Playbill Celebrates Broadway's August Birthdays

Happy August, theatre fans!

It may be too darn hot for a lot of things, but not for celebrating the birthdays of some of our favorite Broadway stars. So, raise a piragua and toast these steamy summer babes as they spread their wings and take to the sky.

Gee Wiz! On the first day of August we celebrate the late Geoffrey Holder. Though this Leo may not be a mean ol' lion, he did take home two Tony Awards for the original production of The Wiz, one for direction and one for costume design. (We're also looking forward to the revival of the Motown Oz retelling this season!)

High-stepping spinner Ryan Steele has traded in his newspapers for a book of fairytales. The Once Upon a One More Time star celebrates his birthday August 3.

We're willing to wait for Leslie Odom, Jr.'s return to Broadway, but not for too long! Thank goodness he'll be back this fall with Purlie Victorious. Until then, we'll just smile more about his August 6 birthday.

Shiver me Alex Timbers! With this Tony winner at the helm, any show is sure to catch a few stars—like this fall's Gutenberg! The Musical! with Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad or the summer hit Here Lies Love with Arielle Jacobs, Jose Llana, and Conrad Ricamora. The director celebrates on August 7. So, too, does Michael Shannon, who will be gracing a New York stage again soon, when he joins Paul Sparks in TFANA's Waiting for Godot in late fall.

We're addicted to you, Jennifer Simard. Wishing a very happy birthday to the Once Upon a One More Time stepmother on August 8! (Just maybe don't celebrate at the casino.)

You are beautiful, David Henry Hwang. We're wishing a happy August 11 birthday to the Tony-winning scribe of M. Butterfly, Golden Child, Soft Power, Yellow Face, and Chinglish. He's also the book writer for Disney's Tarzan and the revamped Flower Drum Song.

Attention must be paid to Olivier winner and Tony nominee Sharon D Clarke. The Caroline, Or Change and Death of a Salesman star can next be seen on the small screen in the rom-com streamer Red, White, & Royal Blue.

August 14 is a day to celebrate two of Broadway's brightest: Sarah Brightman, who originated the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, and comedian, writer, and composer Steve Martin, who plucked out the music and lyrics for Bright Star.

Alex Newell may be "independently owned and operated," but we want to make sure they're incandescently throned and celebrated like the QUEEN they are. The history-making Tony winner was born August 20.

Suddenly, Robin de Jesús is having a birthday. The three-time Tony nominee blows out his candles August 21. Check out photos of his recent run as Seymour in The Muny's Little Shop of Horrors.

Fan-favorite chorine Amber Ardolino has swung onstage for the founding of America, the Ziegfeld follies, and a Parisian can-can. Now she's Back to the Future and celebrating her birthday on August 22.

August 23 certainly won't be a drag if we're saluting Tony-nominated writer Charles Busch. I believe it's also a special day for Andrew Rannells. (See him on the boards again next month!)

You've got 24 hours to celebrate the August 24 birthday of downtown theatre provocateur Taylor Mac. The Tony-nominated playwright will next be putting the pen to the book of the musical adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

We're merrily singing a happy birthday song for the popular Katie Rose Clark on August 25 as we look forward to seeing her on stage this fall in Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along. And to wish Ato Blankson-Wood a happy birthday or not? To wish, obviously. Catch the actor as the Danish prince in the final week of Free Shakespeare in the Park's Hamlet.

Oh, my golly, it's Broadway mainstay Peter Bartlett. The character actor was most recently seen on Broadway in the musical adaptation of Mrs. Doubtfire. He shares his August 28 birthday with another Broadway regular, Andy Karl. Karl is a three-time Tony nominee for his roles in the musicals Rocky, Groundhog Day, and Let's hope there will be sun on this special day.

She's the greatest star and we all know it. Happy birthday to Lea Michele on August 29. The performer finishes her lauded Funny Girl run September 3.

Two-time nominee and Broadway's favorite Pops, Stephen McKinley Henderson closes out the month of celebrations with his August 31 birthday. He's performed on Broadway in three August Wilson plays and was last seen in the Pulitzer-winning Between Riverside and Crazy.