October 15 marks the birthday of Tony winner Linda Lavin. Known for portraying the title character in the sitcom Alice, Lavin's stage career has included Tony-nominated roles in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Collected Stories, and The Lyons; in celebration of her birthday, we're taking a look back at the role which won Lavin her Tony Award: 1986's Broadway Bound.
Broadway Bound, Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical play about two brothers who attempt to deal with their parents' strife in tandem with pursuing their own dreams of becoming writers, originally premiered at Duke University in October 1986. The play opened on Broadway December 4, 1986, at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 756 performances before closing on September 25, 1988. Lavin took home the Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Play, with her co-star John Randolph winning the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play; the production was also nominated for Best Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Phyllis Newman).
Flip through photos from the production below:
