1922 Birthday of Frances Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, star of numerous Hollywood film musicals including The Wizard of Oz. Her Broadway experience consists of three concert shows: Judy Garland: Palace Two-A-Day in 1951, Judy Garland in 1956, and Judy Garland "At Home at the Palace" in 1967. In 1952, she receives a special Tony Award "for an important contribution to the revival of vaudeville through her recent stint at the Palace Theatre."
1976 Neil Simon's California Suite opens on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. The play about couples and their troubles with each other and other couples stars Tammy Grimes, George Grizzard, Jack Weston, Leslie Easterbrook, and Barbara Barrie. The production runs through the next year, playing 445 performances before closing July 2, 1977.
1982 Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy opens on Broadway at the Little Theatre. The play, composed of three one-acts focusing on homosexuality and family values, wins Fierstein Tony Awards both for Best Play and for Best Actor in a Play. Also in the cast is pre-Golden Girls Estelle Getty. It runs 1,222 performances.
1993 The first Broadway revival of Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joe Masteroff's musical She Loves Me opens at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Criterion Center Stage Right. Boyd Gaines, Judy Kuhn, Sally Mayes, and Howard McGillin star, and Gaines wins a Tony Award for his performance. The production later transfers to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and runs a total of 354 performances.
1999 Harry Groener plays Noël Coward to Twiggy's Gertrude Lawrence in Sheridan Morley's If Love Were All opening Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. The musical revue, which focuses on the relationship between actor Lawrence and her friend and frequent co-star, playwright Coward, is directed by Leigh Lawson.
2001 Several high-profile Broadway shows close after being shut out of the Tony Awards. Despite a last-minute cash infusion from songwriter Alanis Morrisette, Jane Eyre ends a six-month money-losing run. Also closed today, the Ed Kleban musical A Class Act and Faith Prince's Bells Are Ringing revival.
More of Today's Birthdays: Frederick Loewe (1901–1988). Julie Haydon (1910–1994). Terence Rattigan (1911–1977). Gina Gershon (b. 1962). Sean Allan Krill (b. 1971). Nick Adams (b. 1983).
