This Day in History May 2, 1924

I was quite pleased to see that this guy is still alive.  Several years ago (when I was still married), I went with my parents to see Thedore Bikel in Dallas, Texas as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.  Immediately, I knew I was seeing an icon.  After all, I am the musical theatre/old Hollywood buff, and I knew that Theodore Bikel originally played Captain von Trapp on Broadway back in the original production of The Sound of Music.  As that is one of my all-time favorite musicals, I was pretty excited to see him.  And on this date in 1924, Theodore Bikel was born in Austria.  I had no idea that he was also in The African Queen.  That is one of the only Humphrey Bogart films I enjoy.  I also learned that he is on his third wife (2008).  Goodness, he sounds like he is still going strong.

For more info:
http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/theodore-bikel.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Bikel
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000942/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000942/bio

This Day in History November 16, 1959

There is no live video of this show--at least from what I can tell--but on this date in 1959, the final Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway.  It starred Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel.  I never had the privilege of seeing Mary Martin in anything, but in Texas, I got to see "Fiddler on the Roof" with Theodore Bikel--amazing!

Need I tell you that I am partial to musicals, this musical, and Rodgers and Hammerstein?  Oh, I'm also a fan of Maria von Trapp, and I remember in high school finding out that she had died.  The movie version with Julie Andrews is one of those musicals I have seen so many times that I can say the script nearly verbatim.  I love it, love it, love it!

For more information, please check out:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-sound-of-music-premieres-on-broadway
http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/soundofmusic.htm
http://famousdaily.com/history/sound-of-music-opens-on-broadway.html