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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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The first Broadway musical to be set in Israel opened in October of 1961: Milk and Honey. The show boasted the first complete Broadway score by Jerry Herman. Prior to this production, Herman had composed scores for three Off-Broadway musicals and songs for Broadway revues. The show introduced one song, called "Shalom," that became a hit. In January of 1964 Hello, Dolly! opened on Broadway. It was a smash hit and ran for a new record 2,844 performances, winning the New York Drama Critics Circle award and Tony award for Best Musical. The title song from the show was a hit and two others were very popular: "Before The Parade Passes By" and "It Only Takes A Moment." Jerry Herman wrote the songs, Michael Stewart the book. David Merrick produced the show and Gower Champion directed. The original production won ten Tony awards; Carol Channing originated the title role. In May of 1966, Mame first saw the Broadway boards, starring Angela Lansbury in the title role. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee adapted the libretto from their stage play and Jerry Herman wrote the songs. In addition to the title tune, other songs became popular, if not all-out hits: "My Best Girl," "Open A New Window," "We Need A Little Christmas" and "If He Walked Into My Life." Beatrice Arthur appeared as Mame's bosom buddy Vera Charles. The fictional Mame was originally created by a man who had a penchant for creating witty characters who would eventually appear in musical comedies. The story for Mame was based on a novel by Patrick Dennis that was a straight play (Auntie Mame) before it became a musical. Dennis also wrote a novel on which Neil Simon based his libretto for Little Me. Born Edward Everett Tanner III, he took Patrick Dennis as his pen name and wrote his way to fame and fortune. After some stressful times and a stint in a santorium, Dennis re-invented himself in his fifties and became a butler! He called himself Edwards and was hired by no less than Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's. La Cage aux Folles opened in August of 1983, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein; this was Fierstein's Broadway musical debut. The topic was not your golden-age musical comedy fare: a relationship between two homosexuals preparing for the wedding of an offspring resulting from an earlier heterosexual relationship. Television star Gene Barry returned to Broadway after a 20-year absence to play opposite George Hearn. Both were nominated for Best Actor in a Musical; Hearn won. La Cage aux Folles was also named best Broadway musical by the Outer Critics Circle. The show ran for well over four years and won six Tony awards, including Best Musical.
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The first Broadway musical to be set in Israel opened in October of 1961: Milk and Honey. The show boasted the first complete Broadway score by Jerry Herman. Prior to this production, Herman had composed scores for three Off-Broadway musicals and songs for Broadway revues. The show introduced one song, called "Shalom," that became a hit.