Musicals in History (Part 2)

Events in Music

Events 101 - 200 of 2,314

Lady, Be Good!

1926-04-14 George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's 1st collaborative musical "Lady, Be Good!", featuring siblings Fred Astaire and Adelle Astaire as a brother and sister dance team, opens at Empire Theatre, London's West End; runs for 326 performances

The Cocoanuts

1926-08-07 George S. Kaufman and Irving Berlin's musical "The Cocoanuts" starring the Marx Brothers closes at the Lyric Theatre, NYC, after 276 performances; later adapted as a film

Oh Kay

1926-11-08 George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Kay" opens at the Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs for 256 performances

  • 1927-01-10 Howard Lindsay and Bertrand Robinson's stage comedy "Tommy", starring Alan Bunce, Peg Entwistle, and Sidney Toler, opens at the Gaiety Theatre, NYC; runs for 232 performances
  • 1927-02-02 Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy's musical "Rio Rita" premieres in NYC

Music History

1927-02-16 Noël Coward's stage comedy "The Marquise", starring Marie Tempest, opens at the Criterion Theatre, London; runs for 129 performances

  • 1927-06-11 Noël Coward's stage comedy "The Marquise", starring Marie Tempest, closes at the Criterion Theatre, London, after 129 performances
  • 1927-07-23 Howard Lindsay and Bertrand Robinson's stage comedy "Tommy", starring Alan Bunce, Peg Entwistle, and Sidney Toler, closes at the Gaiety Theatre, NYC, after 232 performances
  • 1927-09-06 Buddy DeSylva & Lew Brown's musical "Good News" opens at The 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs for 557 performance
  • 1927-09-12 Sigmund Romberg's musical "My Maryland," premieres in NYC
  • 1927-09-26 St James Theater (Erlanger) opens at 246 W 44th St, NYC

Connecticut Yankee

1927-11-03 Rodgers & Hart's musical "Connecticut Yankee", based on Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court", opens at the Vanderbilt Theatre, NYC; runs for 421 performances

Funny Face

1927-11-22 George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's musical "Funny Face", starring Fred Astaire and his sister Adele Astaire, opens at the new Alvin Theatre, NYC; runs 244 performances

  • 1927-11-28 J McHugh & D Fields' musical "Delmar's Revels" premieres in NYC

"Show Boat"

1927-12-27 Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's landmark musical "Show Boat", based on Edna Ferber's novel, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre, NYC; runs for 572 performances

Rosalie

1928-01-10 George Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Rosalie" premieres in New York

  • 1928-03-13 Rudolph Friml's musical "Three Musketeers" premieres in NYC
  • 1928-03-22 Noël Coward's musical "This Year of Grace" premieres in London
  • 1928-09-15 Stothard, Kalmar & Ruby's musical "Good Boy" premieres in NYC

Elmer the Great

1928-09-24 George M. Cohan and Ring Lardner's musical play "Elmer the Great" premieres in NYC

Paris

1928-10-08 Cole Porter and E. Ray Goetz' musical "Paris" opens at the Music Box Theater, NYC; runs for 195 performances

  • 1928-11-08 George and Ira Gershwin's musical "Treasure Girl" premieres in NYC
  • 1928-12-04 Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn's musical "Whoopee!", starring Eddie Cantor, premieres on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, NYC; runs for 407 performances
  • 1929-01-09 Buddy DeSylva & Lew Brown's musical "Follow Thru" premieres in NYC
  • 1929-04-04 Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II's operetta "The New Moon" opens at the Drury Lane Theatre in London's West End
  • 1929-10-09 George Kaufman & Ring Lardner's musical "June Moon" premieres in NYC
  • 1929-12-30 Cole Porter's musical "Wake Up And Dream" opens at the Selwyn Theatre, NYC; runs for 136 performances

Simple Simon

1930-02-18 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Simple Simon" premieres in NYC

Music History

1930-02-26 Marc Connelly's stage drama "The Green Pastures", bible stories through the eyes of Southern Black child, opens at Mansfield Theater, NYC; runs for 640 performances and wins a Pulitzer Prize

Girl Crazy

1930-10-14 George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's musical "Girl Crazy" starring Ginger Rogers and featuring debut of Ethel Merman, opens at the Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 272 performances

Sweet & Low

1930-11-17 Musical "Sweet & Low" with Fanny Brice premieres in NYC

  • 1930-11-18 Musical "Smiles" with Bob Hope and Fred Astaire premieres in NYC
  • 1930-12-03 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Evergreen" premieres in London
  • 1930-12-08 Cole Porter's musical "The New Yorkers" opens at B. S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, NYC; runs for 169 performances
  • 1931-02-10 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "America's Sweetheart" premieres on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC
  • 1931-06-06 George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin's musical "Girl Crazy" starring Ginger Rogers and featuring debut of Ethel Merman, closes at the Alvin Theater, NYC, after 272 performances, and making stars of Rogers and Merman
  • 1931-08-29 Marc Connelly's stage drama "The Green Pastures", bible stories through the eyes of Southern Black child, closes at Mansfield Theater, NYC, after 640 performances and a Pulitzer Prize win
  • 1931-10-13 Musical "Everybody's Welcome" with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey premieres in NYC
  • 1931-11-02 Warren, Dixon and Young's musical "Laugh Parade" premieres in NYC
  • 1931-12-26 George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind's musical political satire "Of Thee I Sing" opens at the Music Box Theatre, NYC; runs for 441 performances, and becomes first musical to win Pulitzer Prize for Drama
  • 1932-02-17 Irving Berlin and Moss Hart's musical "Face the Music" opens at the New Amsterdam Theatre, NYC; runs for 165 performances
  • 1932-11-08 Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's Musical "Music in the Air" opens at the Alvin Theatre, later transferring to th 44th Street Theatre, NYC; runs for 342 performances
  • 1932-11-29 Cole Porter's musical "Gay Divorcee" opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC, later transferred to the Schubert Theater; runs for 248 performances
  • 1932-12-26 Revival of Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's musical "Shuffle Along" opens at Mansfield Theater, NYC; runs for 17 performances
  • 1933-01-07 Revival of Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's musical "Shuffle Along" closes at Mansfield Theater, NYC, after 17 performances
  • 1933-01-14 George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind's musical political satire "Of Thee I Sing" closes at the Music Box Theatre, NYC, after for 441 performances; first musical to win Pulitzer Prize for Drama
  • 1933-01-24 Noël Coward's stage comedy "Design for Living", starring Alfred Lunt; Lynn Fontanne, and Coward himself, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC; runs for 155 performances

Both Your Houses

1933-03-06 Maxwell Anderson's stage drama "Both Your Houses" opens at the Royale Theatre, NYC; runs for 72 performances and wins a Pulitzer Prize

  • 1933-03-09 "42nd Street" a musical film revolving around rehearsals for a Broadway show, directed by Lloyd Bacon, with choreography by Busby Berkeley, and songs by Harry Warren and by Al Dubin, premieres at the Strand, NYC; later adapted as a stage musical
  • 1933-09-16 Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "Music in the Air" closes at the 44th Street Theatre, NYC, after 342 performances
  • 1934-02-20 Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein's opera "Four Saints in Three Acts" opens on Broadway at the 44th Street Theatre, NYC
  • 1934-08-27 Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg's musical "Life Begins at 8:40", starring Ray Bolger and Lulla Gear opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 237 performances

Merrily We Roll Along

1934-09-09 George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's stage play "Merrily We Roll Along" opens at the Music Box Theatre, NYC; runs for 155 performances

  • 1934-11-21 Cole Porter's musical "Anything Goes" opens at the Alvin Theatre, NYC, later transferred to 46th Street Theatre; runs for 420 performances
  • 1934-12-27 Musical revue "Thumbs Up", including music and lyrics by Vernon Duke, James Hanley, and Ira Gershwin (among others), premieres at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 156 performance

Life Begins at 8:40

1935-03-16 Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg's musical "Life Begins at 8:40", starring Ray Bolger and Lulla Gear, closes at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC, after 237 performances

Mulatto

1935-10-24 Langston Hughes' stage drama "Mulatto: A Tragedy of the Deep South", opens at Vanderbilt Theatre, NYC; runs for 373 performances

  • 1935-11-16 Cole Porter's musical "Anything Goes" closes at 46th Street Theatre, NYC, after 420 performances
  • 1935-11-16 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Jumbo" premieres in NYC

On Your Toes

1936-04-11 George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes", choreographed by George Balanchine, and starring Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, opens at the Imperial Theatre (later transfers to Majestic), NYC; runs for 515 performances

Peter and the Wolf

1936-05-02 Sergei Prokofiev's musical "Peter and the Wolf" premieres in Moscow

Red, Hot And Blue

1936-10-29 Cole Porter's musical "Red, Hot And Blue", starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Bob Hope, opens at the Alvin Theatre, NYC; runs for 183 performances

On Your Toes

1937-01-23 George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes", choreographed by George Balanchine, and starring Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, closes at the Majestic Theatre, NYC; after 515 performances

King of Swing

1937-03-10 Benny Goodman unofficially crowned the “King of Swing” at New York City's Paramount Theater as his band plays before exuberant sell-out crowd filled with teenagers; unable to attend nightclub performances, kids dance in the aisles

  • 1937-04-10 Cole Porter's musical "Red, Hot And Blue", starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Bob Hope, closes at the Alvin Theatre, NYC, after 183 performances

