I remember there being no overture when I saw it with Ginger Rogers, then *I think* with Channing on the first tour. I wish I could say there was zero doubt in my mind, but if either of those had contradicted the note in the vocal score it would hopefully have left its mark on me.
I’m sorry to say we’re playing it at the college. I suspect many groups do, just like all the absolute fools who insist on including the one for West Side Story...and then conduct it abysmally. (I played in one like that. Horrible.)