8/31/1928 Three Penny Opera is coined

August 31, 1928.  Three Penny Opera, by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, opened in Berlin on this date.  It was adapted from the 18th century Beggar's Opera, written by John Gay.

It tells the story of MacHeath, alias Mack the Knife, a notorious London criminal.  The show is dark, political, and brilliant.  The most famous song, best known as "Mack The Knife" has been a huge hit in the United States.  "Pirate Jenny," alias "The Black Freighter," has been recorded by many artists as well.

Here is a video of Alan Cummings and Cyndi Lauper performing "Ballad of the Pimp" at the 2006 Tony Awards.

8/20/87 Sherlock opens his last case

August 20, 1987,  Sherlock's Last Case opened on Broadway on this date.  It was Charles Marowitz's take on Conan Doyle.  From the Playbill summary: Dr. Watson gives us the truth about Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective Sherlock Holmes — he is a self-absorbed, egotistical tyrant in private, even as he is tested once again to solve the case of "the perfect murder."

Whatever you think of that it gave the world a chance to see Frank Langella as the Master.  It ran for 124 performances.

6/6/2014 The Red Box opens

June 6, 2014.  Rex Stout's first novel about Nero Wolfe appeared in 1934, but it took 80 years before the fat genius detective waddled onto a stage.  Joseph Goodrich adapted The Red Box for a production by Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The Saint Paul Pioneer Press called it "a terrific introduction to the characters and the milieu."  Good heavens!  Is that Wolfe with a cigar?

3/1/1979 Barber and Butcher and Broadway

March 1, 1979.  On this date Broadway saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a musical thriller created by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.  The story originated in Victorian times and had gone through many variations.  Todd is a barber who kills and robs his customers, after which his partner Mrs. Lovett disposes the evidence by turning them into meat pies.  You don't have to be a psychologist to see this as based in fear of barbers with straight razors and sellers of dubious cuisine.

11/13/2003 The Pillowman premieres

November 13, 2003.  The Pillowman premiered on this date at the Cottlesloe Theatre in London.  The play by Martin McDonagh was about Katurian, a murder suspect because his short stories resemble the deaths of several children.  It ran on Broadway for five months in 2005.  It won the Olivier Award and two Tonys.

2/16/1965 Baker Street on Broadway

February 16, 1965.  On this date Sherlock Holmes arrived on Broadway in the form of Baker Street,  a musical.  It was written by Jerome Coopersmith, with most songs by Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessell, and ran for over 300 performances.

Fritz Weaver played you-know-who.  Tommy Tune and Christopher Walken made their Broadway debuts.

11/25/1952 The Mousetrap opens

November 25, 1952.  Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap opened in London's West End.  It is still running to this day, to the entertainment of (mostly) tourists.  Christie gave the rights to her grandson Matthew Prichard as a birthday present.  That certainly has to be one of the better gifts he got that year, or any other.

8/31/1928 Three Penny Opera opens

August 31, 1928.  Three Penny Opera, by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, opened in Berlin on this date.  It was adapted by the 18th century Beggar's Opera, written by John Gay. 

It tells the story of MacHeath, alias Mack the Knife, a notorious London criminal.  The show is dark, political, and brilliant.  The most famous song, best known as "Mack The Knife" has been a huge hit in the United States.  "Pirate Jenny," alias "The Black Freighter," has been recorded by many artists as well.

Here is a video of Alan Cummings and Cyndi Lauper performing "Ballad of the Pimp" at the 2006 Tony Awards.

8/8/1843 The Gold Bug hits the boards

August 8, 1843.  On this date the first dramatic presentation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold Bug" was put on stage at the American Theatre in Philadelphia.  It was probably the first theatrical adaption of one of the author's works.  Of course, many more followed.

Poe's tale of code-breaking and treasure-hunting had won a $100 first prize in June and was published in the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper.  Robert Louis Stevenson acknowledged it inspired Treasure Island, the definitive fictional view of pirates.