry Belafonte, Hermione Gingold, and Orson Bean, closes at Imperial Theatre, NYC, after 229 performances and a Tony Award win
Wonderful Town
Jul 3 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musical "Wonderful Town", starring Rosalind Russell, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 559 performances, and 5 Tony Award wins
- Jul 5 Singer Elvis Presley's 1st professional recording session (with guitarist Scotty Moore & bass player Bill Black) takes place at Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service in Memphis, Tennessee. The trio record four songs including their historic cover of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's song "That's All Right". [1]
- Jul 19 Elvis Presley's debut single, a cover of Arthur Cruddup's "That's All Right" is released
Music History
Jul 28 Ernest Bloch's 4th string quartet premieres
- Jul 30 Elvis Presley joins the Memphis Federation of Musicians, Local 71
- Aug 4 The Government of Pakistan approves the National Anthem, written by Hafeez Jullundhry and composed by Ahmed G. Chagla
- Aug 7 Jerome Moross and John Treville Latouche's "Golden Apple", adapted from parts of Homer's "Illiad" and "Odyssey", closes at Alvin Theater, NYC after, 125 performances
- Sep 8 WINS radio station in NYC begins playing rock and roll music with Alan Freed's "Rock-n-Roll Party" program
Turn of the Screw
Sep 14 Benjamin Britten's opera "Turn of the Screw" premieres in Venice
The Tonight Show
Sep 27 "The Tonight Show" premieres on NBC, hosted by Steve Allen
A Star Is Born
Sep 29 The first remake of "A Star Is Born", starring Judy Garland & James Mason premieres at the Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles
The Boy Friend
Sep 30 Sandy Wilson's musical "The Boy Friend", cast includes Julie Andrews, making her Broadway debut, opens at the Royale Theatre, NYC; runs for 485 performances
On Your Toes
Oct 11 Revival of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes" opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 64 performances
- Oct 20 Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard, opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC; runs for 152 performances
- Nov 4 Harold Rome, S. N. Behrman, and Joshua Logan's musical romance "Fanny", starring Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak, and Florence Henderson, opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 888 performances, winning one Tony Award
- Nov 27 Andrew Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "By the Beautiful Sea", starring Shirley Booth, closes at the Theatre, NYC, after 270 performances
- Dec 2 Frederico Valerio and Elizabeth Miele's musical "Hit the Trail" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances
Prayers of Kierkegaard
Dec 3 Samuel Barber's cantata "Prayers of Kierkegaard" premieres
- Dec 3 William Walton's opera "Troilus & Cressida" premieres in London
- Dec 4 Frederico Valerio and Elizabeth Miele's musical "Hit the Trail" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC, after 4 performances
- Dec 4 Revival of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes" closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 64 performances
- Dec 9 Dmitri Shostakovich appointed honored guest of Royal Swedish Academy of Music
- Dec 27 Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize winning opera "The Saint of Bleecker Street" opens at Broadway Theater in ,NYC; runs for 92 performances
House of Flowers
Dec 30 Harold Arlen and Truman Capote's musical "House of Flowers" premieres at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 165 performances