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Celebrating an important birthday today is Jessica Lange. A legendary actress mainly known for her screen work, having won 2 Oscars for her performances in 1982’s Tootsie and 1994’s Blue Sky. She also has several theatre credits to her name. In 2016, she won Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance as Mary Tyrone in the most recent Broadway revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night. She’s currently back on the main stem in Paula Vogel’s Mother Play. Jessica Lange turns 75.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Jane Greenwood. A legendary costume designer with 141 Broadway credits to her name, she’s earned 22 Tony Award nominations over the course of 57 years. In 2014, she received a special Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. In 2017, she finally won competitively for her work on the most recent main stem revival of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes. Jane Greenwood turns 90.
ReplyCopy URLOn this day in 1984, the original production of Sunday in the Park with George opened at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. Inspired by Georges Seurat’s painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, this was not only Stephen Sondheim’s first musical since the failure of Merrily We Roll Along from a few years earlier, but also his first collaboration with writer/director James Lapine. The original cast included Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Barbara Bryne, Mary D’Arcy, Danielle Ferland, Sue Anne Gershenson, Cris Groenendaal, Dana Ivey, John Jellison, Charles Kimbrough, Kurt Knudson, Judith Moore, Nancy Opel, William Parry, Michele Rigan, Brent Spiner, Melanie Vaughan, and Robert Westenberg. In fact, three of the cast members from the world premiere at Off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons who were unable to continue were Christine Baranski, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio.
Despite mixed critical reviews, the show received 10 Tony Award nominations (including Best Musical) and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Sadly, the production ended up losing a lot of money when it closed on October 13th, 1985 after 604 performances. In the years since, Sunday in the Park with George has become much more beloved. More people have discovered the musical through PBS’ broadcast of the original production, it’s been produced by theatre companies all over the world, and has spawned two Broadway revivals. Most of all, it still is considered to be one of Sondheim’s most accomplished works.
ReplyCopy URLOn this day in 1994, Passion opened at the Plymouth (now Gerard Schoenfeld) Theatre on Broadway. Adapted from Ettore Scola’s 1981 Italian film titled Passione d’amore as well as Iginio Ugo Tarchetti’s 1869 novel titled Fosca. This project was Stephen Sondheim’s third and final collaboration with writer/director James Lapine following Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods. The original cast included Jere Shea, Donna Murphy, Marin Mazzie, Gregg Edelman, Matthew Porretta, Tom Aldredge, Cris Groenendaal, Linda Balgord, George Dvorsky, Juliet Lambert, Marcus Olson, William Parry, Francis Ruivivar, and John Leslie Wolfe. When the show opened, it was generally admired by critics, but savaged by general audiences. However, the production ended up winning 4 Tony Awards (including Best Musical). Yet it closed on January 7th, 1995 after 280 performances, making it the shortest-running Tony winner for Best Musical in history. In the years since, Passion has lived on through its original cast recording and PBS broadcast that was later released on DVD.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Charlotte d’Amboise. The daughter of ballet dancers Jacques d’Amboise and Carolyn George, she’s also an actress with 11 Broadway credits to her name. She has earned 2 Tony Award nominations within 18 years. First in 1989 for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, then in 2007 for her performance as Cassie in the revival of A Chorus Line. Charlotte d’Amboise turns 60.
ReplyCopy URLOn this day in 1954, the original production of The Pajama Game opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Adapted from Richard Bissell’s 1953 novel titled 7½ Cents, this project featured a book by Bissell along with co-director George Abbott as well as a score by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross. Co-directed by Jerome Robbins, this also marked Bob Fosse’s very first main stem credit as choreographer. The original cast included John Raitt, Janis Paige, Ralph Dunn, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy, Jr., Stanley Prager, Reta Shaw, Thelma Pelish, William David, Ralph Chambers, and Marion Colby. Notable members of the ensemble included Peter Gennaro, a future Tony-winning choreographer, and a then 20-year-old Shirley MacLaine. While the latter was filling in for Haney during her absence due to an ankle injury, she was discovered by Hal B. Wallis when he came to see the show, who then signed MacLaine as a contract player for Paramount Pictures. The production ended up winning 3 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and closed on November 24th, 1956 after 1,063 performances. In the years since, The Pajama Game has spawned a 1957 film adaptation directed by George Abbott & Stanley Donen which kept most of the original cast intact as well as 2 Broadway revivals.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Mare Winningham. An actress with only 3 Broadway credits to her name, 2 of them resulted in Tony nominations. First in 2014 for Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina, then in 2022 for Conor McPherson’s Girl From the North Country. She’s also very prolific on the big and small screens, having earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in 1995’s Georgia and won 2 Primetime Emmys. Mare Winningham turns 65.
ReplyCopy URLOn this day in 1959, the original production of Gypsy opened at the Broadway Theatre on Broadway. Loosely adapted from Gypsy Rose Lee’s 1957 memoir of the same name, this project featured a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed & choreographed by Jerome Robbins, the original cast included Ethel Merman, Sandra Church, Jack Klugman, Lane Bradbury, Paul Wallace, Maria Karnilova, Faith Dane, and Chotzi Foley. One notable member of the ensemble was Marilyn Cooper, a future Tony-winning actress for Woman of the Year. The production received 8 Tony Award nominations (including Best Musical) and closed on March 25th, 1961 after 702 performances. In the years since, Gypsy has spawned 2 screen adaptations, 4 Broadway revivals, and is still produced by theatre companies all over the world. Though most importantly, it’s now identified as one of the great works of the American musical theatre.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Linda Emond. An actress with only 4 Broadway credits to her name, 3 of them resulted in Tony nominations. First in 2003 for Yasmina Reza’s Life (x) 3, then in 2012 for the Mike Nichols-helmed revival of Death of a Salesman, and in 2014 for the remounting of Sam Mendes & Rob Marshall’s revival of Cabaret. Linda Emond turns 65.
ReplyCopy URLOn this day in 1964, Frank D. Gilroy’s The Subject Was Roses opened at the Royale (now Bernard B. Jacobs) Theatre on Broadway. Directed by Ulu Grosbard, the original cast included Martin Sheen, Jack Albertson, and Irene Dailey. The latter’s understudy was Peg Murray, who a couple years later went on to win a Tony for originating the role of Fraulein Kost in Cabaret. The show itself went on to win 2 Tony Awards (including Best Play) as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production ended its run on May 21st, 1966 after 832 performances. A film adaptation directed by Grosbard which kept most of the original cast intact (with Patricia Neal replacing Dailey) was released in 1968. For his performance, Albertson became one of 11 individuals to have won a Tony and an Oscar for the same role.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Colm Wilkinson. He may be an actor with only one Broadway credit to his name, but he is best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in the world’s longest-running musical, Les Misérables. His performance in the original main stem production earned him a Tony nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical. Colm Wilkinson turns 80.
ReplyCopy URLCelebrating an important birthday today is Harvey Fierstein. An actor/writer with 13 Broadway credits to his name, he managed to win 4 Tony Awards within 20 years. The first two were in 1983 as the playwright and star of Torch Song Trilogy. The third was just the following year as book writer of the musical La Cage aux Folles. The fourth and (as of now) most recent was in 2003 for originating the role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. He’s since earned subsequent bids as book writer for Newsies (2012) and Kinky Boots (2013) as well as playwright of Casa Valentina (2014). Harvey Fierstein turns 70.
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