Stage Musical Chronology: 1700-1859

Stage Musical Chronology

1700-1859

Compiled by John Kenrick

All shows listed below are book musicals and all dates are for Broadway (NYC) openings, unless otherwise noted. In these years, a musical could bill itself as a burletta, extravaganza, spectacle, operetta, comic or light opera, pantomime or even parlor opera. These classifications were so vague that The Magic Deer (1852) called itself "A Serio Comico Tragico Operatical Historical Extravaganzical Burletical Tale of Enchantment" -- and for all that, it disappeared after 5 performances.

These are only some of the more important or interesting musicals of the 19th Century. Hundreds of short-lived productions were of little historical significance, and we can only guess how many left no historical record behind. Since there was no authorized organization maintaining statistics, some performance totals are approximations. For the most complete listing available, see Richard C. Norton's spectacular three volume set, A Chronology of American Musical Theater. New York: Oxford, 2002.

KEY

Show Title (Genre/City), Opening Date, Theatre, Number of Performances

1700s

Beggar's Opera, The (London), 1/29/1728, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 63
Beggar's Opera, The, 12/3/1750, Nassau Street, 5
Love In a Village (London), 12/8/1762, Theatre Royal, 37
Lionel and Clarissa (London), 2/28/1768, Theatre Royal, 11
Padlock, The (London), 10/2/1768, Theatre Royal, 54
Padlock, The, 5/29/1769, John Street, ??
Waterman, The (London), 8/8/1774, Little Haymarket, ??
May Day in Town, 5/19/1787, John Street, 1
No Song, No Supper (London), 4/16/1790, Theatre Royale, ??
No Song, No Supper (NYC), 2/15/1793, Theatre?, ??
Waterman, The (NYC), 5/22/1793, Theatre?, ??
Needs Must, 12/26/1793, John Street, REP
Tamany, 3/3/1794, John Street, 4
Archers, The, 4/18/1796, John Street, 3
Sicilian Romance, 4/27/1796, John Street, REP
Edwina and Angelina, 12/19/1796, John Street, 1

Early 1800s

Bombastes Furioso, 10/15/1816, Park, ??
Tom & Jerry, 3/3/1823, Park, REP
Long Island Juba, 1/1833, Bowery, ??
Deep, Deep Sea, The, 11/15/1834, Park, REP
Saw Mill, The, 11/29/1834, Chatham Garden, 5
Amilie, 10/13/1833, National, REP
Le Postillon de Longjumeau (Paris), Opera Comique, ??
Postillon! (London), 3/13/1837, St. James's, ??
Strange Gentleman/Roof Scrambler, 12/16/1839, Olympic, REP

1840s

Musquitoe, La, 5/21/1840, Olympic, REP
1940!, 10/15/1840, Olympic, REP
Buy It Dear, Tis Made of Cashmere, 11/12/1840, Olympic, 35
Cat's In the Larder, The, 12/23/1840, Olympic, 27
Naiad Queen, The, 4/21/1841, National, 24
Bohemian Girl, The (London), 11/27/1843, Drury Lane, ??
Bohemian Girl, The, 11/25/1844, Park, 17
Bohea-man's Girl, The, 3/11/1845, Olympic, 20
Enchantress, The, 5/25/1846, Chatham, 12 (approx.)
A Glance At New York in 1848, 2/15/1848, Olympic, 24
Met-A-Mora, 3/8/1848, Park, REP
New York As It Is, 4/17/1848, Chatham, 47
Maritana, 5/4/1848, Bowery, 3

1850

She's Come! Jenny's Come!, 9/2/1850, Burton's, REP

1851

Faustus, 1/13/1851, Broadway, 41
Andalusian, The, 1/15/1851, Lyceum, REP
World's Fair, or Columbia in the Clouds, 2/10/1851, Lyceum, 20
World's Fair, or London in 1851, 2/15/1851, Burton's, REP
Spirit of the Air, 4/7/1851, Lyceum, 13
Vision of The Sun, 4/7/1851, Broadway, 30
Azael the Prodigal, 6/2/1851, Broadway, 19
Azael the Prodigal (R), 7/21/1851, Bowery, 12

1852

Paul Clifford, 1/19/1852, Broadway, 18
Magic Deer, The, 3/18/1852, National, 5
Enchantress, The (R), 5/31/1852, Niblo's Garden, 3
Enchantress, The (R), 8/30/1852, Astor Place, 1
Peri, The, 12/13/1652, Broadway, 12
Basket Maker's Wife, The, 12/17/1852, Niblo's Garden, 3
Bohemian Girl, The (R), 12/22/1852, Bowery, 9

