"Paint Your Wagon" was a Broadway play long before the movie was made. It debuted on November 12, 1951 at the Shubert Theater and ran for 289 performances. The libretto and lyrics were by Alan Jay Lerner, with music by Frederick Loewe. "I Talk to the Trees" was one of the few songs from the play that became fairly popular during the 1950's. "I Still See Elisa" was probably the only other one that became somewhat known. The play itself was not widely appreciated nor long remembered in its time. When "They Call The Wind Maria" was reintroduced by Bud & Travis, The Kingston Trio and others, it was perceived as a folk song by many, since most had never heard of the play.