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Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here - 1952 Broadway History , Info & More

Imperial Theatre (Broadway)
249 West 45th St. New York, NY

Based on the play Having Wonderful Time by Arthur Kober


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OLIVER! Star Shani Wallis Releases Retrospective Collection of Early Recordings
by Josh Sharpe - May 1, 2026


A new collection of recordings is now available from Shani Wallis, who starred as Nancy in the 1968 film adaptation of Oliver! The new release is the first retrospective CD spotlighting the early recordings of the performer.

Video: 92-Year-Old Shani Wallis Rehearses For BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT Appearance
by Stephi Wild - Mar 20, 2026


Shani Wallis, who starred as Nancy in the 1968 film adaptation of Oliver!, recently went viral when she performed the musical number 'As Long as He Needs Me' on Britain's Got Talent.  Watch her rehearsal video here!

Video: Watch OLIVER! Star Shani Wallis Perform 'As Long As He Needs Me' at 92
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 11, 2026


After 70 years, Shani Wallis, who starred as Nancy in the 1968 film adaptation of Oliver!, returned to the stage at Blackpool's Winter Gardens for a performance of the musical number 'As Long as He Needs Me' for Britain's Got Talent. Watch as the 92-year-old impresses the judges with the performance.

Glasgow Film Festival 2026 Announces Full Programme
by Natalie O'Donoghue - Jan 21, 2026


The festival runs from 25 February to 8 March in Glasgow.

PRINCE OF EGYPT Is Now Available for Licensing
by Nicole Rosky - Nov 7, 2024


The Prince of Egypt is a sweeping epic of a musical with music and lyrics by Grammy and Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Philip LaZebnik, and 10 new songs written by Schwartz, together with five of his songs from the film.

Buck Creek Playhouse to Present BETWEEN THE LINES Next Month
by Blair Ingenthron - Jul 28, 2024


Buck Creek Players will kick off their 51st season with a young adult musical on the mainstage. The 6 live in-person performances at the playhouse starting Friday, August 16th and running through Sunday, August 25th.

Undermain Theatre Announces EXIT THE KING And More for 2024-2025 Season
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 30, 2024


UNDERMAIN has announced its 41st 2024/2025 Season The Season of Identity.

Music Theatre International Acquires THE PRINCE OF EGYPT Musical For Licensing
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 4, 2023


Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International has announced the acquisition of DreamWorks Theatricals' The Prince of Egypt.

Santino Fontana & Judy Kuhn to Star in I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE at Classic Stage Company
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 22, 2023


Classic Stage Company has announced complete programming for their 2023-2024 Season. See what shows are in the lineup, who is starring, how to purchase tickets, and more!

Review: GIANNI SCHICCHI at Norwood Ballroom
by Barry Lenny - Sep 18, 2022


This was a wonderful performance.

BWW Exclusive: Jennifer Ashley Tepper's THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 4- Spotlight on The Imperial Theatre
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Feb 17, 2021


On Tuesday, March 9, Dress Circle Publishing will release of THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 4, the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Can't wait to get your hands on it? Let BroadwayWorld hold you over with a special sneak peek from a chapter all about The Imperial Theatre.

BWW Exclusive: THE 101 GREATEST MOVIE SCENES of All Time - from CITIZEN KANE to PINK FLAMINGOS, from THE SOUND OF MUSIC to PARASITE
by Peter Nason - May 26, 2020


BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest scenes in cinema from 1901 to 2020. See if your favorite movie moments made the list!

The 101 Greatest Musical Theatre Characters (1940-2020)
by Peter Nason - Apr 30, 2020


BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best musical theatre characters from 1940-2020; see if your favorites are on our list of the best characters from Broadway musicals.

BWW Exclusive: The 101 GREATEST PLAYS of the Past 100 Years (1920-2020)
by Peter Nason - Apr 7, 2020


BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the greatest theatrical works (non-musical) from 1920-2020; see if your favorites made the list!

BWW Exclusive: The 101 Greatest MOVIE MUSICALS of All Time
by Peter Nason - Mar 30, 2020


BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

The 101 Greatest Showtunes from 1920-2020
by Peter Nason - Mar 19, 2020


How do we make a list of the 101 greatest show tunes from the past 100 years? Well, we did the near-impossible task.  Check out our full list here! 

BWW Review: Tony Award Winner Lillias White Makes Divalicious Return to OC's Segerstrom Center
by Michael Quintos - Jan 26, 2020


During the opening night performance of her fun return engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Cabaret Series at the Samueli Theatre, Tony Award winner Lillias White felt strongly about putting on a a?oehappy show,a?? as a way to combat all the sadness and fear that have overtaken our world. Joined on stage by her talenteda?"and gleefully playfula?"artistic director/accompanist Abdul Amid, Ms. White definitely accomplished her goal of making us smilea?? while also gifting us with a heaping portion of exactly why she has remained one of musical theater's most treasured voices. Ms. White's show continued for two additional shows on January 24-25, 2020.

Broadway Theatres to Dim Lights for Phyllis Newman Friday, 9/27
by Julie Musbach - Sep 26, 2019


The Broadway community mourns the loss of beloved performer, lyricist and women's healthcare advocate Phyllis Newman, who passed away on September 15, 2019 at age 86. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of the American Airlines, Broadhurst, Helen Hayes, Lunt-Fontanne, Lyric, New Amsterdam, Samuel J. Friedman, St. James, and Vivian Beaumont Theatres in New York for one minute on Friday, September 27 at exactly 7:45pm. 

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN SINGS HIS GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK PERFORMS LIVE IN BALTIMORE
by Charles Shubow - Apr 11, 2019


Feinstein is superb in concert at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Owings Mills, MD.

Throwing Out My CDs by Ben Rimalower: EVITA
by Ben Rimalower - Feb 22, 2019


Woof. This week is the biggest decluttering task I've attempted yet-throwing out my Evita CDs. I got 99 problems and Evita CDs are all of them. And that's not including the vinyl and the bootlegs on audio cassette. And the strange flash drives people handed me in dark bars muttering something about Elaine Paige and 'A New Argentina.'

2019 Minty Awards Gala Honorees Edward Morand, Comedian Richie Byrne And Wagner College's Richard And Carin Guarasci
by Stephi Wild - Oct 25, 2018


The Minty Organization for the Performing Arts, the non-profit which oversees The Minty Awards, has announced honorees for the 6th Minty Awards Dinner Gala to be held Thursday, January 17 at 7:00pm at Nicotra's Ballroom, The Hilton Garden Inn.

Exclusive Podcast: Go 'Behind the Curtain' with Two-Time Tony Winner Helen Gallagher
by Behind the Curtain - May 14, 2018


You can dance with any girl at all but why would you when the lovely Helen Gallagher is right here and ready to look back on her amazing journey which includes the original productions of Billion Dollar Baby, Brigadoon, High Button Shoes, the 1952 Pal Joey (for which she won a Tony Award), Make a Wish, Hazel Flagg, The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, and the 1971 No, No, Nanette for which she won her second Tony Award.

BWW Interview: Amy Poeppel, author of LIMELIGHT and SMALL ADMISSIONS
by Bonnie Lynn Wagner - May 3, 2018


This week, Amy Poeppel's sophomore novel, LIMELIGHT, released. Her debut novel was SMALL ADMISSIONS. LIMELIGHT is the perfect novel for Broadway lovers, going behind the scenes of an up-and-coming show.  Today, BroadwayWorld is sitting down with Amy to pepper her with questions regarding her new novel.

triangle productions Addresses TRANS-FORMATION Controversy
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 29, 2018


In recent days triangle productions has been receiving push back for the upcoming production TRANS-formation, due to the casting of a male in the lead.

Tony Winning Actress Sheila Bond Passes Away, Age 90
by Julie Musbach - Apr 2, 2017


According to The Hollywood Reporter, actress Sheila Bond passed away on March 25. She was 90 years old. Bond was best known for her Tony Winning performance in WISH YOU WERE HERE in 1953. She also appeared in DAMN YANKEES, MAKE MINE MANHATTAN, and STREET SCENE.

Wish You Were Here History

Other Productions of Wish You Were Here

1952   Broadway Original Broadway Production
Broadway
1953   West End London Production
West End
1987   Off-Off-Broadway Equity Library Theatre Revival
Off-Off-Broadway
2000   Off-Broadway Musicals in Mufti Concert
Off-Broadway
2022   Off-Broadway Playwrights Horizons Original Off-Broadway production
Off-Broadway

Wish You Were Here - 1952 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners are highlighted with a background.
Wish You Were Here — awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
1953 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Sheila Bond
1953 Tony Awards Best Stage Technician Abe Kurnit

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