Notable Opening Nights Recap, Part II, and Your Own Thursday Headlines

 

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Still playing catchup, so more capsule commentary. I'm going to try to do a bridge post over the weekend.

Notable Sept. 25 debuts include:
Upstairs and Down, which premiered in 1916 at what is now the James Earl Jones. Husband and wife Frederic and Fanny Hatton's third consecutive hit play concerned the romantic escapades of rich folks on Long Island as the servants look on.

The Greeks Had a Word for It, which opened in 1930 at the now-demolished Sam H. Harris. Fifty-three weeks after her (professional) triumph in Strictly Dishonorable*, Muriel Kirkland was back in this play that partially inspired How to Marry a Millionaire. Muriel played "Polaire," the precursor to Marilyn Monroe's movie role. Her costars included Dorothy Hall ("Schatze," Lauren Bacall's role) and Verree Teasdale ("Jean," Betty Grable's role).

*Kirkland left that show because of an ongoing feud with costar Tullio Carminati.

Winterset, which opened in 1935 at what is now the Al Hirschfeld. Maxwell Anderson's play, inspired by Sacco and Vanzetti, starred Burgess Meredith as an Italian-American trying to prove that his father was unjustly executed for a robbery-murder he didn't commit. Winterset won the New York Drama Critics' Circle's first Best Play award.

Affairs of State, which premiered in 1950 at what is now the Bernard B. Jacobs and ran for nearly two seasons at the Music Box. Celeste Holm followed up All About Eve with this Louis Verneuil comedy about a "shy and mousy little schoolteacher who is persuaded to marry a wealthy senator (Shepperd Strudwick) to cover up his romance with the ambitious spouse (Barbara O'Neil) of an ex-secretary of state (Reginald Owen)." Celeste was succeeded by June Havoc, while Angela Lansbury led an East Coast tour.

Luther, which opened in 1963 at the St. James. David Merrick imported John Osborne's play and its star, Albert Finney. Luther won Best Play at the 18th Tony Awards, while Finney lost to Alec Guinness, who played Dylan Thomas in Dylan. I know Luther is an important theatrical work, but I just think of it vis-à-vis Rosemary's Baby. It's one of the two Broadway shows Guy was in prior to moving into the Bramford. (Now name the other!)

Evita, which opened in 1979 at the Broadway. Never heard of it.

Equus, which opened in 2008 at the Broadhurst. This wasn't a long-running revival -- it closed after four-and-a-half months -- but it received much attention for 19-year-old Daniel Radcliffe making his Broadway debut in the buff. Oh, yeah, and there's a play about blinding horses or something.

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