The Muny, or the Municipal Opera Association of St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, is a not-for-profit municipally-owned outdoor theatre, the largest in the United States. The Theater was built and opened in 1917 with 6 performances of Verdi's Aida. It operates solely in the summer, and its first official season ran from June to August 1919. In the beginning, it presented the latest operas of the time, calling on local performers and national celebrities alike to perform for a short run of a one- to, on occasion, three-week run. More recently, however, the Muny has shifted to presenting musicals, some old, some new, and some of the Muny's own creation. Here follows a list of the many shows that the Muny has presented in its summer seasons, with known dates included. To date, the 1919 season is the only one to hold all new productions (being the first season). By contrast, the 1946 and 1993 seasons have been the only summers where no new shows were added to the repertory.

Legend

The superscript notes below denote first productions (premieres), world premieres, in-season concerts, etc. at the Muny. Muny Premiere: MP World Premiere at the Muny: WP Concert Presentation: C Ballet/Dance Event: B Ice Show: I Original Revue: R

1910s

1919 (Season 1)

Featuring mayor Henry Kiel as King Richard

1920s

1920 (Season 2)

1921 (Season 3)

1922 (Season 4)

Kalman's Der Zigeunerprimas. Reinhardt's Die Sprudelfee. Kalman's Zsuzsi kisasszony.

1923 (Season 5)

1924 (Season 6)

1925 (Season 7)

1926 (Season 8)

1927 (Season 9)

1928 (Season 10)

This was the first production of the Verdi opera in a complete season. It had been previously performed in 1917 in the newly built amphitheater for the 13th Annual Convention of the St. Louis Advertising Club.

1929 (Season 11)

1930s

1930 (Season 12)

Production starring W. C. Fields as Captain Andy.

1931 (Season 13)

Film actor Cary Grant, appearing under his real name Archibald Leach, was a repertory performer during the 1931 season before starting his screen career. In addition to The Street Singer, Grant appeared in Music in May, Nina Rosa, The Three Musketeers, A Wonderful Night, Irene and Rio Rita.

1932 (Season 14)

1933 (Season 15)

1934 (Season 16)

1935 (Season 17)

1936 (Season 18)

1937 (Season 19)

1938 (Season 20)

Production starring Red Skelton.

1939 (Season 21)

1940s

1940 (Season 22)

1941 (Season 23)

1942 (Season 24)

1943 (Season 25)

1944 (Season 26)

1945 (Season 27)

1946 (Season 28)

New production for the Muny, using songs from the 1939 MGM film; adapted by Frank Gabrielson.

1947 (Season 29)

Production featuring Marge Champion.

1948 (Season 30)

1949 (Season 31)

1950s

1950 (Season 32)

1951 (Season 33)

1952 (Season 34)

1953 (Season 35)

1954 (Season 36)

1955 (Season 37)

1956 (Season 38)

1957 (Season 39)

Production featuring Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch.

1958 (Season 40)

1959 (Season 41)

1960s

1960 (Season 42)

This was Martyn Green's first public appearance since his accident in 1959 which resulted in the amputation of one of his legs.

1961 (Season 43)

1962 (Season 44)

This was not the 1946 Cole Porter musical as previously identified here, but a musical version of Jules Verne's story with music by Sammy Fain.

1963 (Season 45)

Brooks and Watson were late substitutes for the originally cast Jacqueline James and Arlene Fontana.

1964 (Season 46)

This was one of only two shows to be booked for three weeks at the Muny; Camelot, the next season, being the other. Wynne Miller was a late substitute for the originally cast Barbara Cook.

1965 (Season 47)

1966 (Season 48)

1967 (Season 49)

Special Added Attraction: The Royal Ballet, featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn Regular Season continues: Van Johnson was originally set to star as Dr. Mark Bruckner but dropped out.

1968 (Season 50)

Special Attractions to Celebrate the Muny's 50th Season: The Regular Season continues: Constance Towers was cast as the Merry Widow but dropped out shortly before rehearsals. Featuring 19-year-old Vicki Lawrence as Carrie Pipperidge. The Broadway production closed for a week to transfer to The Muny for this special engagement.

1969 (Season 51)

Reorchestrated as a "rock" musical for a "contemporary" sound.

1970s

1970 (Season 52)

Pre-Season Concerts The Regular Season The Broadway production closed for a week to transfer to The Muny for this special engagement.

1971 (Season 53)

Special Preseason Engagement Regular Season A week of concerts, July 12–18: Regular Season continues The Broadway production closed for a week for this engagement.

1972 (Season 54)

A week of concerts pauses the regular season Regular season continues This was the Broadway production which had closed the week before; the week at the Muny was followed by engagements in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

1973 (Season 55)

Pre-Season Special The Regular Season The Broadway production closed for a week to transfer to the Muny for this special engagement. Pre-Broadway tour.

1974 (Season 56)

The Broadway production closed for a week to transfer to The Muny for this special engagement. Pre-Broadway tour.

1975 (Season 57)

This was the only time in its history the Muny presented a nonmusical play.

