Gertrude Lawrence cameras and lighting could not function properly inside a Broadway theater. In 1943, Lawrence hosted a weekly series of American radio shows, some of them featuring discussions with guests and others adaptations of Hollywood hit films. In 1947, she returned to NBC for a production of the 1913 Shaw play "The Great Catherine". To promote "The King and I", Lawrence appeared on various television programs, including the Ed Sullivan-hosted "Toast of the Town", with Rodgers and Hammerstein joining her to perform selections from the show. Additionally, she appeared on several BBC Radio interview and variety shows before and after World
Pipe Dream (musical) disaster for Rodgers and Hammerstein. Broadway producers Cy Feuer and Ernie Martin held the rights to "Sweet Thursday" and wanted Frank Loesser to compose a musical based on it. When Loesser proved unavailable, Feuer and Martin succeeded in interesting Rodgers and Hammerstein in the project. As Hammerstein adapted "Sweet Thursday", he and Rodgers had concerns about featuring a prostitute as female lead and setting part of the musical in a bordello. They signed operatic diva Helen Traubel to play Fauna, the house madam. As the show progressed through tryouts, Hammerstein repeatedly revised it, obscuring Suzy's profession and the nature of