- Jan 4 "Father" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 52 performances
Musical Finale
Jan 7 Musical featuring works of George and Ira Gershwin "Crazy For You" closes at Shubert Theater, NYC, after 1622 performances, winning 3 Tony Awards
Hall of Fame
Jan 17 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: David Bowie; Jefferson Airplane; Little Willie John; Gladys Knight and the Pips; Pink Floyd; The Shirelles; The Velvet Underground; Pete Seeger; and Tom Donahue
Music Awards
Jan 29 23rd American Music Awards: Garth Brooks wins
Music History
Feb 6 Rapper Tupac Shakur sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison for sexual assault conviction
- Feb 13 Rock musical "Rent" by Jonathan Larson opens off-Broadway
- Feb 13 Rapper Tupac Shakur releases his 4th studio album 'All Eyez on Me'
- Feb 13 "The Score" second studio album by Fugees is released (Billboard no. 1 year end Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1996)
Television Debut
Feb 14 "Live by Request" debuts on the A&E Network, based on singer Tony Bennett's idea, the set list was determined by viewer phone calls; Bennett starred in the first episode, wins an Emmy Award (Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program)
Grammy Awards
Feb 28 38th Grammy Awards: Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette wins
- Mar 17 "Bus Stop" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 29 performances
- Mar 17 "Getting Away With Murder" opens at Broadhurst NYC for 17 performances
- Mar 20 "Love Thy Neighbor" opens at Booth Theater NYC
- Mar 21 "Night of the Iguana" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 68 performances
- Mar 27 Stage adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical "State Fair" opens at Music Box Theater, New York City; runs for 118 performances
- Mar 28 "Seven Guitars" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
- Mar 29 10th Soul Train Music Awards: Patti Labelle, Boyz II Men win
- Mar 31 "Getting Away With Murder" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 17 performances
- Mar 31 "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 66 performances
- Apr 4 "Inherit the Wind" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 45 performances
- Apr 11 Revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical "The King & I", starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy, premieres at Neil Simon Theater, NYC; runs for 781 performances
Theatrical Finale
Apr 14 Trish Vradenburg's play "Apple Doesn't Fall.."directed by Leonard Nimoy opens and closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 1 performance
Music Premiere
Apr 18 Revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", starring Nathan Lane, opens at St James Theater NYC for 715 performances
- Apr 21 "Delicate Balance" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC
- Apr 24 "Jack-Night on Town with John Barrymore" opens at Belasco for 12 performances
- Apr 24 31st Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Patty Loveless win
- Apr 25 "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk" opens at Ambassador Theater NYC
- Apr 28 "Big" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 193 performances
Film Release
Apr 29 "Rent", starring Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, opens at Nederlander Theater NYC
- May 12 "Inherit the Wind" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 45 performances
- May 12 "Night of the Iguana" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 68 performances
- May 18 41st Eurovision Song Contest: Eimear Quinn for Ireland wins singing "The Voice" in Oslo
- May 21 "You're Makin' Me High" single released by Toni Braxton (Grammy Award - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, 1997)
- May 22 "Tartuffe: Born Again" opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC for 29 performances
- May 26 "Midsummer Night's Dream" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 66 performances
- Jun 10 30th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson wins
- Jun 23 "Tartuffe: Born Again" closes at Circle in Sq NYC after 29 performances
Music History
Jul 1 Placido Domingo becomes artistic director of Washington Opera
Music Single
Jul 8 British girls group the Spice Girls release their debut single "Wannabe" in the UK
Album Release
Jul 9 "Blue" debut album by LeAnn Rimes is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1997)
- Aug 11 "Thousand Clowns," closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 32 performances
- Aug 21 "Hughie" opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC
- Sep 4 13th MTV Video Music Awards: Alanis Morrissette and The Smashing Pumpkins win
- Sep 5 "Summer & Smoke" opens at Criterion Theater NYC
- Sep 7 Rap artist Tupac Shakur shot multiple times in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas, dies 6 days later
Theatrical Finale
Sep 8 August Wilson's drama "Seven Guitars" closes at Walter Kerr Theater, NYC, after 188 performances
Farm Aid Concert
Oct 12 Farm Aid IX held in Columbia, South Carolina; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Hootie and the Blowfish, The Beach Boys, Son Volt, Robert Earl Keen, Martina McBride, Jewel, and John Conlee
- Oct 13 "Big" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 193 performances
- Oct 17 "Taking Sides" opens at Atkinson Theater NYC
- Oct 20 "Summer & Smoke" closes at Criterion Theater NYC
- Oct 31 American jam band Phish performs The Talking Heads' "Remain In Light" as a musical costume during a show at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia
- Nov 2 "Hughie" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC
- Nov 3 "It's a Slippery Slope" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC
Album Release
Nov 4 British girls group the Spice Girls release their debut album "Spice", goes on to sell 23 million copies
- Nov 7 "3 Sisters" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC
- Nov 13 "Three Sisters" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC
- Nov 14 Revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "Chicago" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC
- Nov 15 "Into the Whirlwind" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 2 performances
- Nov 16 "Into the Whirlwind" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 2 performances
- Nov 17 "Present Laughter" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
- Nov 19 "God Said, Ha!" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 22 performances
- Nov 19 "Sex & Longing" closes at Cort Theater NYC
- Nov 21 "Rehearsal" opens at Criterion Theater NYC
- Nov 24 Elliot Goldenthal' musical "Juan Darién - A Carnival Mass" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater, NYC; runs for 49 performances
- Dec 4 7th Billboard Music Awards: Alanis Morissette wins
- Dec 5 "Dreams & Nightmares" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC
- Dec 8 "God Said, Ha!" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 22 performances
- Dec 17 "In My Bed" single released by Dru Hill (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
Music Premiere
Dec 19 Revival of Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer's musical comedy "Once Upon a Mattress", starring Sarah Jessica Parker, opens at Broadhurst Theatre, NYC; runs for 188 performances
