�뵺�� Vault's Today in Theatre History: February 3

1938 A grandfather holds off Death by chasing him up a tree in . The comedy was adapted by from 's novel of the same title. stars as Gramps, as his grandson, and as the Grim Reaper.

1951 is a lonely widow pining for her dead husband in . The work also stars , , and . It runs 38 weeks.

1956 Broadway musical comedy leading man is born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He will go on to win Tony Awards for his performances as Max Bialystock in , Pseudolus in , and Roy Cohn in and receive nominations for , , and . He also collaborates with on the musical , and lends his voice to Timon the Meerkat in the animated Disney film The Lion King.

1960 The Wrong Side of the Park might also be the wrong side of marriage in 's drama. Staged by at London's Cambridge Theatre, stars as a neurotic wife tormenting her husband () with a fantasy of her deceased first spouse. It runs nearly 22 weeks.

1976 Opening night for starring and . 's drama runs 79 performances at the Broadhurst Theatre.

1982 stars as at the Winter Garden Theatre opposite as Iago. The production was first seen the previous summer at the in Stratford, Connecticut. Also in the cast are as Desdemona and as Cassio.

2005 Pulitzer winner ' opens on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre. , , and star in the drama about a man who returns to his childhood neighborhood after becoming a famous novelist.

2012 , an intense actor of stage and film who created the role of Brick in Tennessee Williams' , dies at age 81. He received Tony nominations for his performances in , , and .

More of Today's Birthdays: James A. Michener (1907-1997). (1910-2006). (1920-2002). John Fiedler (1925-2005). (b. 1943). (b. 1961). Geoffrey Nauffts (b. 1961). (b. 1964). Doug Besterman (b. 1965). Maura Tierney (b. 1965). (b. 1982). Brandon Micheal Hall (b. 1993).