Broadway Musical Chronology

The 1950s

Compiled by John Kenrick

(Copyright 1996-2003)

Times Square as seen in a 1950s postcard.

All dates are for Broadway openings unless otherwise noted.

KEY

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

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1950

• Happy As Harry, 1/6/1950, Coronet, 3
• Alive and Kicking (Revue), 1/17/1950, Winter Garden, 46
• Dance Me a Song (Revue), 1/20/1950, Royale, 35
• Arms and the Girl, 2/2/1950, 46th St., 134
• Consul, The (Opera), 3/15/1950, Ethel Barrymore, 269
• Great To Be Alive!, 3/23/1950, Winter Garden, 52
• Katherine Dunham (Revue), 4/19/1950, Broadway, 37
• Peter Pan (Jean Arthur), 4/24/1950, Imperial, 321
• Tickets, Please! (Revue), 4/27/1950, Coronet, 245
• Brigadoon, 5/2/1950, New York City Center, 24
• Liar, 5/18/1950, Broadhurst, 12
• Carousel (London), 6/7/1950, Drury Lane, 566
• Michael Todd's Peep Show (Revue), 6/28/1950, Winter Garden, 278
• Ace of Clubs (London), 7/7/1950, Cambridge, 211
• Telephone, The/The Medium (R), 7/19/1950, Edison Hotel Arena, 110
• Pardon Our French (Revue), 10/5/1950, Broadway, 100
• Call Me Madam, 10/12/1950, Imperial, 644
• Barrier, 11/2/1950, Broadhurst, 4
• Guys and Dolls, 11/24/1950, 46th St., 1194*
• Let's Make an Opera, 12/13/1950, Golden, 5
• Bless You All (Revue), 12/14/1950, Mark Hellinger, 84
• Colorado (Paris), 12/16/1950, Gaite-Lyric, 11 months
• Pour Don Carlos (Paris), 12/17/1950, Chatelet, 420
• Out of This World, 12/21/1950, New Century, 157

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1951

• Where's Charley? (Return), 1/29/1951, Broadway, 48
• Mikado, The (R), 1/29/1951, St. James, 8
• Trial by Jury/HMS Pinafore, 2/5/1951, St. James, 8
• Jotham Valley, 2/6/1951, 48th Street, 31
• Gondoliers (R), 2/12/1951, St. James, 4
• Iolanthe (R), 2/15/1951, St. James, 4
• Gay's the Word (London), 2/16/1951, Saville, 502
• Razzle Dazzle (Revue), 2/19/1951, Hotel Edison Arena, 8
• Cox and Box/The Pirates of Penzance (R), 2/19/1951, St James, 8
• King and I, The, 3/29/1951, St. James, 1246*
• Make a Wish, 4/18/1951, Winter Garden, 102
• Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A, 4/19/1951, Alvin, 267
• Flahooley, 5/14/1951, Broadhurst, 40
• Oklahoma! (R), 5/29/1951, Broadway, 72
• Courtin' Time, 6/14/1951, National, 37
• Seventeen, 6/21/1951, Broadhurst, 180
• Two on the Aisle (Revue), 7/19/1951, Mark Hellinger, 276
• Bagels and Yox (Revue), 9/12/1951, Holiday, 204
• Borscht Capades (Revue), 9/17/1951, Royale, 90
• Jose Greco (Revue), 10/1/1951, Shubert, 65
• Music in the Air (R), 10/8/1951, Ziegfeld, 56
• Zip Goes a Million (London), 10/20/1951, Palace, 544
• And So To Bed (London), 10/12/1951, New Theatre, 323
• Top Banana, 11/1/1951, Winter Garden, 350
• Paint Your Wagon, 11/12/1951, Shubert, 289
• Le Chanteur De Mexico (Paris), 12/15/1951, Chatelet, 905

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1952

• Pal Joey (R), 1/2/1952, Broadhurst, 540
• Kiss Me, Kate (Return), 1/8/1952, Broadway, 8
• Bet Your Life (London), 2/18/1952, London Hippodrome, 362
• Paris '90, 3/4/1952, Booth, 87
• Call Me Madam, (London), 3/15/1952, Coliseum, 485
• Three Wishes for Jamie, 3/21/1952, Mark Hellinger, 91
• Four Saints in Three Acts (Opera-R), 4/16/1952, Broadway, 15
• Of Thee I Sing (R), 5/5/1952, Ziegfeld, 72
• Shuffle Along, 5/8/1952, Broadway, 4
• New Faces of 1952 (Revue), 5/16/1952, Royale, 365
• Wish You Were Here, 6/25/1952, Imperial, 598
• Love From Judy (London), 9/25/1952, Saville, 594
• Evening with Beatrice Lillie, An (Revue), 10/2/1952, Booth, 275
• Buttrio Square, 10/14/1952, New Century, 7
• Mikado, The (R), 10/20/1952, Mark Hellinger, 8
• Pirates of Penzance, 10/27/1952, Mark Hellinger (Chartock's Co.), 8
• My Darlin' Aida, 10/27/1952, Winter Garden, 89
• Trial by Jury/HMS Pinafore (R), 11/3/1952, Mark Hellinger (Chartock's Co.), 8
• Iolanthe (R), 11/10/1952, Mark Hellinger (Chartock's Co.), 8
• Two's Company (Revue), 12/15/1952, Alvin, 90

