Today in 1957, The Taming of the Shrew openend at the Phoenix Theatre, where it ran for 23 performances. A comedy by William Shakespeare, the play is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments-the 'taming'-until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more desirable sister, Bianca.

Today in 1992, Crazy for You opened at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 1622 performances. Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as 'The New Gershwin Musical Comedy', it is largely based on the songwriting team's 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well. Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical. The Broadway production was directed by Mike Ockrent and choreographed by Susan Stroman.The cast included Jodi Benson as Polly, Harry Groener as Bobby Child, Bruce Adler as Bela Zangler, John Hillner as Lank Hawkins, Michele Pawk as Irene Roth, Jane Connell as Mother, and Beth Leavel as Tess.

Happy Birthday, Christopher Sieber! Sieber made his Broadway debut as Agis in the musical Triumph of Love with Betty Buckley and F. Murray Abraham. Following this role, he appeared as a replacement in the roles of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Billy Flynn in Chicago. Sieber played the role of Rapunzel's Prince and shared the role of the Wolf with Gregg Edelman in the revival of Into the Woods in 2002. In March 2005, Sieber originated the role of Sir Dennis Galahad in the Broadway musical Monty Python's Spamalot. He starred as Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical which opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, after an out-of-town tryout in Seattle. On March 11, 2011, Sieber replaced Jeffrey Tambor as Georges in the Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles opposite Harvey Fierstein.

Happy Birthday, Billie Joe Armstrong! Best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day, Armstrong recently brought one of his most popular albums to Broadway- American Idiot. In 2010, Armstrong joined the cast of American Idiot, which won two Tonys, for one week in the role of St. Jimmy. He replaced the original Broadway cast member Tony Vincent in fall of 2010 and returned to the role for 50 performances in January 2011.

Happy Birthday, John Tartaglia! Tartaglia created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton (the recent college grad) and Rod (the closeted Republican investment banker) in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q, which opened July 31, 2003. For the roles, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004. He joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast as Lumiere on November 21, 2006 and played the roles of Pinocchio and the Magic Mirror in Shrek the Musical. He most recently produced Imaginocean, which is currently on a national tour!

Today in 1905, Harold Arlen was born. Having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over, Arlen is best known for writing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, 'Over the Rainbow.' Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. Harlen's music has been featured in a number of other early Broadway shows including Hooray for What!, Bloomer Girl, St. Louis Woman, House of Flowers, Mr. Imperium, Jamaica, Saratoga, and many more.

Today in 1980, the first Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY opened at the Minskoff Theatre, where it ran for 333 performances. West Side Story is an American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York City in the mid-1950s, the musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Bernstein's score for the musical has become extremely popular; it includes 'Something's Coming', 'Maria', 'America', 'Somewhere', 'Tonight', 'Jet Song', 'I Feel Pretty', 'A Boy Like That', 'One Hand, One Heart', 'Gee, Officer Krupke' and 'Cool'.

Happy Birthday Stockard Channing! In 1971, she made her Broadway debut in Two Gentlemen of Verona - The Musical, working with playwright John Guare. She also appeared on Broadway in 1973 in a supporting role in No Hard Feelings. In 1978, at the age of 33, she took on the role of high school teenager Betty Rizzo in the hit musical Grease. Additional Broadway credits include: They're Playing Our Song, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, Woman in Mind, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, and The Lion in Winter. She is currently starrign on Broadway in Other Desert Cities at the Booth Theatre.

Today in 1946, Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1147 performances. Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860-1926), who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler. Songs that became hits include 'There's No Business Like Show Business', 'Doin' What Comes Natur'lly', 'You Can't Get a Man with a Gun', 'They Say It's Wonderful', and 'Anything You Can Do.'

Today in 1979, They're Plaing Our Song opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1082 performances. With a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch, the musical is based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager- a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain. They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices, and there are no big production numbers.

Today in 1959, The Most Happy Fella opened at City Center where it ran for 16 performances. With a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser, the story isabout a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard. The original Broadway production opened in 1956 and ran for 14 months. A 1992 revival, directed by Gerald Guttierrez, featured Spiro Malas as Tony, Sophie Hayden as Rosabella, Charles Pistone as Joe, Claudia Catania as Marie, Liz Larsen as Cleo, and Scott Waara as Herman.

Today in 1984, The Rink opend at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), where it ran for 204 performances. With a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, the musical focuses on Anna, the owner of a dilapidated roller skating rink on the boardwalk of a decaying seaside resort, who has decided to sell it to developers. Complicating her plans are her prodigal daughter Angel, who returns to town seeking to reconnect with the people and places she long ago left behind. Through a series of flashbacks, revelations, and minimal forward-moving plot development, the two deal with their pasts in their attempt to reconcile and move on with their lives.

