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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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In October of 1947, the first complete Broadway score by Jule Styne (1905 - 1994) appeared in the form of High Button Shoes. Phil Silvers and Nanette Fabray starred. The score yielded "Papa Won't You Dance With Me" and "I Still Get Jealous." Sheree North's debut Broadway performance occurred in Hazel Flagg, which opened in February of 1953. The future film player was a featured dancer in the musical. Jule Styne wrote music for Bob Hilliard's lyrics, Ben Hecht wrote the book. Only one memorable song debuted in this show: "Every Street's A Boulevard In Old New York." Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard (1898 - 1977), opened in New York in October of 1954 after its creation and initial run in California. Jerome Robbins directed; Mark Charlap and Carolyn Leigh, respectively, wrote the California music and lyrics, including two of the shows best songs: "I'm Flying" and "I've Got To Crow." By the time it reached New York, Peter Pan had additional songs with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and music by Jule Styne. This was the first Broadway show for Charlap and Leigh, and it was Ritchard's Broadway debut in a book musical. The producer, Edwin Lester, made musical theatre history when he sold television rights to the show and the second TV performance was videotaped. As a result, American viewers have the first opportunity to see an original Broadway cast perform in a musical years after it closed. Bells Are Ringing premiered on Broadway in November of 1956. Jule Styne wrote the score and Adolph Green and Betty Comden wrote the libretto. The star was Judy Holliday. Three hit songs were introduced in this production: "Just In Time," "It's A Perfect Relationship" and "The Party's Over." Future TV star Hal Linden (Barney Miller) had his Broadway debut as an understudy for Sydney Chaplin. Five days after Bells Are Ringing opened, Linden assumed Chaplin's role. Linden went on to perform in 8 additional musicals, along with other Broadway plays, films and TV shows in his career. Robert Morse made his Broadway musical debut in Say Darling, which opened in April of 1958. Morse had already made a name for himself in movies and television. The piece was based on a book that Richard Bissell had written; Abe Burrows and Marian Bissell helped him adapt it into a musical. Jule Styne wrote the music, while Comden and Green provided lyrics. Though it ran for more than nine months, Say Darling was a financial flop. However, the failure did not hurt Morse's future in musicals. Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents teamed up to create the lyrics and libretto, respectively, for Gypsy, the musical story of Gypsy Rose Lee (1911 - 1970), which opened in May of 1959. Jule Styne wrote the music and Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed. Ethel Merman starred as Gypsy's mother and Jack Klugman, in his Broadway musical debut, played Mama Rose's romantic foil. Several popular songs were introduced in the show, including "Let Me Entertain You," "Small World," "You'll Never Get Away From Me," "Together" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." Gypsy is a perennial favorite among theatre folk. Gypsy Rose Lee was born Rose Louise Hovick. Two years later, her domineering stage mother Rose had another daughter, whom she named Ellen Evangeline Hovick. Ellen, portrayed as "Baby June" in Gypsy, became film star June Havoc. Ellen married a man named Bobby Reed, who was portrayed in Gypsy as the young song-and-dance man "Tulsa." Gypsy Rose Lee had a two-year marriage to actor, director and producer Alexander Kirkland, after which she began a lifelong relationship with Hollywood producer Otto Preminger, by whom she had a son, Erik Lee Preminger. The day after Christmas in 1960, Do Re Mi opened. It offered "Make Someone Happy," a new hit song. Jule Styne wrote the music and Adolph Green and Betty Comden wrote the lyrics. Garson Kanin wrote the book. Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker starred. Funny Girl, based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice, opened in March of 1964 with Barbra Streisand in the title role. The show was a hit and Streisand became a Broadway star. The book was by Isobel Leonnart and Jule Styne wrote the songs. Among them were two hits: "People" and "Don't Rain On My Parade." Funny Girl was nominated for several Tonys, but the competition from Hello, Dolly! was too great. Whether that competition played a role in Streisand's abandonment of the lyric stage for a lucrative career in Hollywood is a topic of debate, if not conjecture. Hallelujah, Baby! opened in April of 1966, providing a Broadway debut vehicle for Leslie Uggams. For her performance, Uggams won a Tony award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1967 and a Theatre World award in 1968. The book was by Arthur Laurents, the music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. No hit songs came from the show. Jule Styne's last Broadway score was for The Red Shoes, which opened in December of 1993 for a five-performance run. By his death in 1994, Styne had been involved in more than 40 Broadway productions and nominated seven times for Tony awards, winning twice. Though his last show was unsuccessful, he left a lasting musical legacy that will be difficult to surpass.
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In October of 1947, the first complete Broadway score by Jule Styne (1905 - 1994) appeared in the form of High Button Shoes. Phil Silvers and Nanette Fabray starred. The score yielded "Papa Won't You Dance With Me" and "I Still Get Jealous."