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1953

• Jose Greco (Revue), 1/12/1953, New Century, 16
• Danny Kaye (Revue), 1/15/1953, Palace, 128
• Hazel Flagg, 2/11/1953, Mark Hellinger, 190
• Paint Your Wagon (London), 2/11/1953, Her Majesty's, 477
• Maggie, 2/18/1953, National, 5
• Wonderful Town, 2/25/1953, Winter Garden, 559*
• Porgy and Bess (R), 3/10/1953, Ziegfeld, 305
• Boy Friend, The (London), 4/14/1953, Wyndhams, 2,084
• Can-Can, 5/7/1953, Shubert, 892
• Me and Juliet, 5/28/1953, Majestic, 358
• Guys and Dolls (London), 5/28/1953, Coliseum, 555
• Oklahoma! (R), 8/31/1953, New York City Center, 40
• Anna Russell's Little Show (Revue), 9/7/1953, Vanderbilt, 16
• Carnival in Flanders, 9/8/1953, New Century, 6
• At Home with Ethel Waters (Revue), 9/22/1953, 48th Street, 23
• Comedy in Music (Victor Borge), 10/2/1953, Golden, 849
• King and I, The (London), 10/8/1953, Drury Lane, 926
• Wish You Were Here (London), 10/10/1953, Casino, 282
• Kismet, 12/3/1953, Ziegfeld, 583*
• John Murray Anderson's Almanac (Revue), 12/10/1953, Imperial, 227

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1954

• Boy Friend, The (London), 1/14/1954, Wyndham's, 2,084
• Girl in Pink Tights, 3/5/1954, Mark Hellinger, 115
• Threepenny Opera, The (R-Off), 3/10/1954, Theatre de Lys, 96
• Golden Apple, 3/11/1954, Phoenix, 46
• Pal Joey (London), 3/31/1954, 245
• By the Beautiful Sea, 4/8/1954, Majestic, 268
• Golden Apple (Moved to Broadway), 4/20/1954, Alvin, 127
• Show Boat (R), 5/5/1954, New York City Center, 15
• Pajama Game, 5/13/1954, St James, 1061*
• Die Fledermaus (R), 5/19/1954, New York City Center, 15
• Carousel (R), 6/2/1954, New York City Center, 79
• After The Ball (London), 6/10/1954, Globe, 188
• Hayride, 9/13/1954, 48th Street, 24
• Boy Friend, The, 9/30/1954, Royale, 435
• On Your Toes (R), 10/11/1954, 46th Street, 64
• Can-Can (London), 10/14/1954, Coliseum, 394
• I Feel Wonderful (Revue), 10/18/1954, Theatre de Lys, 48
• Peter Pan (Mary Martin), 10/20/1954, Winter Garden, 152
• Fanny, 11/4/1954, Majestic, 388
• Sandhog, 11/23/1954, Phoenix, 48
• Mrs. Patterson, 12/1/1954, National, 102
• Hit the Trail, 12/2/1954, Mark Hellinger, 4
• Saint of Bleecker Street (Opera), 12/27/1954, Broadway, 92
• House of Flowers, 12/30/1954, Alvin, 165

