About Us
Cast & Crew
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Years ago, while teaching college courses in the History of American Musical Theatre, my research exposed numerous instances of innovation in the art form (“this was the first time…”) as theatrical technologies, along with musical styles and forms, evolved. I began to “collect” such phrases, which later included people, theatrical venues and other occasional oddities, into the collection and organized the data chronologically. |
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At this site, we focus on historical firsts. Innovation creates history, and this is a collection of innovative events, decisions and inventions. Among other things, the collection includes initial appearances of popular shows, songs and performers. Here, you’ll find descriptions of theatrical firsts in America from 1665 to 2000. Each “historical first” appears in bold type. |
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Generally, the New York opening is considered the finished form of any work (even if subsequent changes occur during the New York run). For the sake of maintaining some historical perspective, this site covers events through the 1999-2000 season. |
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Ongoing additions to the site include textual entries and pictures of people and theatrical venues. One project will soon offer links to audio files of songs in the public domain; other improvements may occur as they are invented or suggested. |
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We owe much to those who have assisted in the development and presentation of this material. Please see our “Cast & Crew” page. To everyone who appears there, I offer my deepest thanks. |
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Perhaps you will find something here that will initiate your own research. You might want to have an item considered for inclusion at the site (if so, please contact me). You might wish to correct an error that you find here (if so, by all means contact me). You may even find items that will pique your curiosity and motivate you to seek answers. We hope that this site will bring you closer to the theatrical art form that has proven time and again to be our most beloved: the musical. |
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Wayne Hamilton, MFA 2009 |
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Thank you for visiting FirstOnStage.com, a web site that was literally decades in the making. We hope you find the information here useful in your classes, in your research or in exercising your intellectual curiosity. If so, we hope you’ll make a donation to help support FirstOnStage. This information comes to you quickly and easily without the cost of expensive textbooks or hours of searching for the proverbial needle in the digital haystack. Your gift will enable site developers to provide ongoing enhancements, including additional textual content, pictures and audio files. PayPal will safely and securely process the transaction. Thanks for your interest and your generous support! |
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Kate Smith's first appearance in a Broadway musical took place in September of 1926. The show was Honeymoon Lane, in which she played the part of Tiny Little. The creative staff numbered two people: Eddie Dowling and James Hanley wrote the music, lyrics and libretto. Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (1907 - 1986), a native of Washington, DC, sang and danced in theatres and at nightclubs from an early age and was discovered by a New York City producer in 1926. After appearing in Honeymoon Lane, she later performed in Hit the Deck and Flying High. She began performing on the radio in 1931. She was an immediate success on the air and soon broke the record for longevity at the legendary Palace Theatre. Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," a song for which she helped Howard Johnson and Harry Woods write the lyrics. In 1932 she had a cameo role in Paramount's The Big Broadcast. Then she starred in her own movie, Hello Everybody!, with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane. In 1943 she sang "God Bless America" in the Irving Berlin picture This is the Army. Irving Berlin is said to have regarded that song as his most important composition. Kate predicted, in 1938, that the song would still be sung long after all of us are gone. Ending her career on a high note, Kate became the singing good luck charm for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team with her performances of "God Bless America" before each game, which helped inspire them to two successive Stanley Cups (1974 and 1975). Fittingly, the last song she sang in public was that Irving Berlin anthem on a bicentennial special just before July 4, 1976. She died in Raleigh, NC, June 17, 1986.
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Kate Smith's first appearance in a Broadway musical took place in September of 1926. The show was Honeymoon Lane, in which she played the part of Tiny Little. The creative staff numbered two people: Eddie Dowling and James Hanley wrote the music, lyrics and libretto. Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (1907 - 1986), a native of Washington, DC, sang and danced in theatres and at nightclubs from an early age and was discovered by a New York City producer in 1926. After appearing in Honeymoon Lane, she later performed in Hit the Deck and Flying High. She began performing on the radio in 1931. She was an immediate success on the air and soon broke the record for longevity at the legendary Palace Theatre. Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," a song for which she helped Howard Johnson and Harry Woods write the lyrics. In 1932 she had a cameo role in Paramount's The Big Broadcast. Then she starred in her own movie, Hello Everybody!, with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane. In 1943 she sang "God Bless America" in the Irving Berlin picture This is the Army. Irving Berlin is said to have regarded that song as his most important composition. Kate predicted, in 1938, that the song would still be sung long after all of us are gone. Ending her career on a high note, Kate became the singing good luck charm for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team with her performances of "God Bless America" before each game, which helped inspire them to two successive Stanley Cups (1974 and 1975). Fittingly, the last song she sang in public was that Irving Berlin anthem on a bicentennial special just before July 4, 1976. She died in Raleigh, NC, June 17, 1986.