1865 Our American Cousin, starring Laura Keene, is in performance tonight when John Wilkes Booth shoots President Abraham Lincoln at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth's brother Edwin refrains from acting for the next two years.
1904 Birthday of master actor Sir , who defines acting in the years between the world wars and thereafter. In addition to his memorable and other classical roles, he creates notable roles in works by , , and . He also directs extensively.
1926 commands the unheard of ticket price of $25 for her month-long engagement at Broadway's Empire Theatre. She sings a repertoire of Spanish songs, accompanied by members of the Philharmonic Society of New York. She tours most of the major cities on the East Coast.
1930 , , , and check into the . 's introspective drama runs 10 weeks at the Martin Beck Theatre.
1937 Need to make some money so you won't be sent to the county farm? Hey! Put on a show! So much for the plot involved in . It's full of and songs and a cast that includes , , and . is on hand to choreograph.
1960 The phenomenon gets spoofed in the lighthearted musical , with a score by and . plays the put-upon manager of rocker Conrad Birdie, who is trying to get him to give "One Last Kiss" to a fan on The Ed Sullivan Show before he's drafted. The show opens at the Martin Beck Theatre, and runs 607 performances.
1975 takes over the Minskoff Theatre for 80 performances. choreographs and stages the showcase for the Divine Miss M.
1992 Good old reliable Nathan Detroit is back to his old tricks on Broadway as 's is revived at the Martin Beck Theatre. stars, with as his perpetual fianc茅e, as the high-betting Sky Masterson, and as the missionary. The show garners director , Prince, and the revival itself Tony Awards.
2000 The production of 's begins previews at the Helen Hayes Theatre. The original NYTW cast of , playwright Shear, and transfers intact to Broadway. , who conceived the show with playwright Shear, helms the story about two single New Yorkers who meet at 's grave site.
2002 is fired from the Broadway musical , less than a month after taking over the coveted role of Max Bialystock from original star . Director-choreographer issues a statement saying, "I have the utmost respect for Henry Goodman. He is a wonderful actor and I would happily work with him again on another project. Henry has been very well received by audiences nightly, but the producers have decided to pursue a different quality for the role." He's replaced by longtime understudy .
2008 , a performer and producer who was married to actor for 40 years, dies at age 84. She appeared on Broadway in the play , and co-produced the play , starring her husband, and the musical .
2011 The production of , the visually arresting play about the bond between a young man and his horse set against the backdrop of the first World War, opens on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. adapted 's 1982 children's novel (originally told from the point of view of the horse) for the production, which incorporates a series of life-sized equestrian puppets, which have the capability of strikingly lifelike movement. The production wins five Tony Awards, including Best Play.
2013 Music pioneer brings his life story to the stage in , a jukebox musical that takes audiences through the highs and lows of life in the recording industry. Opening at the Lunt-Fonanne Theatre, the hit-filled musical stars as Gordy and as Diana Ross.
2015 , , , and star in , opening on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. directs and 's musical comedy about a wedding gone awry.
2016 plays a man falling into the grip of dementia in the American premiere of 's , opening on Broadway at 's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Langella wins his fourth Tony Award for his performance.
More of Today's Birthdays: Lydia R. Diamond (b. 1969). Leigh Ann Larkin (b. 1980). Nick Choksi (b. 1981).
