Today in Theatre History: JULY 3
By Robert Viagas
and Ernio Hernandez and Doug Nevin
03 Jul 2009
1878 The original Yankee Doodle Dandy, George M. Cohan (1878-1942) is born on the 3rd of July, (not the 4th as ws family legend) says. A member of the vaudeville team The Four Cohans with his parents and sister, he soon broke out as a solo star, writers and producer of such early 20th century hits as Little Johnny Jones, Little Nellie Kelly, The Rise of Rose O'Reilly, Seven Keys to Baldpate, Forty-five Minutes from Broadway, The Man Who Owns Broadway, Broadway Jones and Hello, Broadway! His life became the subject of a musical in 1968, George M!, in which he was played by Joel Grey. His statue has stood at the center of Times Square at 46th Street for decades.
1937 Birthday of British playwright Tom Stoppard, four-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Play: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1968), Travesties (1976), The Real Thing (1984) and The Coast of Utopia (2007), whose roster of intelligent dramas will also include Arcadia, The Invention of Love, India Ink and Jumpers.
1941 Broadway producer Sam Harris, a longtime associate of George M. Cohan, dies today in New York at age 69. Collaborations between the two included Little Johnny Jones and Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway. Among Harris' other producing credits was the Pulitzer Prize winning You Can't Take It With You. 1947 A diva is born! Actress-singer Betty Buckley, who will become one of Broadway's leading ladies, is born today. After making her debut in 1776, Buckley will win the 1983 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for her turn in Cats. Other memorable stage moments will include Song and Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Carrie, Sunset Blvd. and Triumph of Love. 1957 A young Broadway talent is lost as Judy Tyler dies today in an auto accident. Tyler, age 24, had a major role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Pipe Dream. She had also recently completed shooting on the Elvis Presley film "Jailhouse Rock."
1970 Happy birthday to actress Audra McDonald, who will win four Tony Awards for acting, both in plays and musicals including, Ragtime, Carousel, Master Class and A Raisin in the Sun. She will play the title role in a musical adaptation of Medea called Marie Christine.
1999 The Roundabout revival of Cabaret marks its 500th Broadway performance. The production that received four Tony Awards (including Best Musical Revival), three Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, a Theatre World Award, an Astaire Award and a special award from the New York Drama Critics) opened on Broadway March 19, 1998. More of Today's Birthdays: Leon Errol 1881. Franz Kafka 1883. Leueen MacGrath 1914. David Shire 1937. Betty Buckley 1947. Patrick Wilson 1973. Alexander Gemignani 1979.
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