Emerson Colonial Theatre Official Blog
Brigadoon
On February 10, 1947, the pre-Broadway tryout of BRIGADOON opened at the Colonial. The production also made stops at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven and the Forrest Theater in Philadelphia.
This production’s music was composed by Frederick Loewe with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Lerner and Loewe, a duo whose other credits include MY FAIR LADY and CAMELOT, were inspired by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals OKLAHOMA! and CAROUSEL, both of which also had a pre-Broadway run at the Colonial.
The plot of the musical features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years. The most famous song from the musical - "Almost Like Being in Love" - has gone on to become a standard.
The production was choreographed by Agnes de Mille and starred David Brooks as Tommy Albright, James Mitchell as Harry Beaton, Marion Bell as Fiona MacLaren, and Virginia Bosler as Jean MacLaren.
BRIGADOON later opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre on March 13, 1947, and ran through July 31, 1948 for a total of 581 performances and has gone on to receive many subsequent revivals. The 1954 film adaptation starred Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, while the 1966 television version starred Robert Goulet, Sally Ann Howes, and Peter Falk.
Photo 1: A Colonial poster for Brigadoon, signed by Marion Bell
Photo 2: A Colonial advertisement for Brigadoon; A photo of the Original Cast, courtesy of the NYPL for the Performing Arts
Photo 3: Photos of the Original Cast, courtesy of the NYPL for the Performing Arts