June 3, 1931 The Bandwagon opens

[inception]

Posted: 6/3/24 at 6:52pm

June 3, 1931 the original production of Band Wagon opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre starring Fred & Adele Astaire. According to Wikipedia, "This was the first New York production to use the double revolving stage for the songs and sketches."  It was also the last time the brother and sister team appeared together after a 27 year partnership.  Adele retired from the stage in 1932 to marry Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish.

After his death in March 1944, some claim that Adele received an offer from Irving Berlin to return to the stage in Annie Get Your Gun. Other sources claim that Dorothy Fields first offered the role of Annie to Mary Martin, who turned it down, and next to Ethel Merman, even before Irving Berlin was involved.

Few alive today would have seen Adele Astaire on stage.  One wonders what might have been had she not chosen to leave her performing career?