All stories by Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez on BroadwayStars

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: August 15 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez

1879 The legendary Barrymore theatre family gets one more to add to its roster today as Ethel Barrymore is born. Her father is actor Maurice Barrymore and her brothers are John and Lionel. B…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, August 14, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: August 14 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez

1888 Comedian DeWolf Hopper debuts his dramatic recitation of the poem Casey at the Bat at Wallack's Theatre. It will become a cornerstone of his act for the next 40 years.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, August 9, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: August 9 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez

1967 Playwright Joe Orton is found dead today in his London flat. Also found dead is his companion, writer and actor Kenneth Halliwell. It appears that Halliwell murdered the Loot playwright…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, July 3, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: July 3 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Doug Nevin

1878 The original Yankee Doodle Dandy, George M. Cohan (1878-1942) is born on the 3rd of July, (not the 4th as was family legend) says. A member of the vaudeville team The Four Cohans wi…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: June 24 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez

1942 Gypsy Rose Lee and Bobby Clark are featured in Michael Todd's musical revue, Star and Garter, which opens a 609-performance run at the Music Box Theatre.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, June 21, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: June 21 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez

1903 Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) is born today. His distinctive looping line drawings will capture the essence of Broadway shows from the 1920s through the early 2000s. The Ma…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, June 7, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today in Theatre History: June 7 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1909 Birthday of Broadway star Jessica Tandy (1909-1994), who created many landmark roles including Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, Agnes in A Delicate Balance and Fonsia in …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, May 25, 2015

Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 14 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1882 Birthday of John Barrymore (1882-1942), actor in the grand style, and scion of the Barrymore acting clan. Though he began as a light comedian, he became identified with the classics, no…

SOURCE: Playbill at 05:58PM

Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 20 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1893 Birthday of playwright and producer Russel Crouse (1893-1966), whose prodigious output of scripts, many in partnership with Howard Lindsay, includes State of the Union and The Great Seb…

SOURCE: Playbill at 05:58PM

Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 21 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1879 John Wellington Wells deals his magic and spells for the first time on Broadway with the American premiere of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorcerer at the old Broadway Theatre.

SOURCE: Playbill at 05:58PM

Today In Theatre History: MARCH 6 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1933 Maxwell Anderson indicts Both Your Houses, a political story at the Royale Theatre. Morris Carnovsky is in the cast of this Theatre Guild production. It will go on to win the Pulitzer P…

SOURCE: Playbill at 05:58PM
Sunday, May 24, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: May 24 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1925 Godfrey Tearle is Hamlet in the Fellowship Players production at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The Fellowship offers Sunday performances so these employed professionals have the chance t…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, May 10, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: May 10 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1838 John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865), perhaps the most infamous actor in American history, is born today. The son of actor Junius Brutus Booth, and brother of actors Junius Brutus Booth Jr…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, May 1, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: May 1 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1922 Comedy team Potash and Perlmutter are Partners Again. The show plays 31 weeks at the Selwyn Theatre.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: April 14 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1865 Our American Cousin starring Laura Keene is in performance tonight when John Wilkes Booth shoots President Abraham Lincoln at the Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. Booth's broth…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: April 8 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1904 New York City bids adieu to Longacre Square, which had no particular reputation, and says hello to Times Square, which soon develops quite a reputation indeed. Mayor George B. McClellan…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, March 26, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: March 26 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1905 Actor Maurice Barrymore dies today. He was father to Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore. He was 57 years old.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, March 24, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: MARCH 24 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1909 Irish poet and playwright John Millington Synge dies today. He penned numerous plays including Riders to the Sea and The Playboy of the Western World. For the latter he traveled to the …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, March 23, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: MARCH 23 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1940 It's Separate Rooms for an actress who'd rather sleep with her pet Chihuahua than her playwright husband. Glenda Farrell and Lyle Talbot are the twosome. This comedy by Alan Din…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Saturday, March 21, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: MARCH 21 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1867 Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. is born today in Chicago, Illinois. He will go on to become one of the most powerful showmen ever. His Follies, filled with beautiful women and exciting variety ac…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, March 19, 2015

Playbill Vault’s Today In Theatre History: March 19 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1872 Birthday of singer/actress Anna Held, future wife of Florenz Ziegfeld, and the classic sexy French flirt of her era. She will play this role in a series of musical vehicles including La…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, March 13, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: MARCH 13 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1928 It's one for all, and all for almost 10 months of The Three Musketeers. William Anthony McGuire stages his book based on the Alexandre Dumas novel. P.G. Wodehouse and Clifford Grey …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, March 12, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: MARCH 12 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1928 Birthday of playwright Edward Albee, who will go on to write Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia? and Pulitzer-winners, A Delicate Balance, Seascape and…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, February 26, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 26 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1911 Chicago's Columbia Theatre opens its doors today. Architect J.E.O. Pridmore designed this house which seats 1,550. In 1923 it will become the Adelphi. In 1974 its doors will close f…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:19AM
Tuesday, February 24, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 24 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1876 Birthday of Broadway comedian Victor Moore (1876-1962), who starred or co-starred in the original casts of many musical comedies, notably Of Thee I Sing, Anything Goes, Louisian…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, February 22, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 22 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1930 Birthday of Marni Nixon, singer whose voice will be dubbed into the mouths of better-known performers, including Natalie Wood in the film of West Side Story. She will make her Broad…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Saturday, February 21, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 21 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1879 John Wellington Wells deals his magic and spells for the first time on Broadway with the American premiere of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's The Sorcerer at the old Broadway Th…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, February 20, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 20 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1893 Birthday of playwright and producer Russel Crouse (1893-1966), whose prodigious output of scripts, many in partnership with Howard Lindsay, includes State of the Union and The Great…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, February 16, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 16 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1898 Birthday of Broadway leading lady and producer Katharine Cornell (1898-1974), who starred in and/or produced A Bill of Divorcement, The Age of Innocence, The Barretts of Wimpole Str…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Saturday, February 14, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’ S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 14 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1882 Birthday of John Barrymore (1882-1942), actor in the grand style, and scion of the Barrymore acting clan. Though he began as a light comedian, he became identified with the classics…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:18AM
Wednesday, February 11, 2015

PLAYBILL VAULT’S Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 11 by David Gewirtzman and Robert Viagas, Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley

1901 A man marries his fiancee On the Quiet because his parents want him to finish Yale. Playwright Augustus Thomas based this comedy on a real incident. It unfolds at the Madison Square The…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime