1966 Audiences can't help but laugh as The Kitchen opens at the 81st Street Theater in New York. The raucous comedy, set in the kitchen of a popular restaurant at dinner time, featured Rip Torn, Constance Clarke, and Sylvia Miles. After opening night, dinner will continue to be prepared on stage for 136 more performances.

1987 Actress Geraldine Page dies of a heart attack at the age of 62. The stage star of Sweet Bird of Youth and Agnes of God was performing in a revival of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit at the time of her death. As a screen actress she was honored with seven Academy Award nominations before finally winning Best Actress for her turn in "The Trip to Bountiful." She also earned two Emmy Awards for roles in TV movies and, though nominated thrice for Tony Awards, was never awarded one.

1990 Actor Charles Grodin knows the Price of Fame as his show opens Off-Broadway. The Roundabout Theatre Company production features Grodin, Lizbeth Mackay, Jace Alexander, Joseph R. Sicari and Michael Ingram under the direction of Gloria Muzio.

2001 Six years after the untimely death of its composer, tick, tick...BOOM!, the autobiographical musical by Rent author Jonathan Larson, is rescued from his trunk and opens Off-Broadway.

2002 The Phantom of the Opera plays its 6,000th performance on Broadway.

Today's Birthdays: Basil Rathbone 1892. Mary Wickes 1910. Bernard B. Jacobs 1916. Rex Everhart 1920. Paul Lynde 1926. Richard Thomas 1951.