1860 Birthday of , one of the fathers of modern drama, whose comparatively small oeuvre includes The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, The Seagull, and Uncle Vanya.
1917 Birthday of sturdy leading man , star of Broadway's original and , and father of pop singer Bonnie Raitt.
1931 Birthday of composer/lyricist , who collaborates with on , , and the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory; and with on and .
1943 stand guard at the National Theatre in New York. 's play highlights the hardships of the Founding Fathers, and wins the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play. It stars , , and .
1947 , 's drama depicting post-war America and the end result of one father's choice, unfolds at the Coronet Theatre in New York. and are featured as son and father. The play runs for 41 weeks and is Miller's first Broadway hit.
1957 What happened that afternoon in ? 's drama at the Bijou Theatre in New York explores the power of faith. and lead the cast.
1966 Opening night of the musical , providing another hit for director , star , composer , lyricist , and librettist . The production runs 608 performances. The date is notable for another reason: it marks the reopening of the venerable Palace Theatre in Times Square after a refurbishment. Once the pinnacle of vaudeville and a fading concert venue, it henceforth serves as a regular Broadway theatre.
1976 A bicentennial revival of 's Rip Van Winkle is staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. directs and stars.
1986 conceives the musical revue, , opening at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. It features songs such as "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," "Tutti Frutti," and "Stop in the Name of Love."
1998 Disappointment reigns on Broadway with the opening of 's eagerly expected first musical, , about a real-life murderer who seeks salvation and forgiveness. The music is found to be fascinating, but the book by Nobel laureate is found to be static, undramatic, and unconvincing. Family members of the murder victims picket opening night. The musical runs 68 performances at the Marquis Theatre.
2002 's solo show, begins performances at the Booth Theatre. The co-star of and , not to mention TV's Maude and The Golden Girls, earns a Tony nomination for her show.
More of Today's Birthdays (1874-1956). (1880-1946). (1901-1948). "Professor" (1914-2017). (1913-1999). (1920-2008). (b. 1945). (b. 1954).
