Arden best known for starring on Broadway in Bob Dylan and Twyla Tharp's musical The Times They Are A-Changin.' Additional Broadway credits include the Roundabout Theatre Company's presentation of the Deaf West Theatre sign-language production of Big River. Other credits include Ace, Swimming in the Shallows, Bare, Harold & Maude and It's Only Life Off-Broadway. Arden also joined Barbra Streisand during her world concert tour and appeared in the City Center Encores! staging of Juno.

Happy Birthday, Liev Screiber! Schreiber's performance as Ricky Roma in the 2005 Broadway revival of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross", directed by Joe Mantello, earned him his first Tony Award. He was again a Tony nominee for his portrayal of Barry Champlain in the 2007 Broadway revival of Eric Bogosian's "Talk Radio", directed by Robert Falls, Other stage work includes The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of "Macbeth", in the lead role opposite Jennifer Ehle, directed by Moises Kaufman; "Iago"; "Hamlet"; "Henry the V"; and "Cymbeline".

Today in 2003, Little Shop of Horrors opened at the Virginia THeatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 372 performances. Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy horror rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, 'Skid Row (Downtown)', 'Somewhere That's Green', and 'Suddenly, Seymour'.

Happy Birthday, Julie Andrews! Andrews made her Broadway debut in 1954 with The Boy Friend, and rose to prominence starring in other musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, and in musical films such as Mary Poppins (1964), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and The Sound of Music (1965). She has starred in films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), the Shrek animated films (2004-2010), and Despicable Me (2010).

Happy Birthday, George Gershwin! Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known. Among his best known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, as well as the opera Porgy and Bess. Gershwin's music has been heard on the Broadway stage in Nice Work If You Can Get It, Crazy for You, and many more.

Today in 1979, Evita opened at the Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 1567 performances. Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death. Evita began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, and on Broadway a year later, both of which enjoyed considerable success. A major 1996 film of the musical starred Madonna and Antonio Banderas. In 2006, the musical was revived in London, and on Broadway in 2012.

Happy Birthday Marc Kudisch! Kudisch was nominated for the Tony Award first for the role of Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations as well), and then for Baron Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Outer Critics nomination as well). His other Broadway roles include The Proprietor in Assassins (Drama Desk nomination), Jeff Moss in Bells Are Ringing, Jackie in The Public Theatre's production of The Wild Party, Chauvelin in the 3rd incarnation of The Scarlet Pimpernel, George Kittredge in High Society, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, and Reuben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Today in 1966, Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 77 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.'

Happy Birthday, Stephanie J. Block! On Broadway, Block has starred in The Boy From Oz, Wicked, The Pirate Queen, 9 To 5, Anything Goes, and soon The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In addition, she originated the role of Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked and in 2010 starred as Grizabella in the Municipal Opera Production production of Cats. Also that year, she starred as Sonia Walsk alongside Jason Alexander in the Reprise Theatre Company's production of They're Playing Our Song. This season, Block made her Off-Broadway debut in the play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at 2nd Stage, earning a Drama Desk nomination. Her solo album, This Place I Know, was released in 2009 by PS Classics.

Today in 2008, A Tale of Two Cities opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, where it ran for 60 performances. A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.The Broadway production featured James Barbour, Natalie Toro, Aaron Lazar, Gregg Edelman, and Brandi Burkhardt.

Happy Birthday, Constantine Maroulis! 'American Idol' finalist Maroulis earned a 2009 Best Actor Tony Award nomination for portraying Drew, an aspiring musician with pipes of steel in the Tony-nominated musical Rock of Ages. He originated the role in the Off-Broadway production at New World Stages in 2008. He has also appeared on Broadway in The Wedding Singer, Off-Broadway in Jacques Brel..., and the national tour of RENT. He is starring in the Broadway-bound national tour of Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde in the dual title role of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde with recording artist Deborah Cox (Broadway's Aida) as Lucy.

Today in 1989, the first Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd opened at the Circle inthe Square Theatre, where it ran for 188 performances. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler. Set in 19th century England, the musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' transportation on trumped-up charges. When he finds out that his wife poisoned herself after being raped by the judge who transported him, he vows revenge on the judge and, later, the whole world. He teams up with a piemaker, Mrs. Lovett, and opens a barbershop in which he slits the throats of customers and has them baked into pies.

