No Strings, the first musical with music and lyrics written solely by Richard Rodgers, was Rodgers’ first project after the passing of his longtime collaborator, Oscar Hammerstein II. With a book by Samuel A. Taylor, this 1962 musical comedy twinkled with a Parisian flair when it debuted on Broadway at the 54th Street Theatre on March 15, 1962. In a … Read More
1963 West End
A few months after closing on Broadway, No Strings made its London debut at Her Majesty’s Theatre on December 30, 1963. Restaged and choreographed by Wakefield Poole, the West End production starred Beverly Todd and Art Lund, with Erica Rogers, Geoffrey Hutchings, Hy Hazell, David Holliday, Ferdy Mayne, Marti Stevens and Meg Walter in featured roles. Reviews were mixed, but … Read More
1962 Broadway
After tryouts in Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland and New Haven, No Strings premiered on Broadway at the 54th St. Theatre on March 15, 1962. Directed and choreographed by Joe Layton, the musical starred Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley, with Noëlle Adam, Paul Cambeilh, Don Chastain, Alvin Epstein, Mitchell Gregg, Bernice Massi and Polly Rowles rounding out the cast. The production later … Read More
1964 London Cast
Beverly Todd and Art Lund led the cast in this second recording of Richard Rodgers first solo effort. Hy Hazell and Marti Stevens also received featured billing. Released on Decca records and produced by Hugh Mendl, the monophonic cast recording featured fifteen tracks, including the playout music and the full dialogue spoken during the opening number, “The Sweetest Sounds.”
1962 Broadway Cast
Produced for Capitol Records by Andy Wiswell and Dick Jones, the 1962 Original Broadway Cast Recording of No Strings featured Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley, along with the full cast of the Broadway production. The musicians, playing Ralph Burns’ string-less orchestration, were billed as “Instrumental Characters.” On May 15, 1963, the recording won the Grammy award for Best Original Cast … Read More