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1955

• Plain and Fancy, 1/27/1955, Mark Hellinger, 461
• Wonderful Town (London), 2/23/1955, Prince's, 207
• Silk Stockings, 2/24/1955, Imperial, 478
• Shoestring Revue (Revue), 2/28/1955, President, 96
• Three for Tonight (Revue), 4/6/1955, Plymouth, 115
• Ankles Aweigh, 4/18/1955, Mark Hellinger, 176
• Guys and Dolls (R), 4/20/1955, New York City Center, 15
• Kismet (London), 4/20/1955, Stoll, 648
• Phoenix '55 (Revue), 4/23/1955, Phoenix, 97
• South Pacific (R), 5/4/1955, New York City Center, 15
• Damn Yankees, 5/5/1955, 46th St. Street, 1019*
• Finian's Rainbow (R), 5/18/1955, New York City Center, 15
• Seventh Heaven, 5/26/1955, ANTA, 44
• Water Gipsies, The (London), 8/31/1955, Winter Garden, 239
• Almost Crazy (Revue), 6/20/1955, Longacre, 16
• Catch a Star! (Revue), 9/6/1955, Plymouth, 23
• Threepenny Opera, The (Off-Return), 9/20/1955, Theatre de Lys, 2611
• Hear! Hear! (Concert), 9/27/1955, Ziegfeld, 38
• Maurice Chevalier (Concert), 9/28/1955, Lyceum, 47
• Yeomen of the Guard (R), 10/3/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 8
• Pirates of Penzance (R), 10/6/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 8
• Mikado (R), 10/10/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 17
• Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure, 10/10/1955, Bijou, 64
• Pajama Game, The (London), 10/13/1955, Coliseum, 588
• Princess Ida (R), 10/13/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 8
• Trial by Jury/HMS Pinafore, 10/17/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 13
• H.M.S. Pinafore/Trial by Jury, 10/17/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 13
• Ruddigore (R), 10/20/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 11
• Iolanthe (R), 10/24/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 10
• Vamp, The, 11/10/1955, Winter Garden, 60
• Katherine Dunham and Her Company (Revue), 11/22/1955, Broadway, 32
• Iolanthe (R), 11/25/1955, Shubert (D'Oyly Carte Co.), 7
• Pipe Dream, 11/30/1955, Shubert, 245
• Mediterranee (Paris), 12/17/1955, Chatelet, 572

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1956

• Plain and Fancy (London), 1/25/1956, Theatre Royal, 315
• My Fair Lady, 3/15/1956, Mark Hellinger, 2717*
• Mr. Wonderful, 3/22/1956, Broadway, 383
• King and I, The (R), 4/18/1956, NY City Center, 23
• Most Happy Fella, 5/3/1956, Imperial, 676
• Kiss Me, Kate (R), 5/9/1956, New York City Center, 23
• Littlest Revue (Revue), 5/22/1956, Phoenix, 32
• Carmen Jones (R), 5/31/1956, New York City Center, 22
• Shangri-La, 6/13/1956, Winter Garden, 21
• By Hex, 6/13/1956, Tempo Playhouse, 40
• New Faces of '56 (Revue), 6/14/1956, Ethel Barrymore, 220
• World's My Oyster, The, 7/31/1956, Actors Playhouse, 40
• Johnny Johnson (R), 10/21/1956, Carnegie Hall Playhouse, 17
• Shoestring '57 (Revue), 11/5/1956, Barbizon-Plaza, 119
• Irma La Douce (Paris), 11/12/1956, Gramont, 2 years+
• Fanny (London), 11/15/1956, Drury Lane, 347
• Li'l Abner, 11/15/1956, St. James, 693
• Cranks (Revue), 11/26/1956, Bijou, 40
• Bells Are Ringing, 11/29/1956, Shubert, 924
• Candide, 12/1/1956, Martin Beck, 73
• Happy Hunting, 12/6/1956, Majestic, 412
• Grab Me a Gondola (London), 12/26/1956, Lyric, 673

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1957

• Ziegfeld Follies (Revue), 3/1/1957, Winter Garden, 123
• Beggar's Opera, The (R), 3/13/1957, NY City Center, 15
• Brigadoon (R), 3/27/1957, NY City Center, 47
• Damn Yankees (London), 3/28/1957, Coliseum, 258
• Merry Widow (R), 4/10/1957, NY City Center, 15
• Shinbone Alley, 4/13/1957, Broadway, 49
• South Pacific (R), 4/24/1957, NY City Center, 23
• Livin' the Life, 4/27/1957, Phoenix, 25
• New Girl in Town, 5/14/1957, 46th St., 431
• Pajama Game (R), 5/15/1957, New York City Center, 23
• Free As Air (London), 6/6/1957, Savoy, 417
• Simply Heavenly, 8/20/1957, Playhouse, 62
• Mask and Gown (Revue), 9/10/1957, Golden, 39
• Carousel (R), 9/11/1957, New York City Center, 24
• West Side Story, 9/26/1957, Winter Garden, 732
• Copper and Brass, 10/17/1957, Martin Beck, 36
• Jamaica, 10/31/1957, Imperial, 555
• Rumple, 11/6/1957, Alvin, 45
• Music Man, The, 12/19/1957, Majestic, 1375*