1853

Review, The, 2/1/1853, Wallack's, REP
First Come, First Served, 3/2/1853, Wallack's, 6
Pet of the Petticoats, 3/25/1853, Wallack's, REP
Bohemian Girl, The (R), 7/20/1853, Niblo's Garden, REP
Pepito (Paris), 10/28/1853, Varietes, 1
Shylock: A Jerusalem Hearty Joke, 10/29/1853, Butron's , 4

1854

Faustus (R), 5/29/1854, Broadway, REP
Enchantress, The (R), 7/4/1854, Niblo's Garden, REP
Apollo in New York, 12/11/1854, Burton's, 18
Beggar's Opera, The (R), 12/20/1854, Broadway REP
Monsieur Jacques, 12/21/1854, Burton's, 2
Enchantress, The (R), 12/25/1854, Broadway, REP

1855

Guy Mannering, 1/1/1855, Broadway, REP
Cinderella, 1/15/1855, Broadway, REP
Maritana, 5/25/1855, Niblo's Garden, REP
Bohemian Girl, The (R), 6/2/1855, Niblo's, REP
Daughter of St. Mark, The, 6/18/1855, Niblo's Garden, REP
A Queen of a Day, 7/2/1855, Niblo's Garden, REP
Rip Van Winkle, 9/27/1855, Niblo's Garden, 17
King Charming, 12/24/1855, Broadway 18
Po-Co-Hon-Tas, 12/24/1855, Wallack's Lyceum, REP
Ba-Ta-Clan (Paris) 12/29/1855, Bouffes-fes-Parisiens, REP

1856

Novelty, 2/22/1856, Laura Keene's, REP
La Rose de Saint-Flour (Paris), 6/12/1856, Bouffes-Parisiens, REP
Life in New Tork, 8/18/1856, Bowery, 12
Met-A-Mor-A (R), 9/15/1856, Bowery, 6
Hiawatha, 12/25/1856, Lyceum, 24

1857

Young Bacchus, 1/5/1857, Laura Keene's, REP
Croquefer (Paris), 2/12/1857, Bouffes-Parisiens, REP
Elves, The, 3/16/1857, Laura Keene's, 50
Variety, 5/11/1857, Laura Keene's, 48
Olympiana, 7/13/1857, Olympic, 21
Shylock, 7/27/1857, Wallack's, 14
King of Coney Island, 7/31/1857, Olympic, 2
Corsair, The/The Loan of a Lover, 8/10/1857, Wallack's, 4
Le Mariage Aux Lanternes (Paris), 10/10/1857, Bouffes-Parisiens, REP
Columbus El Filibustero!, 12/30/1857, Burton's, REP

1858

Mesdames de la Halle (Paris), 3/3/1858, Bouffes-Parisiens, ??
Dalilah, 6/22/1858, Wallack's, 1
Deaux Aveugeles, Les, 8/26/1858, REP
Bohemian Girl, The (R), 10/6/1858, Burton's, 4
Orphee Aux Enfers (Paris), 10/21/1858, 228
Medea, 12/4/1858, Bowery, 1

1859

Rob Roy, 6/9/1859, Niblo's Garden, 14
Waterman, The, 6/1/1859, Niblo's Garden, 2
Bohemian Girl, The (R), 6/6/1859, Niblo's Garden, 2
Beggar's Opera, The (R), 6/9/1859, Niblo's Garden, 2
Cinderella, 6/15/1859, Laura Keene's, 11
Masaniello, 6/27/1859, Laura Keene's, 12
Invisible Prince, The (R), 7/11/1859, Laura Keene's, 3
Lalla Rookh, 7/18/1859, Wallack's, 30
Going It Blind, 10/31/1859, Wallack's, 9
Loves Labor Lost, 11/8/1859, Wallack's, 9
Love Is Blind/Never Too Late To Mend, 11/17/1859, New Opera House, REP
Nothing Venture, Nothing Have, 12/2/1859, New Opera House, REP
There's a Silver Lining to Every Cloud, 12/5/1859, New Opera House, REP

Go to: 1860s

(P)	Pantomime
(R)	Revival
(London)	London Production
(City)	Other Non-US productions
REP	Repertory company - exact performance total unknown
??	Number of performances unknown