Which Broadway musical won the 1949 Tony Award for Best Musical?

Kiss Me, Kate won the 1949 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The musical opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre on December 30, 1948. Its score was written by Cole Porter, with a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story follows actors producing a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, while their backstage romantic conflicts echo the play.

The production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk, and Harold Lang. It became an important example of a musical that combined a backstage comedy with Shakespearean material. Its songs include “Wunderbar,” “So in Love,” and “Too Darn Hot.”

The 1949 Tony Awards were only the third ceremony in the award’s history. Kiss Me, Kate won Best Musical over several major competitors, including South Pacific. The title is sometimes confused with The Taming of the Shrew, but that play is the fictional show being staged inside Kiss Me, Kate.