- Jan 5 "Juan Darien-Carnival Mass" closes at Vivian Beaumont NYC
- Jan 5 "Love Thy Neighbor" closes at Booth Theater NYC
- Jan 5 "Show Boat" closes at Gershwin Theater NYC
- Jan 6 "It's a Slippery Slope" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC
Sinatra Heart Attack
Jan 9 Heart attacks sends singer Frank Sinatra back to hospital
"Seven Gates of Jerusalem"
Jan 9 Krzysztof Penderecki's choral symphony "Seven Gates of Jerusalem" premieres in Jerusalem, Israel
24th American Music Awards
Jan 27 24th American Music Awards: Toni Braxton & Alanis Morissette win
- Feb 2 "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" closes at Gershwin NYC
11th American Comedy Award
Feb 9 11th American Comedy Award: Debbie Reynolds wins
- Feb 13 "Three Sisters" opens at Criterion Theater NYC
Grammy Awards
Feb 26 39th Grammy Awards: "Change the World", Babyface, Beck, and LeAnn Rimes win
- Feb 27 "Last Night of Ballyhoo" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC
- Feb 27 British singer Sade arrested in Jamaica for disobeying a police officer
Music History
Mar 1 "Mandy Patinkin in Concert" opens at Lyceum Theater, NYC; runs for limited run of 16 performances
Soul Train Music Awards
Mar 8 11th Soul Train Music Awards: Curtis Mayfield, and Babyface win
Knighthood
Mar 11 Beatle Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Play On!
Mar 20 Cheryl L. West and Shelden Epp's musical "Play On!", an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" set in 1940s Harlem, featuring music of Duke Ellington, opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC; runs for 61 performances
Selena
Mar 21 Film "Selena" is released based on the life of singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, starring Jennifer Lopez in her breakthrough role, directed by Gregory Nava
Sunset Boulevard
Mar 22 Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton's musical "Sunset Boulevard", based on the film, and starring Glenn Close closes at Minskoff, NYC, after 977 performances and 7 Tony Awards
- Mar 23 "Mandy Patinkin in Concert" closes at Lyceum Theater, NYC, after limited run of 16 performances
- Mar 25 "Barrymore" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 240 performances
Life After Death
Mar 25 "Life After Death" second studio album by The Notorious B.I.G. is released (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
- Mar 26 "Annie" opens at Martin Beck Theater New York City, and runs for 239 performances.
- Apr 2 "Doll's House" opens at Belasco Theater NYC
- Apr 3 Musical revue "Dream: The Johnny Mercer Musical" opens at Royale Theatre, NYC; runs for 109 performances
- Apr 6 "3 Sisters" closes at Criterion Theater NYC
- Apr 13 "American Daughter" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 88 performances
- Apr 20 "Gin Game" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 144 performances
- Apr 20 "Present Laughter" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
Academy of Country Music Awards
Apr 23 32nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, and Patty Loveless win
- Apr 24 Kandor and Ebb's musical "Steel Pier" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC; runs for 76 performances
- Apr 26 Cy Coleman and Ira Gasman' musical "The Life" opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 466 performances and wins 2 Tony Awards
- Apr 27 "Little Foxes" opens at Vivian Beaumont NYC for 56 performances
- Apr 27 "Stanley" closes at Circle in the Square Theater, NYC
- Apr 28 "Jekyll & Hyde" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC
Music Concert
Apr 28 Ringo Starr's fourth All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker, Simon Kirke, and Mark Rivera
Music Concert
Apr 30 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Lyle Lovett, Bobby McFerrin, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin and Zucchero
- May 3 42nd Eurovision Song Contest: Katrina and the Waves for United Kingdom wins singing "Love Shine a Light" in Dublin
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
May 6 12th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Bee Gees; Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills & Nash; The Jackson Five; Joni Mitchell; Parliament-Funkadelic; The (Young) Rascals; Mahalia Jackson; Bill Monroe; and Syd Nathan
- May 11 Cheryl L. West and Shelden Epp's musical "Play On!", an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" set in 1940s Harlem, featuring music of Duke Ellington, closes at Brooks Atkinson Theatre ,NYC. after 61 performances
It's Your Love
May 12 "It's Your Love" single released by Time McGraw and Faith Hill
Heroes
May 15 Philip Glass' Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes"), based loosely on David Bowie's 1977 album "Heroes" premieres with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Martn Brabbins. at the Crouch End Festival in North London, England
- May 18 "King David" opens at New Amsterdam Theater NYC
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
May 19 "The Lost World: Jurassic Park", directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Moore, premieres in the US
- May 23 "King David" closes at New Amsterdam Theater NYC
Once Upon a Mattress
Jun 1 Revival of Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer's musical comedy "Once Upon a Mattress", starring Sarah Jessica Parker, closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 188 performances
- Jun 15 "Little Foxes" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC after 56 performances
- Jun 16 31st Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson & LeAnn Rimes win
- Jun 17 Wynton Marsalis releases his "Blood on the Fields" album (first jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music - 1997) [1]
- Jun 19 "Forever Tango!" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
