Today's Birthdays 5/11

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 8:44pm

Baron Munchhausen 5/11/1720 - 2/22/1797 German story-teller; his tales became "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"

Irving Berlin 05/11/1888 - 9/22/1989 Producer, Composer, Writer, Lyricist, Performer, Theatre Owner/Operator; Berlin wrote the scores for many Broadway shows (Annie Get Your Gun) and films (Top Hat). Winning an Oscar for his composition, White Christmas, Irving Berlin had the unique experience of opening the envelope that contained his name. He was the presenter at this segment of the Academy Awards for 1942 and upon opening the envelope, said, “This goes to a nice guy; I’ve known him all my life. The winner is ... me.”

Dame Margaret Rutherford 5/11/1892 - 5/22/1972 English stage and screen actress, in 1967 Rutherford became a Dame of the British Empire. She was married to actor Stringer Davis, with whom she appeared in several films; one of their children was writer Gordon Langley Hall, who underwent a sex-change operation in 1968 and later wrote a biography of Rutherford under the name "Dawn Langley Hall." - 1947 The Importance of Being Earnest (John Gielgud, Robert Flemyng); Farewell, Farewell Eugene (Mildred Dunnock); film's Miss Marple film series; The VIPs

Martha Graham 05/11/1894 - 4/1/1991 American dancer, teacher and choreographer; modern dancer: Denishawn dance school and performing troupe, Graham company, established school of modern dance at Bennington College; “The center of the stage is where I am.”; choreographer: Cave of the Heart, Appalachian Spring

Phil Silvers 05/11/1911 - 11/1/1985 Source Material, Performer - Do Re Mi; orig A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; tv's & film's Emmy Award-winning comedian: The Phil Silvers Show [Sgt. Bilko: 1955, 1956, 1957]; The Beverly Hillbillies, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Mort Sahl 05/11/1927 performer - The Next President; Mort Sahl on Broadway!; Comedy Tonight (Joy Behar, Dorothy Loudon); film's Don’t Make Waves, Doctor You’ve Got to be Kidding; All the Young Men; Nothing Lasts Forever

Doug McClure 05/11/1935 - Feb 5, 1995 performer - The Roast (Peter Boyle, Rob Reiner, Larry Gelman); tv's & film's The Gambler Returns, Omega Syndrome, The Unforgiven, The Virginian, Search, Roots, Out of this World, The Overland Trail, Checkmate, The Barbary Coast

Steve Curry 05/11/1946 performer - orig Gypsy; 13 Daughters (Sylvia Sims); I Can Get It for You Wholesale (Babs); 1964 West Side Story (Julia Migenes, Jay Norman, Don McKay); The Freaking Out of Stephanie Blake [never officially opened] (Jean Arthur, Jan Miner)

Boyd Gaines 05/11/1953 performer; Husband of Kathleen McNenny - Twelve Angry Men; The Heidi Chronicles (Cynthia Nixon, Joan Allen); 1993 She Loves Me; 1995 Company; Contact; tv's & film's Fame; 1 Day @ A Time; Porky's; Evergreen; Heartbreak Ridge; Call Me;Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall; I'm Not Rappaport; The Confession; Second Best

George Dvorsky 05/11/1959 performer - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Marilyn; Passion; 1995 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; The Scarlet Pimpernel

Natasha Richardson 05/11/1963 performer; grandaughter of Michael Redgrave, daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson, sister of actress Joely Richardson, niece of actress Lynn & Corin Redgrave, wife of Robert Fox (1990 - 1992) divorced, Liam Neeson (July 3, 1994 - present) - 2005 A Streetcar Named Desire; 1993 Anna Christie; 1998 Cabaret; Closer (Rupert Graves); film's Widow’s Peak, Nell, Hostages, Past Midnight, The Handmaid’s Tale, Patty Hearst, Gothic, On the Razzle, The Charge of the Light Brigade

SHOWS THAT OPENED ON THIS DATE:

1938 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart contribute music and lyrics for I Married an Angel at the Shubert Theater on Broadway. George Balanchine choreographs this story of a banker who looks for Ms. Right from above. Dennis King and Vera Zorina are featured for this 42-week run.

1994 A revival of the musical Grease!opens on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Featured in director-choreographer Jeff Calhoun's cast are Megan Mullally and film star Rosie O' Donnell.

1965 - Liza Minnelli opened in Flora the Red Menace. The musical ran for only 87 performances at the Alvin Theatre.

2002 The original London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and T.S. Eliot's Cats closes after a record run of 21 years, on the anniversary of its opening night.

ON THIS DAY IN:

1647 Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor.

1927 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded; although the first Oscars were not presented for several years after its founding.

(sources: IBDB, NYT's ON THIS DAY, 440.com’s Those Were The Days, Playbill.com)

Milla

Updated On: 5/11/05 at 08:44 PM

[wildcat]

Posted: 5/11/05 at 8:11am

And Steve Curry was the original Broadway 'Woof' in HAIR.

And as for Doug McClure...woof!! Hubba hubba!!

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 5/11/05 at 1:28pm

bump