1976 (Season 58)

Muny Salutes '76, a series of preseason concerts for the Bicentennial of the United States The Regular Season Pre-Broadway tryout; the show closed before it ever got to Broadway.

1977 (Season 59)

The Broadway production was scheduled to close for one week to transfer to the Muny for this special engagement. As it turned out, the Broadway show closed – after 936 performances – on August 27, the Saturday before the Muny engagement.

1978 (Season 60)

National touring company.

1979 (Season 61)

Don Grady, age 35, played the "12 or 13 years old" Huckleberry Finn.

1980s

1980 (Season 62)

Preseason Special Attraction Regular Season: Presented as a pre-Broadway tryout tour, but it never made it to Broadway.

1981 (Season 63)

Pat Suzuki, 23 years earlier the original Broadway Linda Low, was cast here as Madam Liang. A concert of opera and operetta scenes and arias, including the entire second act of Die Fledermaus.

1982 (Season 64)

A touring production of Hello, Dolly! was originally scheduled to close the season, but was cancelled by James Nederlander. The touring A Chorus Line was substituted, thus being presented for two summers in a row.

1983 (Season 65)

1984 (Season 66)

This was not the Tchaikovsky ballet, but a new stage musical version of the classic fairy tale. The score was a kind of mishmash of various things, including some Tchaikovsky, for instance, his Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker. This was the shortest Muny season since the opening seasons over sixty years earlier, with no dates in June and ending in mid-August. The original intention was to close August with the touring production of My One and Only, to play the Fox Theater instead of The Muny, but the engagement was cancelled.

1985 (Season 67)

1986 (Season 68)

Since 42nd Street closed the previous season and opened this one, it's the only time in Muny history that season ticket holders sat through the same show in consecutive bookings. The MGM movie classic starred Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, all of whom appeared at the Muny in the 1970s. In Franco Zeffirelli's production.

1987 (Season 69)

My One and Only was based on the Gershwin musical Funny Face, which originally starred Fred Astaire on Broadway in 1927 and in a musical movie of the same name in 1957. This Muny presentation opened the day Fred Astaire died ... and it was rained out; a bad day all around. For the second show in a row, the opening night, which was a sellout, was rained out.

1988 (Season 70)

1989 (Season 71)

1990s

1990 (Season 72)

1991 (Season 73)

One of 22 productions, during her lifetime, featuring longtime St. Louis jazz singer Jeanne Trevor.

1992 (Season 74)

1993 (Season 75)

1994 (Season 76)

1995 (Season 77)

Production featuring a concert staging of The Merry Widow.

1996 (Season 78)

Adaptation of the fairy tale by executive producer Paul Blake, utilizing songs by Sammy Cahn.

1997 (Season 79)

World Premiere adaptation of the 1954 film. Production featuring original direction and choreography recreated by Mitzi Hamilton.

1998 (Season 80)

Special 80th Season Revue featuring the Radio City Rockettes.

1999 (Season 81)

Revue written by executive producer Paul Blake compiling the many works of British songwriters such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lionel Bart.

2000s

2000 (Season 82)

Revue written by executive producer Paul Blake compiling the many works of composer Richard Rodgers. World Premiere of the stage adaptation of Irving Berlin's classic film, directed and produced by Paul Blake.

2001 (Season 83)

World Premiere of the stage adaptation of the film, directed and produced by Paul Blake. Revue written by executive producer Paul Blake compiling the many works of songwriters George and Ira Gershwin.

2002 (Season 84)

Production with original direction and choreography recreated by Mitzi Hamilton. Revue written by executive producer Paul Blake compiling songs from numerous films. Production directed by Thommie Walsh and choreographed by Liza Gennaro.

2003 (Season 85)

2004 (Season 86)

2005 (Season 87)

2006 (Season 88)

2007 (Season 89)

2008 (Season 90)

2009 (Season 91)

2010s

2010 (Season 92)

2011 (Season 93)

Instead of the usual Monday-Sunday run, The Little Mermaid ran from Wednesday through Thursday of the following week.

2012 (Season 94)

When Chicago was presented in 1977, it was the Broadway production which had just closed in New York. This production was billed as the "Muny production premiere." Instead of the normal Monday-Sunday run, Aladdin ran from Thursday through Friday of the following week. This was only the third production of the stage version of Aladdin anywhere in the world. A version of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.

2013 (Season 95)

Instead of the usual Monday-Sunday run, Mary Poppins ran from Thursday to Friday of the following week.

2014 (Season 96)

Eight nights, Wednesday through Wednesday. Tuesday through Monday. Nine nights, Thursday through Friday.

2015 (Season 97)

2016 (Season 98)

2017 (Season 99)

2018 (Season 100)

The Regular Season

2019 (Season 101)

2020s

** 2020 (Season 102) ** Cancelled due to COVID-19. It was scheduled to feature Chicago • (June 15–21); Mary Poppins • (June 24 – July 2); Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street • (July 6–12); Smokey Joe's Cafe • (July 14–20); The Sound of Music • (July 23–29); On Your Feet! • (August 1–7); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers • (August 10–16)

2021 (Season 103)

2022 (Season 104)

2023 (Season 105)

2024 (Season 106)

2025 (Season 107)

Sources