The musical opened in
New York at
The Broadway Theatre on 18 March 1963 then transferred to
Majestic Theatre and the
Winter Garden Theatre. It ran for a total of 264 performances.
Billboard reported that the production "having the distinction of being the first musical to open on Broadway without an original cast waxing contract, finally landed a deal when Capitol agreed to record the show last week [late May 1963]." The production was directed by
Peter Glenville and choreographed by
Herbert Ross. The original cast included
Vivien Leigh,
Jean Pierre Aumont,
George S. Irving, Louise Kirtland,
Alexander Scourby and
Louise Troy. Vivien Leigh won the
Tony Award for
Best Actress in a Musical. Leigh left the production on short notice because of illness; understudy
Joan Copeland took over the role October 7, 1963 and she was replaced by
Eva Gabor on October 21, 1963. == Original cast and characters ==