Happy Birthday Sherie Rene Scott! On Broadway Scott has starred as Christine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, garnering nominations for a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award; Amneris in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (2000), for which she won the Clarence Derwent Award and was a Drama League Honoree; Sally in Tommy (1993); Marty in Grease (1995-96); Maureen in Rent (1997); and originated the role of Ursula in The Little Mermaid (2007). In 2010 Scott starred in the critically acclaimed production Everyday Rapture, which Scott wrote with co-author Dick Scanlan. She most recently starred as Pepa in the musical adaptation of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Happy Birthday Charles Dickens! An English novelist, Dickens is generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic novels and characters. Many of his writings were originally published serially, in monthly instalments, a format of publication which Dickens himself helped popularise. Many of hisworks have been turned into Broadway shows, including: Oliver!, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Christmas Carol, a Tale of Two Cities, and more.

Today in 1975, Private Lives opened at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rogers Theatre), where it ran for 92 performances. Private Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noel Coward. It focuses on a divorced couple who discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in neighbouring rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, they realise that they still have feelings for each other. Its second act love scene was nearly censored in Britain as too risque. Coward wrote one of his most popular songs, 'Some Day I'll Find You', for the play.

Happy Birthday, John Guare! He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body. Guare has also been involved with musical theatre. His libretto with Mel Shapiro for the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona was a success when it premiered in 1971 and was revived in 2005 at the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. It won the two men the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. He wrote the songs for Landscape of the Body. In 1999, he revised the book of the Cole Porter musical comedy, Kiss Me, Kate for its Broadway revival. He also wrote the book for the Broadway musical Sweet Smell of Success.

Today in 1999, You're A Good an Charlie Brown opened at the Ambassador Theatre, where it ran for 149 performances. A 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, the show is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts. THe 1999 revival featured new dialogue by Michael Mayer, who also directed, and additional songs and orchestration written by Andrew Lippa; choreography was by Jerry Mitchell. The cast featured Anthony Rapp, Kristin Chenoweth, and Roger Bart.

Welcome to BWW's ON THIS DAY Series celebrating theatrical birthdays, openings and special events that took place on this day in theatre history. Happy 88th birthday to the legendary Elaine Stritch! In celebration of this day, we bring you videos of some of Stritch's most memorable performances and signature songs.

Happy Birthday Nathan Lane! Lane is best known for his roles as Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and his voice work in The Lion King and Stuart Little. In 2008, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Happy Birthday Marissa Jaret Winokur! She is best known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters' film Hairspray, and won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance. She recently reprised the role in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hairspray last summer.

Today in 1915, The Merchant of Venice opened at the 44th Street Theatre. A tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, the play believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and most famous character. This is made explicit by the title page of the first quarto: The mo?t excellent Hi?torie of the Merchant of Venice. The play was recenlty brought to Broadway in 2010 after a successful run at Shakespeare in the Park with Al Pacino and Lily Rabe.

Happy Birthday Carol Channing! She is the recipient of three Tony Awards (including one for lifetime achievement), a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. Channing is best remembered for originating, on Broadway, the musical-comedy roles of bombshell Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and matchmaking widow Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly! She also appeared in two New York revivals of Hello, Dolly!, and toured with it extensively throughout the United States. Channing also appeared in a number of movies, The First Traveling Sales Lady (1956) with Ginger Rogers, the cult film Skidoo and Thoroughly Modern Millie, opposite Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.

Happy Birthday Norbert Leo Butz! Butz made his Broadway debut as Adam Pascal's replacement as Roger Davis in Rent in 1996. Additional Broadway credits include Thou Shalt Not (Camille Raquin, 2001-2002), for which he received a Tony Award nomination; Wicked (the original Fiyero, 2003) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Freddy) for which he received the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, a Drama League Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. His Off-Broadway credits include The Last Five Years (Jamie), Songs for a New World (Lead Male 2), Saved (Fred), and Juno and the Paycock (Jerry Devine). MOst recently, Butz originated the role of Carl Hanratty in the new musical Catch Me If You Can. For this role he won his second Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical[14] and his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Today in 1966, Sweet Charity opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 608 performances. Featuring music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon, the musical was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, and also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions.

Today in 1982, Macbeth opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 21 performances. Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. The earliest account of a performance of what was probably Shakespeare's play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre.