“As an augury of a Happy New Year, the town has inherited a brilliant production of Pal Joey, which opened at the Broadhurst,” wrote The New York Times theatre critic Brooks Atkinson in his review of Broadway’s first revival of the groundbreaking Rodgers & Hart smash. The production played for 540 performances, almost 200 more than its original production. Starring Vivienne Segal (reprising her role as Vera) and Harold Lang as Joey Evans, with a legendary star turn from Elaine Stritch as Melba, this new production staged by David Alexander solidified Pal Joey’s status as a profound turning point in American musical theatre. As Atkinson said, “Since the days of Oklahoma! the musical stage has grown in awareness and artistry… But it is true that Pal Joey was a pioneer in the moving back of musical frontiers, for it tells an integrated story with a knowing point of view.”