This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:05] Mark Peikert: Good morning, theater lover, and happy May 29th.

[0:08] Mark Peikert: I'm Mark Peikert, editor-in-chief of Playbill, and you are listening to Today in Theatre History.

[0:15] Mark Peikert: Beatrice Lilly was born in 1894.

[0:18] Mark Peikert: A star on both sides of the Atlantic, the Tony winner came to fame alongside Gertrude Lawrence in reviews of the 1920s.

[0:25] Mark Peikert: With a gift for the absurd, she appeared in everything from High Spirits to Around the World in Eighty Days to Auntie Mame to, in what would be her final film appearance, Thoroughly Modern Millie, where she created the role of Mrs. Mears.

[0:41] Mark Peikert: Exactly three years after its original production closed on Broadway, Oklahoma returned to New York City in 1951.

[0:49] Mark Peikert: The National Tour of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, which visited 114 cities since it started in 1943, opened a limited 100 performance engagement at the Broadway Theater.

[1:30] Mark Peikert: The New York Times reported that Kay Medford, in the role of reporter Melvis Snyder, brings down the house with her performance of the song "Zip."

[1:40] Mark Peikert: For more theater history, visit Playbill.com.

[1:43] Mark Peikert: And for more great podcasts, visit BroadwayPodcastNetwork.com.