Gertrude Lawrence Hammerstein II quoted from an essay on death written by poet and novelist Rabindranath Tagore. Lawrence was buried in the champagne-coloured gown worn for the "Shall We Dance?" number in the second act of "The King and I", and she was interred in the Aldrich family plot in Lakeview Cemetery in Upton, Massachusetts. She was the first person for whom the house lights were dimmed in all Broadway (Manhattan) theatres due to her death. In early 1953, Lawrence's name was included on a list of Columbia University professors who had died the previous year and were honoured with a memorial
Concept musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Defying "virtually all musical theatre conventions" of the time, its Greek chorus frequently interrupts the narrative, and the show focuses on a larger theme of personal struggle in the face of success. Minimalistic in its staging, patterns of light were used to represent both spaces and emotions. However, many critics disagree as to "Allegro"'s status as a concept musical, stating that the linear nature of the plot continues regardless of the choral interludes. The show was a critical failure, which many theatre historians blame on the inexperience of director-choreographer Agnes de Mille. Disheartened, Rodgers and Hammerstein