Musicals101 Historic Calendar
April
Compiled by John Kenrick
(Revised 2010)
April 1
- British actress/singer Cicely Courtneidge born (1893)
- Actor/singer Art Lund born (1915)
- Actress/singer Jane Powell born (1929)
- Actress/singer Debbie Reynolds (1932)
- The Shuberts' Ziegfeld Follies of 1943 opened on Broadway (1943)
April 2
- Actor/singer/dancer Jack Buchanan born (1891)
- Actor/singer/dancer Buddy Ebsen born (1908)
- Revival of The Mikado opened on Broadway (1987)
April 3
- Costume designer Lucinda Ballard born (1906)
- Composer Sherman Edwards born (1919)
- Actress/singer Doris Day born (1922)
- Actress/singer Myoshi Umeki born (1929)
- Barefoot Boy With Cheek opened on Broadway (1947)
- Say Darling opened on Broadway (1958)
- The Happiest Girl in The World starring Cyril Ritchard opened on Broadway (1961)
- Cry For Us All opened on Broadway (1970)
- Revue Dream opened on Broadway (1997)
- South Pacific revived (1st time) on Broadway (2008)
April 4
- The New Moon opened in London (1929)
- Rodgers & Hart's Higher and Higher opened on Broadway (1940)
- Actor/singer Walter Charles born (1945)
- Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle opened on Broadway (1964)
- The Education of H*Y*M*A*N*K*A*P*L*A*N opened on Broadway (1968)
- Sondheim's Follies opened on Broadway (1971)
- Sondheim's Assassins opened on Broadway (2004)
April 5
- Lyricist/librettists Basil Hood born (1864)
- Actress Bette Davis born (1908)
- Record producer Goddard Lieberson born (1911)
- Actor/singer Christopher Hewitt born (1922)
- Actor/singer Frank Gorshin born (1933)
- The Human Comedy opened on Broadway (1984)
- Revival of Sondheim's Follies opened on Broadway (2001)
- The Pirate Queen opened on Broadway (2007)
April 6
- Actor/singer Walter Huston born (1884)
- Ahrens & Flaherty's Once On This Island opened Off-Broadway (1990)
April 7
- Actress/dancer Irene Castle born (1893)
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific opened on Broadway (1949)
- High Spirits starring Bea Lillie opened on Broadway (1964)
- Rock of Ages moved to Broadway (2009)
- Anything Goes revived (2nd time) on Broadway (2011)
April 8
- The Archers premiered in NYC -- arguably the first American musical (1796)
- Lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg born (1896)
- Skater/actress/producer Sonja Henie born (1912)
- Jerome Kern's Sitting Pretty opened on Broadway (1924)
- Lyricist Fred Ebb born (1932)
- Director/choreographer/dancer Michael Bennett born (1943)
- Follow The Girls opened on Broadway (1944)
- By The Beautiful Sea opened on Broadway (1954)
- Lerner & Lane's Carmelina opened on Broadway (1979)
- Leader of the Pack opened on Broadway (1985)
- Webber's Aspects of Love opened on Broadway (1990)
- Five Guys Named Moe opened on Broadway (1992)
- The Addams Family opened on Broadway (2010)
April 9
- Actor/singer Paul Robeson born (1898)
- Sugar opened on Broadway (1972)
April 10
- British librettist Owen Hall born (1853)
- Actress/singer Edith Day born (1896)
- George M! opened on Broadway (1968)
- Bob Fosse's Big Deal opened on Broadway (1986)
- Revival of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened on Broadway (1995)
- Revival of Nine opened on Broadway (2003)
- Catch Me If You Can opened on Broadway (2011)
April 11
- Actor/singer Richard Halliday born (1893)
- Actor/singer Joel Grey born (1932)
- Rodgers & Hart's On Your Toes opened on Broadway (1936)
- Illya Darling opened on Broadway (1967)
- Miss Saigon opened on Broadway (1991)
- The King and I revived (2nd time) on Broadway (1996)
- Million Dollar Quartet opened on Broadway (2010)
April 12
- The Belle of New York opened in London (1898)
- British actress/singer Muriel Barron born (1906)
- Actress/singer/dancer Ann Miller born (1919)
- Actress/singer Pat Stanley born (1931)
- Actor/singer David Cassidy born (1950)
- Revival of Bells Are Ringing opened on Broadway (2001)
April 13
- British actress/singer Ellaline Terriss born (1871)
- Librettist Jerome Weidman born (1913)
- Actor/singer Howard Keel born (1917)
- Film director Stanley Donen born (1924)
- Brecht & Weill's The Threepenny Opera opened on Broadway (1933)
- Bob Merrill's Carnival opened on Broadway (1961)
- Actress/singer Liz Callaway born (1961)
- Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand opened in London (1966)
