The above marquee photo is from the opening night of “Merlin” which “officially” occurred on February 13, 1983.

I say officially because the show had 69 previews before this “official” opening night…which was postponed 3 times by the way. All of this was unheard of at the time. Not least of which was never formally inviting critics to review the show. 

Anyway, all of this is only one part of the fractured and crazy history of “Merlin.” It’s a show that is oddly still remembered today not for its music or acting, but its troubled production history. However, to this day I’ve talked with many people that saw the show originally, and still speak about it in awe. 

So, what does history know?

Special Thanks to John Harrison