1870 Irish playwright J. Hartley Manners is born in London. His work includes Peg o鈥� My Heart, which opened in 1912 on Broadway at the Cort Theatre. A revival played the same venue in 1921.
1911 Birthday of playwright , who writes the play , which he later adapts with , , , and into the Tony Award-winning musical . Other works include the plays and , and the books to the musicals and .
1942 When opens in the title role of Othello at the Brattle Hall Summer Theatre in Massachusetts, he becomes the first African-American actor to play the Moor in an interracial production in the United States.
1983 Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy, who had recently been auditioning for the role of Uncle Ben in a Broadway revival of , does not get the part. A spokesperson for the production soon makes a statement saying, "It had to do with ability and talent. It had nothing to do with politics."
1986 The British invasion that started with continues tonight as "Lambeth Walk"s into the new Marquis Theatre in the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Broadway. Featured in the -directed reworking of the 1937 -- musical are , , , and . Me and My Girl wins Tony Awards for its two leading players (Lindsay and Plunkett), but loses the Best Musical award to another British import, . There are 1,420 performances on Broadway.
1999 plays the title character in 's production of the classic Tartuffe as it begins its reign at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park for a run through September 5. Tartuffe, about a venal and libidinous religious hypocrite who holds a household under his thrall until he is exposed, stars a company that includes , , , , and . directs the production.
2001 Debbie Does Dallas, a stage musical based on the pornographic film of the same title, debuts at the New York International Fringe Festival. Positive reviews lead to a full-scale Off-Broadway production the following year, starring .
2004 Film icon returns to the stage at 83 in an Off-Broadway revue titled Let's Put on a Show! The Tony Award nominee (for ) is best known for his puckish film performances in the many Andy Hardy movies and such films as Babes in Arms and Babes on Broadway.
2010 Academy Award winner , who starred in the hit 1992 film Sister Act, begins a limited run as Mother Superior in the London musical of the same title at the Palladium Theatre.
2017 Michael Moore鈥檚 The Terms of My Surrender opens at the Belasco Theatre. The solo play cross-examined America鈥檚 political climate at the time, including taking aim at Trump鈥檚 administration, with direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer.
2018 Disney Channel鈥檚 Freaky Friday movie musical, starring Heidi Blickenstaff and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, premieres. The TV adaptation of the stage musical (based on the book and films) features a score by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, and had earlier played at several regional venues including La Jolla Playhouse and Cleveland Playhouse.
2019 Les Mis茅rables鈥擳he Staged Concert begins performances at London鈥檚 Gielgud Theatre while the musical's permanent home, the Queen's (now Stephen Sondheim) Theatre, undergoes major renovations. Michael Ball stars as Javert, with Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Shan Ako as 脡ponine, and Lily Kerhoas as Cosette.
More of Today's Birthdays: (1898鈥�1979), (1928鈥�2010), (b. 1960)
Watch highlights from the 2011 Broadway production of :
