Witty fools, foolish wits, and your own Thursday headlines

 

Courtesy PBS.

This week's Notable Opening Night spotlight is on June 11, 1804, which appears to be when Americans first saw a production of Twelfth Night. It took place at the now-demolished Park Theatre, located close to City Hall Park.

WHO WORE IT BEST?
Julia Marlowe

Courtesy The Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company.

Helen Hayes

Courtesy New York Theater.

Judi Dench

Courtesy Threads.

Imogen Stubbs

Courtesy Quetzal Attack.

Helen Hunt

Courtesy Lincoln Center Theater.

Amanda Bynes

Courtesy E! News.

Anne Hathaway

Courtesy Northern Iowan.


Lupita Nyong'o

Courtesy New York Times.

Also opening on this day:

The Odd Couple, revived at the Broadhurst in 1985. For this 20th anniversary production, Neil Simon flipped it from Oscar and Felix to Olive (Rita Moreno, then Brenda Vaccaro) and Florence (Sally Struthers; why not "Felicia"?). The leading ladies, plus a small ensemble including Tony Shalhoub and Lewis J. Stadlen as the "Costazuela Brothers," were under the direction of Gene Saks rather than Mike Nichols. Until now, I didn't know that Gene was a replacement twice over; Danny Simon, Neil's brother and the inspiration for Felix, was fired from his directorial duties -- by Neil. Between that, a Rita-Sally feud, and less than stellar grosses, it's not surprising this production didn't make it to the end of the 1985-86 season. I am intrigued by the what could have been: apparently Joan Rivers and Nancy Walker were the first choices.

Notable Opening Nights is taking next week off. It will return on June 25 with either an essay on Wish You Were Here (no, not the Pink Floyd album) or Side Man.