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1958

• Body Beautiful, The, 1/23/1958, Broadway, 60
• Boy Friend, The (R-Off), 1/25/1958, Downtown, 763
• Oh Captain!, 2/4/1958, Alvin, 192
• Annie Get Your Gun (R), 2/19/1958, New York City Center, 16
• Where's Charley? (London), 2/20/1958, Palace, 404
• Portofino, 2/21/1958, Adelphi, 3
• Wonderful Town (R), 3/5/1958, NY City Center, 16
• Oklahoma! (R), 3/19/1958, NY City Center, 16
• Say, Darling, 4/3/1958, ANTA, 332
• Joyce Grenfell, 4/7/1958, Lyceum, 24
• Next President, 4/9/1958, Bijou, 13
• Medium (R), 4/20/1958, New York City Center, ??
• Express Bongo (London), 4/23/1958, Saville, 316
• My Fair Lady (London), 4/30/1958, Theatre Royal, 2281
• Irma La Douce (London), 7/17/1958, Lyric, 1512
• Jerome Robbins' Ballets: USA, 9/4/1958, Alvin, 44
• Valmouth (London), 10/2/1958, Lyric Hammersmith, 85 (see 1/27/1959)
• Goldilocks, 10/11/1958, Lunt-Fontanne, 161
• Diversions (Revue), 11/7/1958, Downtown, 85
• Salad Days, 11/10/1958, Barbizon-Plaza, 80
• Plume de Ma Tante, La (Revue), 11/11/1958, Royale, 835
• Flower Drum Song, 12/1/1958, St. James, 600
• West Side Story (London), 12/12/1958, Her Majesty's, 1039
• Rose De Noel (Paris), 12/20/1958, Chatelet, 415
• Whoop-Up, 12/22/1958, Shubert, 56
• Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green, A (Revue), 12/23/1958, Golden, 38

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1959

• On the Town (R), 1/15/1959, Carnegie Hall Playhouse, 70
• Fashion, 1/20/1959, Royal Playhouse, 50
• She Shall Have Music, 1/22/1959, Martinique, 54
• Valmouth (London-Moved), 1/27/1959, Saville, 102
• Redhead, 2/5/1959, 46th St., 452*
• Most Happy Fella, The (R), 2/10/1959, New York City Center, 16
• Say, Darling (R), 2/25/1959, New York City Center, 16
• Juno, 3/9/1959, Winter Garden, 16
• Lute Song (R), 3/12/1959, New York City Center, 14
• Ole!, 3/18/1959, Greenwich Mews, 35
• First Impressions, 3/19/1959, Alvin, 92
• Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green, A (Revue-Return), 4/16/1959, Golden, 44
• Destry Rides Again, 4/23/1959, Imperial, 472
• Candide (London), 4/30/1959, Saville, 60
• Once Upon a Mattress, 5/11/1959, Phoenix, 216 (see 11/25/1959)
• Nervous Set, The, 5/12/1959, Henry Miller's, 23
• Chic (Revue), 5/19/1959, Orpheum, 6
• Fallout (Revue), 5/20/1959, Renata, 31
• Gypsy, 5/21/1959, Broadway, 702
• Leave It to Jane (R-Off), 5/25/1959, Sheridan Square Playhouse, 928
• Lock Up Your Daughters (London), 5/28/2959, Mermaid, 330
• Billy Barnes Revue (Revue), 6/9/1959, York Playhouse, 199
• Guys and Dolls (R), 7/21/1959, Theatre in the Park, 14
• Billy Barnes Revue (Revue), 8/4/1959, John Golden, 87
• Carmen Jones (R), 8/17/1959, Theatre in the Park, 7
• Can-Can (R), 8/25/1959, Theatre in the Park, 6
• Lend an Ear (Revue-R), 9/24/1959, Renata, 94
• Happy Town, 10/7/1959, 54th St, 5
• At the Drop of a Hat (Revue), 10/8/1959, John Golden, 215
• Mis-Guided Tour, 10/12/1959, Downtown, 56
• Take Me Along, 10/22/1959, Shubert, 448
• Kosher Widow, 10/31/1959, Anderson, 87
• Girls Against the Boys, The (Revue), 11/2/1959, Alvin, 16
• Sound of Music, The, 11/16/1959, Lunt-Fontanne, 1443*
• Little Mary Sunshine (Off), 11/18/1959, Orpheum, 1143
• Fiorello!, 11/23/1959, Broadhurst, 796*
• Once Upon a Mattress (Moved to Broadway), 11/25/1959, Alvin, 460 total
• Saratoga, 12/7/1959, Winter Garden, 80
• Make Me An Offer (London), 12/16/1959, New Theatre, 267

(*Please Note: Fiorello & The Sound of Music tied for the 1960 Best Musical Tony)