The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals
1 / 15In what year did the groundbreaking musical Oklahoma! open on Broadway?
About The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals
Give your memory a workout with The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals: 15 multiple-choice questions aimed at mixed difficulty, free to play right in your browser. Before Hollywood turned them into films, these dazzling stage musicals lit up Broadway with original casts, showstopping songs, and opening nights that changed American theater forever. Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.
A few sample questions
1. In what year did the groundbreaking musical Oklahoma! open on Broadway?
Answer: 1943
Oklahoma! opened at the St. James Theatre on March 31, 1943, and its seamless blending of song, dance, and story is widely regarded as the birth of the modern American musical.
2. Which famous songwriting partnership created both Oklahoma! (1943) and South Pacific (1949)?
Answer: Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) formed one of Broadway's greatest partnerships, together creating Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, and many more beloved musicals.
3. Who played the original Anna Leonowens opposite Yul Brynner in the 1951 Broadway production of The King and I?
Answer: Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence originated the role of Anna Leonowens in The King and I, but sadly died of cancer during the Broadway run in September 1952 — her last performance was just weeks before her passing.
4. Who composed the music for the original 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story?
Answer: Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein composed the thrilling score for West Side Story; Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics, Arthur Laurents wrote the book, and Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed.
5. What was the name of the character Ethel Merman played in the original 1959 Broadway production of Gypsy?
Answer: Mama Rose
Ethel Merman played Mama Rose, the fiercely ambitious stage mother of Gypsy Rose Lee — a role so demanding and powerful it is considered one of the greatest parts ever written for a woman in musical theater.
Things you'll learn along the way
- Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) adapted Shaw's Pygmalion into My Fair Lady, crafting songs like 'I Could Have Danced All Night' and 'On the Street Where You Live.'
- Rex Harrison created the role of the exacting Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical — his witty, half-spoken delivery of songs became the model for the entire show.
- Marvin Hamlisch composed the music for A Chorus Line, with lyrics by Edward Kleban; the show ran an astounding 6,137 performances and held the record as Broadway's longest-running production until 1997.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
Your overall progress — XP, streaks, and badges — is saved in your browser automatically. A quiz that's underway restarts if you leave mid-game, but at about 7 minutes, The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals fits comfortably in one sitting.
How many questions are in The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals?
The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals has 15 multiple-choice questions. Each one has four answer options and an explanation that appears after you answer, so you learn something even when you miss.
Is The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals free to play?
Yes. The entire SeniorBrainGames catalog — including The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals — is free, with no sign-up required, no time limits, and no ads on top of the game. It also works offline once the page has loaded once.
How long does The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals take?
Most players finish The Great White Way: Classic Broadway Stage Musicals in about 7 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
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