There was a 21-week national tour 1959–1960, co-starring Davis's husband Gary Merrill, towards the end, he was replaced by Barry Sullivan.

When, a few months later, Corwin was asked for "suggestions for an evening of 'concert style' theater", he chose the Sandburg Tribute as a model, but reworked it for three performers.

Davis was considering a return to live theater when she was approached for the Sandburg staging, and she and her husband, Gary Merrill, signed on without a script.

As Davis and Merrill lived in Maine, rehearsals were held at Bowdoin College, and the show premiered in Portland.

Corwin lists numerous excuses, none of which he believes, while he barely hints at what several Davis biographers state explicitly: the Davis-Merrill on-stage chemistry had been a major draw.