- Cy Coleman's Welcome to the Club opened on Broadway (1989)
- La Chiusa's The Wild Party opened on Broadway (2000)
- A Year With Frog and Toad opened on Broadway (2003)
April 14
- Rodgers & Hart's Babes In Arms opened on Broadway (1937)
- Brigadoon opened in London (1949)
- Strouse & Adams' Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway (1960)
- Revival of The Boy Friend opened on Broadway (1970)
- Revival of Take Me Along opened on Broadway (1985)
- Mail opened on Broadway (1988)
- Revival of Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway (1992)
April 15
- Sophie opened on Broadway (1963)
- Hit revival of Boys From Syracuse opened Off-Broadway (1963)
- Kander & Ebb's 70 Girls, 70 opened on Broadway (1971)
- A Chorus Line opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre (1975)
- A Little Night Music opened in London (1975)
- Next to Normal moved to Broadway (2009
April 16
- Composer/lyricist Henry Mancini born (1924)
- Actress/singer Edith Adams born (1927)
- Producer Robert Stigwood born (1934)
- Sammy Cahn's Words and Music opened on Broadway (1974)
- Copperfield starring George S. Irving opened on Broadway (1981)
- Grind starring Ben Vereen opened on Broadway (1985)
- Metro opened on Broadway (1992
- Revival of Jesus Christ Superstar opened on Broadway (2000)
April 17
- Actress/singer Marta Eggerth born (1912)
- Musical version of Cafe Crown opened on Broadway (1964)
- Coleman & Stewart's I Love My Wife opened on Broadway (1977)
- Tommy Tune's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opened Off-Broadway (1978)
- Tintypes opened Off-Broadway (1980)
- Blast opened on Broadway (2001)
- A Catered Affair opened on Broadway (2008)
- Wonderland opened on Broadway (2011)
April 18
- Composer Franz Von Suppe born (1819)
- Director Peter Coe born (1929)
- Actor/singer Clive Revill born (1930)
- Harold Rome's revue Call Me Mister opened on Broadway (1946)
- Make A Wish opened on Broadway (1951)
- Ankles Aweigh opened on Broadway (1955)
- Side By Side By Sondheim opened on Broadway (1977)
- Five Guys Named Mo opened on Broadway (1992)
- Ain't Broadway Grand opened on Broadway (1993)
- Ashman, Rice & Menken's Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway (1994)
- Sondheim's Forum revived (2nd time) on Broadway starring Nathan Lane (1996)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie opened on Broadway (2002)
- A Light in the Piazza opened on Broadway (2005)
- La Cage Aux Folles revived (2nd time) on Broadway (2010)
April 19
- Actress/singer Vivienne Segal born (1897)
- Actress/singer Constance Carpenter born (1904)
- Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel opened on Broadway (1945)
- Actor/singer Tim Curry born (1946)
- Musical version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn opened on Broadway (1951)
- Actress/singer Betsy Joslyn born (1954)
- Hot Spot starring Judy Holliday opened on Broadway (1963)
- Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope opened on Broadway (1972)
- Mel Brooks' The Producers opened on Broadway (2001)
April 20
- John Phillip Sousa's El Capitan opened on Broadway (1896)
- George M. Cohan's The Yankee Prince opened on Broadway (1908)
- Four Saints in Three Acts opened on Broadway (1934)
- Allah Be Praised opened on Broadway (1944)
- The Golden Apple opened on Broadway (1954)
- From A to Z opened on Broadway (1960)
- The Threepenny Opera revived (3rd time) on Broadway (2006
- American Idiot opened on Broadway (2010)
- Sister Act opened on Broadway (2011)
April 21
- Actor/comic David Montgomery born (1870)
- Producer Harry Rigby born (1925)
- Actress/singer Patti Lupone born (1949)
- The Most Happy Fella opened in London (1960)
- Actor/singer/librettist John Cameron Mitchell born (1963)
- Strouse & Charnin's Annie opened on Broadway (1977)
April 22
- British actor/singer Hayden Coffin born (1862)
- Actor/singer Martyn Green born (1899)
- Actor/singer Eddie Albert born (1908)
- Actress/singer Charlotte Rae born (1926)
- The Who's Tommy opened on Broadway (1983)
- Frank Wildhorn's The Civil War opened on Broadway (1999)
- Glory Days opened on Broadway (2008)
- Sondheim on Sondheim opened on Broadway (2010)
April 23
- Playwright William Shakespeare's supposed birthday (1564?)
- Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience opened in London (1881)
- Actress/singer Shirley Temple born (1928)
- Harold Rome's Destry Rides Again opened on Broadway (1959)
- Bock & Harnick's She Loves Me opened on Broadway (1963)
- I'm Solomon opened on Broadway (1968
- Yeston & Stone's Titanic opened on Broadway (1997)
- 9 to 5 opened on Broadway (2009)
April 24
- Actress/singer Blanche Ring born (1877)
- Choreographer Helen Tamiris born (1905)
- Actress/singer/dancer Shirley MacLaine born (1934)
- Singer/actress Barbra Streisand born (1942)
- Bernstein's Peter Pan starring Jean Arthur opened on Broadway (1950)
- Man of La Mancha opened in London (1968)
- Revival of Show Boat starring Donald O'Connor opened on Broadway (1983)
- Revival of Man of La Mancha starring Raul Julia opened on Broadway (1992)
- Kander & Ebb's short-lived Steel Pier opened on Broadway (1997)
April 25
- Vincent Youmans' Hit The Deck opened on Broadway (1927)
- Half a Sixpence starring Tommy Steele opened on Broadway (1965)
- Rodgers & Harnick's Rex opened on Broadway (1976)
- Big River opened on Broadway (1985)
- The Secret Garden opened on Broadway (1991)
- Blood Brothers opened on Broadway (1993)
- Bring In Da' Noise, Bring in Da' Funk moved to Broadway (1996)
- Lestat opened on Broadway (2006)
- Revival of Promises, Promises opened on Broadway (2005)
April 26
- The Passing Show of 1917 opened on Broadway (1917)
- Actor/singer Russell Nype born (1924)
- Dancer/actress Bambi Lynn born (1926)
- Rodgers & Hart's Present Arms opened on Broadway (1928)
- Actress/singer Carol Burnett born (1933)
- Hallelujah Baby opened on Broadway (1967)
- Revival of Oliver opened in London (1967)
- Sondheim's Company opened on Broadway (1970
- Jelly's Last Jam starring Gregory Hines opened on Broadway (1992)
- The Life opened on Broadway (1997)
- It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues opened on Broadway (1999)
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer opened on Broadway (2001)
April 27
- George M. Cohan's Running for Office opened on Broadway (1903)
- Choreographer Jack Cole born (1914)
- The revue Tickets Please! opened on Broadway (1950)
- Revival of West Side Story opened on Broadway (1960)
- So Long 174th Street opened on Broadway (1976)
- Happy New Year opened on Broadway (1980)
- Revival of Sweet Charity starring Debbie Allen opened on Broadway (1986)
- Starmites opened on Broadway (1989)
- High Society opened on Broadway (1998)
- Revival of The Music Man opened on Broadway (2000)
- The Wedding Singer opened on Broadway (2006)
April 28
- The Arcadians opened in London (1909)
- Actress/singer/dancer Emily Yancy born (1939
- Christine starring Maureen O'Hara opened on Broadway (1960)
- Chess opened on Broadway (1988)
- Revival of Gypsy starring Tyne Daly opened on Broadway (1990
- Maltby & Shire's Big opened on Broadway (1996)
- Wildhorn & Bricusse's Jekyll and Hyde opened on Broadway (1997)
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened on Broadway (2005)
April 29
- Composer Carl Millocker born (1842
- Actress/singer Celeste Holm born (1919)
- French actress/singer/dancer Zizi Jeanmaire born (1924
- Hair moved to Broadway (1968)
- Oliver revived (1st time) on Broadway (1984)
- A Change In the Heir opened on Broadway (1990)
- William Finn's two-act Falsettoes opened on Broadway (1992)
- Rent moved to Broadway (1996)
- Revival of Candide starring Jim Dale opened on Broadway (1997)
- Bombay Dreams opened on Broadway (2004)
- Legally Blonde opened on Broadway (2007)
April 30
- Singer/actress Hortense Schneider born (1833)
- Composer Franz Lehar born (1870)
- Actress/singer Eve Arden born (1907)
- Lyricist Sheldon Harnick born (1924)
- The Little Show opened on Broadway (1929)
- Inside U.S.A. starring Bea Lillie and Jack Haley opened on Broadway (1948)
- Actor/singer/playwright Craig Lucas born (1951)
- My Fair Lady opened in London (1958)
- Barnum starring Jim Dale opened on Broadway (1980)
- Revival of Can Can opened on Broadway (1981)
- Into the Woods revived (1st time) on Broadway (2002)
- Hot Feet opened on Broadway (2006