Jerome David Kern was one of the most important theater composers of the
early 20th century. He wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage
works, including “Ol’ Man River”, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, and “The
Way You Look Tonight”.

Robert Preston

After years of development and a change of producers, the original Broadway
production The Music Man opened on Thursday, December 19, 1957 at the
Majestic Theater in New York City. It won five Tony Awards, including Best
Musical, and also won the New York Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. The
show remained at the Majestic for almost three years before transferring to
The Broadway Theater to complete its 1,375-performance run. The production
starred Robert Preston who went on to reprise his role in the 1962 screen
adaptation.

The Majestic Theatre was originally built in 1927

Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990)

Mary Martin was a actress and singer who originated many roles over her
career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific (1949) and Maria in The
Sound of Music (1959). She also was the star in the original 1954 Broadway
musical production Peter Pan. Martin was named a Kennedy Center Honoree
in 1989. She was also the mother of actor Larry Hagman (below).

A young Larry Hagman with his mother Mary Martin.

 

     Robert Gerard Goulet (November 26, 1933 – October 30, 2007) 

Robert Goulet was a Canadian American singer/actor known for his portrayal
of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960. In 1968, Goulet was also
in the Broadway musical production The Happy Time and won a Tony Award
as Best Actor in a Musical. His recording career with Columbia Records began
in 1962 and resulted in more than 40 best selling albums. Goulet died
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, less than a month shy of his 74th
birthday, while awaiting a lung transplant.   

The Beatles’ "Hello Goodbye" was aired on The Ed Sullivan Show
on Sunday, November 26, 1967. It was not shown at the time in
the UK due to a musicians union ban on miming.