MUSICAL THEATRE ARCHIVES
Here is some musical theatre trivia about events that happened during THIS month in the past:
November 18, 1909 Four-time Oscar winner and lyricist for L’il Abner, St. Louis Woman, and Top Banana, Johnny Mercer, was born today. Mercer teamed with some of Hollywood’s top composers, including Harold Arlen, Henry Mancini, Harry Warren, Jimmy McHugh, Jerome Kern, and Marvin Hamlisch, among others.
November 7, 1946 Eartha Kitt made her Broadway debut in 1946 in the revue Bal Negre.
November 10, 1949 Anne Reinking, muse of Bob Fosse, star of Over Here!, Dancin’, and Chicago (see below), was born today.
November 22, 1965 Man of La Mancha began its original 6-year Broadway run today.
November 16, 1968 Zorba, by Kander and Ebb, which reunited Fiddler on the Roof vets Herschel Bernardi and Maria Karnilova, opened on Broadway today.
November 19, 1973 Savion Glover, the youngest person to win Best Choreographer Tony Award for his work on Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk, was born today. Glover also appeared in The Tap Dance Kid, Jelly’s Last Jam, and the film Tap.
November 5, 1987 Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s adaptation of familiar folk tales, Into the Woods, opened today on Broadway.
November 6, 1989 Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever, a revue compilation of some two dozen of their “trunk” songs from the past 30 years, opened Off-Broadway today.
November 12, 1989 Grand Hotel: The Musical, with a score by Maury Yeston, Robert Wright, and George Forrest and directed by Tommy Tune, opened on Broadway today.
November 14, 1996 Twenty years after it originally played on Broadway, Chicago opened in an incredibly successful revival production which preserved Bob Fosse’s style and vision for the original, but jettisoned the sets, the costumes, and any sense of period. Walter Bobbie (director) and Anne Reinking (choreographer; she also starred in the revival production, having also been a replacement for Gwen Verdon in the original production) won their first Tony for the show.
November 7, 1946 Eartha Kitt made her Broadway debut in 1946 in the revue Bal Negre.
November 10, 1949 Anne Reinking, muse of Bob Fosse, star of Over Here!, Dancin’, and Chicago (see below), was born today.
November 22, 1965 Man of La Mancha began its original 6-year Broadway run today.
November 16, 1968 Zorba, by Kander and Ebb, which reunited Fiddler on the Roof vets Herschel Bernardi and Maria Karnilova, opened on Broadway today.
November 19, 1973 Savion Glover, the youngest person to win Best Choreographer Tony Award for his work on Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk, was born today. Glover also appeared in The Tap Dance Kid, Jelly’s Last Jam, and the film Tap.
November 5, 1987 Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s adaptation of familiar folk tales, Into the Woods, opened today on Broadway.
November 6, 1989 Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever, a revue compilation of some two dozen of their “trunk” songs from the past 30 years, opened Off-Broadway today.
November 12, 1989 Grand Hotel: The Musical, with a score by Maury Yeston, Robert Wright, and George Forrest and directed by Tommy Tune, opened on Broadway today.
November 14, 1996 Twenty years after it originally played on Broadway, Chicago opened in an incredibly successful revival production which preserved Bob Fosse’s style and vision for the original, but jettisoned the sets, the costumes, and any sense of period. Walter Bobbie (director) and Anne Reinking (choreographer; she also starred in the revival production, having also been a replacement for Gwen Verdon in the original production) won their first Tony for the show.
Players Cigarettes from the H.M.S Pinafore production – date uncertain. From the New York Public Library collections.
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