PLAY OF THE DAY! Today's Play: BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS by Neil Simon

During this time when productions all over the world have been put on pause, we are coming together to celebrate plays that have left their mark on theater history.

This week we will be focusing on the plays of Neil Simon.

Today's play, Brighton Beach Memoirs!

Brighton Beach Memoirs is semi-autobiographical, and the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy, proceeding Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound.

Brighton Beach Memoirs premiered on Broadway in 1983. It starred Matthew Broderick (Eugene Jerome), Elizabeth Franz (Kate Jerome), Peter Michael Goetz (Jack Jerome), Mandy Ingber (Laurie Morton), Željko Ivanek (Stanley Jerome), Jodi Thelen (Nora Morton) and Joyce Van Patten (Blanche Morton).

Brighton Beach Memoirs was revived on Broadway in 2009, starring Laurie Metcalf as Kate Jerome and Dennis Boutsikaris as Jack Jerome, with Santino Fontana as Stanley Jerome, Jessica Hecht as Blanche, Gracie Bea Lawrence as Laurie, Noah Robbins as Eugene and Alexandra Socha as Nora.

The original production won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for Matthew Broderick, and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Gene Saks.