Room Service

1937-05-19 John Murray and Allen Boretz's stage comedy "Room Service", starring Sam Levene, Eddie Albert, and Phillip Loeb, opens at the Cort Theatre, NYC; runs for 500 performances

  • 1937-11-27 Pro-labor musical revue "Pins & Needles" opens, produced by ILGWU
  • 1937-12-01 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's anti-war musical "Hooray for What!", starring Ed Wynn and directed by Vincente Minnelli, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 200 performances

"Our Town"

1938-02-04 "Our Town" a play by Thornton Wilder opens on Broadway, NYC (later awarded Pulitzer Prize for Drama)

  • 1938-03-16 Noël Coward's musical "Operette" premieres in London
  • 1938-05-21 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's anti-war musical "Hooray for What!", starring Ed Wynn and directed by Vincente Minnelli, closes at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC, after 200 performances
  • 1938-07-16 John Murray and Allen Boretz's stage comedy "Room Service", starring Sam Levene, Eddie Albert, and Phillip Loeb, closes at the Cort Theatre, NYC, after 500 performances
  • 1938-09-20 Emlyn Williams' semi-autobiographical comedic play "Corn is Green," premieres in London; runs for 600 performances
  • 1938-10-15 Robert E Sherwood's stage drama "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", starring Raymond Massey, opens at the Plymouth Theatre, NYC; runs for 472 performances
  • 1938-10-25 American Archbishop of Dubuque (Iowa), Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell".

The Wizard of Oz

1939-08-17 Musical film "The Wizard of Oz", starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, and Margaret Hamilton opens at Loews Capitol Theatre, NYC

  • 1939-08-28 Sammy Fain and Jack Yellen's musical "George White's Scandals" premieres in NYC
  • 1939-10-02 Revival of Sidney Howard's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1924 stage drama "They Knew What They Wanted", opens at the Empire Theatre, NYC; runs for 24 performances
  • 1939-10-16 George Kaufman and Moss Hart's comedy "The Man Who Came to Dinner" opens at the Music Box Theatre, NYC; runs for 739 performances
  • 1939-10-18 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Too Many Girls" opens at the Imperial Theatre, later transferring to the Broadway Theatre, NYC; runs for 249 performances
  • 1939-10-21 Revival of Sidney Howard's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1924 stage drama "They Knew What They Wanted", closes at the Empire Theatre, NYC; after 24 performances
  • 1939-11-08 Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse's stage comedy "Life with Father" opens at Empire Theatre, NYC, later transferring to the Bijou, and then the Alvin Theatre; runs for 3224 performances

Very Warm for May

1939-11-17 Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "Very Warm for May", featuring June Allyson, Eve Arden, and Vera-Ellen, and directed by Vincente Minnelli opens at the Alvin Theatre, NYC; runs for 59 performances, inspiring 9-year-old audience member Stephen Sondheim's love for musical theater

  • 1939-12-06 Cole Porter's musical "Du Barry Was A Lady" opens at 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs 408 performances
  • 1940-02-08 Lewis & Hamilton's musical "Two for the Show" premieres in NYC

Walk With Music

1940-04-04 Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's musical "Walk With Music", opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC; runs for 50 performances

  • 1940-04-04 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Higher & Higher" premieres in NYC
  • 1940-05-28 Irving Berlin's musical "Louisiana Purchase", satirizing Huey Long's political power, opens at The Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs for 444 performances

Music History

1940-07-20 Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's musical "Walk With Music", closes at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC, after 50 performances

  • 1940-08-03 James Thurber and Elliott Nugent's stage comedy "The Male Animal" closes at the Cort Theater. NYC, after 243 performances
  • 1940-10-25 Vernon Duke and John Latouche's musical "Cabin In The Sky" opens at the Martin Beck Theatre, NYC; runs for 156 performances
  • 1940-10-30 Cole Porter's musical "Panama Hattie" opens at 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs 501 performances

"Pal Joey"

1940-12-25 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Pal Joey", starring Gene Kelly and Vivienne Segal, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (later transferring to Shubert, and then the St. James), NYC; runs for 374 performances

  • 1941-10-01 Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane's musical "Best Foot Forward", starring June Allyson, with choreography by Gene Kelly, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC; runs for 326 performances
  • 1941-10-29 Cole Porter's musical "Let's Face It" opens at the Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs 547 performances
  • 1941-11-29 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "Pal Joey", starring Gene Kelly and Vivienne Segal, closes at the St. James Theatre, NYC, after 374 performances
  • 1942-01-24 Mike Todd's musical revue "Star & Garter" featuring Gypsy Rose Lee opens at the Music Box Theatre, NYC

Birthdays in Music


Weddings in Music


Divorces in Music


Deaths in Music