New York - Katie Holmes on Broadway? OMG. Holmes' official debut on the New York stage was expected to be feted Thursday night at the "All My Sons" premiere with a madhouse red carpet, plenty of press - and maybe even a few protesters on hand.
Celeb gawkers hoping to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Tom Cruise were sure to add to the crush of attention on the revival of Arthur Miller's drama, in which she has a supporting role. Though the play has been in previews for weeks, its official bow was perhaps the most eagerly awaited event on Broadway this fall, if not in years.
Hollywood stars like Julia Roberts and Sean Combs have in recent years tried their talents on the New York stage and in doing so, brought huge buzz to their productions.
Holmes' Broadway entree at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre has already proven at least as big a draw. In its first full week of eight preview performances, it was the highest-grossing play on Broadway, with a haul of $684,002 from playing at nearly 98 percent capacity at the 1,052-seat theater.
The revival of Miller's play - which was first performed on Broadway in 1947 - stars John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson. Reviews of the production were to be published late Thursday.
Cruise, renown as a Scientologist, attended the first preview performance of "All My Sons" and called it "extraordinary."
Anti-Scientology protesters have at times demonstrated outside the theater. At the first preview, roughly 30 protesters stood behind a barricade, chanting "Scientology kills!"
"All My Sons" concerns businessman Joe Keller (Lithgow) whose factory supplied defective cylinder parts to the military, resulting in the deaths of 21 pilots during World War II. Wiest plays Keller's wife; Wilson his idealistic son; and Holmes the son's fiancee and daughter of Keller's disgraced partner.