- Jun 21 "Defending the Caveman" closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 671 performances
- Jun 25 Jamaica issues warrant for singer Sade, who fails to report to court on charges of failure to obey a cop who signaled her to stop
Glastonbury Festival
Jun 27 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: The Prodigy, and Radiohead headline; other performers include Smashing Pumpkins, Ray Davies, Van Morrison, Sting, Beck, Phish, and Nanci Griffith
Master Class
Jun 28 Terrence McNally's play "Master Class", starring Audra McDonald and Zoe Caldwell, closes at John Golden Theater, NYC, after 598 performances and 2 Tony Award wins
- Jun 29 "American Daughter" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 88 performances
- Jun 29 "London Assurance" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 72 performances
- Jul 6 Musical revue "Dream: The Johnny Mercer Musical", closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 109 performances
- Jul 25 Canadian rocker Rick Danko (The Band) gets suspended sentence in Japan for drug smuggling
- Jul 27 "Candide" closes at Gershwin Theater NYC after 103 performances
Victor/Victoria
Jul 27 Henry Mancini, Leslie Bricusse, and Blake Edwards' musical adaptation of the film "Victor/Victoria", starring Julie Andrews, closes at Marquis Theater, NYC, after 738 performances
Music Concert
Aug 7 Garth Brooks performs a free concert in NYC's Central Park for HBO, later releasing it as Garth: Live from Central Park
Just to See You Smile
Aug 9 "Just to See You Smile" single released by Tim McGraw (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)
- Aug 14 Revival of Sherman Edwards' historical musical "1776", featuring Brent Spiner, opens at Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 333 performances
Word Gets Around
Aug 25 Welsh rock band Stereophonics release their debut studio album "Word Gets Around"
Candle in the Wind
Sep 13 Elton John releases single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the UK
- Sep 13 Elton John releases single "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" in the UK
- Sep 15 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania public radio station WRTI (90.1 FM) switches from all jazz to classical-by-day/jazz-by-night format in response to loss of commercial classical station WLFN (95.7 FM); WFLN's library and several DJ's made the transition
- Sep 22 Elton John releases "Candle in the Wind 1997", a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the US
- Sep 24 31st Country Music Association Awards: Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood & George Strait win
Life thru a Lens
Sep 29 Robbie Williams releases his first solo album "Life thru a Lens" features single "Angels"
Farm Aid Concert
Oct 4 Farm Aid 10 held in Tinley Park, Illinois; performers include Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Fogerty, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Steve Earle, and The Allman Brothers [1]
Album Release
Oct 21 Marc Anthony releases his third studio album "Contra la Corriente" (1st salsa album to top Latin album chart, Grammy Best Tropical Latin Performance))
- Oct 23 "Triumph of Love" opens at Royale Theater NYC
Sports History
Nov 1 Expanded Negro Leagues Museum and the new American Jazz Museum open in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine district
- Nov 2 "Barrymore" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 240 performances
Cinderella
Nov 2 Rodgers & Hammerstein's television musical "Cinderella", starring Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, and Bernadette Peters premieres on ABC-TV
Come On Over
Nov 4 Mercury Nashville Records releases "Come On Over", the 3rd studio album by Shania Twain (Billboard Album of the Year, 1999)
- Nov 6 "Proposals" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 76 performances
- Nov 9 "The Scarlet Pimpernel" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC
- Nov 10 "Jackie - An American Life" opens at Belasco Theater NYC
- Nov 13 "Lion King" opens at New Amersterdam Theater NYC
- Nov 16 Revival of Sherman Edwards' historical musical "1776", featuring Brent Spiner, closes at the Criterion Theater to transfer to the George Gershwin Theatre, NYC
- Nov 18 "Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture" album is released by Sony Music Soundtrax
Glitter Arrested
Nov 18 70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe
Songs from The Capeman
Nov 18 Warner Bros. releases "Songs from The Capeman", ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon; it contains Simon's own performances of songs from his Broadway musical flop
- Nov 19 "Eugene Onegin" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC
- Nov 19 "Old Neighborhood" opens at Booth Theater NYC
- Nov 24 "Street Corner Symphony" opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC; runs for 79 performances
- Nov 25 "Sevens" 7th studio album by Garth Brooks is released (Grammy Award Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 1998, Billboard Album of the Year 1998)
- Nov 30 "Eugene Onegin" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC
- Dec 3 "1776" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC
- Dec 4 "Diary of Anne Frank" opens at Music Box Theater NYC
Rimes and Spice Girls Win
Dec 8 8th Billboard Music Awards: LeAnn Rimes & Spice Girls win
The Sunshine Boys
Dec 8 Revival of Neil Simon's comedy "The Sunshine Boys", starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, opens at Lyceum Theater, NYC; runs for 230 performances
Spice World
Dec 15 "Spice World" movie directed by Bob Spiers and starring girl pop group the Spice Girls premieres in the UK
- Dec 22 MTV removes music video of The Prodigy's song "Smack My Bitch Up" from broadcast rotation
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