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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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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. Wildcat, starring Lucille Ball (1911 - 1989), opened in December of 1960. Ball introduced the hit tune "Hey, Look Me Over." Playwright N. Richard Nash supplied the libretto, Cy Coleman the music and Carolyn Leigh the lyrics. This was Coleman's first complete score for a book musical; he went on to a distinguished career, earning fourteen Tony nominations and winning three for Best Original Score. Neil Simon wrote his first libretto for a book musical when Little Me opened in November of 1962. Ironically, the star of this show was Sid Caesar, Simon's old boss. Caesar had not performed in a musical since Make Mine Manhattan in 1948. He made up for his absence from Broadway musicals by playing no less than seven roles in Little Me. Simon's book was based on a novel by Patrick Dennis, who also played a part in Little Me. The music was by Cy Coleman and lyrics were from Carolyn Leigh. One of their songs became a hit: "I've Got Your Number." Anthony Roberts had his Broadway musical debut in December of 1967 with How Now, Dow Jones, for which he won the Tony award for Best Actor in a Musical. Future film and television star Brenda Vaccaro also debuted and was nominated for a Tony as Best Actress in a Musical. The show also boasts a third musical debut for venerable stage, screen and television actor Barnard Hughes. David Merrick produced the show, but no hit songs resulted. Music was by Elmer Bernstein, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and the book was by Max Shulman. The show was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Gillian Lynne.
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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.