Today in 1943, Porgy and Bess opened at the 44th Street Theatre, where it ran for 24 performances. First performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, it was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward. All three works deal with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an 'American folk opera', Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers-a daring artistic choice at the time.

Today in 2011, Follies opened at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 152 performances. Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the 'Weismann's Follies,' a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies), that played in that theatre between the World Wars. The musical was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won seven. The piece has enjoyed a number of major revivals, and several of its songs have become standards, including 'Broadway Baby', 'I'm Still Here', 'Too Many Mornings', 'Could I Leave You?', and 'Losing My Mind'.

Happy Birthday, Harry Connick, Jr. A star in music, theater, film and television, Connick recently won his second Emmy for musical direction of his live concert television special, 'Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway.' In 1990 he appeared in a sold-out concert series at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and in 2006, received a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway revival of The Pajama Game. He most recently starred on Broadway in the musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Today in 2000, Cats closed at the Wintergarden Theatre, where it ran for 7485 performances. Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. Cats first opened in the West End in 1981 and then on Broadway in 1982, each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne; it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Happy Birthday Tom Wopat! Wopat first appeared on the Broadway stage as a replacement in the 1977 musical I Love My Wife, as 'Wally'. He then appeared as a replacement in the stage musicals City of Angels, and Guys and Dolls. He finally appeared in the opening cast of the 1999 revival of Annie Get Your Gun opposite Bernadette Peters, Susan Lucci and Crystal Bernard, who played Annie Oakley. In 2008, Wopat starred on Broadway as the father in the musical A Catered Affair, and received his second Tony nomination for that performance. Wopat recently originated the role of Frank Abignale, Sr. in the musical Catch Me if You Can.

Happy Birthday Jerry Zaks! Zaks won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing The House of Blue Leaves, Lend Me A Tenor, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Guys and Dolls.

Today in 2009, 9 to 5 closed at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 148 performances. 9 to 5 is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the 1980 movie Nine to Five. Resnick had co-written the screenplay with Colin Higgins, the director of the film, in which Parton had her first screen role. The musical premiered at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in September 2008 and opened on Broadway on April 30, 2009. It was nominated for 15 Drama Desk Awards, the most received by a production in a single year. It was also nominated for four Tony Awards.

Today in 2000, Aida opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 1852 performances. Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. Aida was nominated for five Tony Awards and won four Tony Awards in 2000, including Best Musical Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Aida was also named by Time Magazine in 2000 as one of the top ten theatre productions of the year. The First National tour was nominated for nine National Broadway Theatre awards (now 'Touring Broadway Awards') and won five awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Today in 2011, Catch Me If You Can closed at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it ran for 166 performances. Catch Me If You Can is a musical with a libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. A majority of the plot is borrowed from the 2002 film of the same name, which in turn was based on Abagnale's 1980 autobiography. The production received four Tony Awards nominations, including one for Best Musical, winning Best Actor in a Musical for Norbert Leo Butz.

Happy Birthday, Chad Kimball! After moving to New York, he was hired for the Broadway musical, The Civil War, joining the show 3 weeks before it closed. He was in the Off-Broadway revival of Godspell (2000) and the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (2002) as Milky-White the cow. He appeared in the Broadway musicals Lennon and Good Vibrations in 2005. Kimball originated 'Huey' in the musical Memphis at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2008, starred in the Broadway production, and earned a Tony nomination for his performance.

Happy Birthday, Alan Jay Lerner! Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film. He won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among other honors. Some of his best-know works include My Fair Lady, Briagadoon, Camelot, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Today in 2009, The Little Mermaid closed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 685 performances. The Little Mermaid is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The musical's book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman (written for the film) and new lyrics by Glenn Slater. The original cast featured Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternate as Flounder, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and John Treacy Egan as Chef Louis.

Today in 1977, Chicago closed at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre), where it ran for 936 performances. Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago, with music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Chicago's 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival on Broadway and is its fourth longest-running show.