Actor marks birthday on Cleveland stage

April 2, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

CLEVELAND — More than 3,000 Cleveland theatergoers have helped actor Richard Chamberlain ring in his 75th birthday.

Fans celebrated Tuesday during Chamberlain’s opening night in the musical “Spamalot” at the Palace Theater.

After the curtain fell, the audience rose to its feet and sang “Happy Birthday” while a fellow cast member presented Chamberlain with a cake on stage.

Chamberlain starred as the heartthrob in 1960s TV series “Dr. Kildare.” His recent TV credits include appearances on “Will & Grace,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Nip/Tuck.” The stage veteran plays King Arthur in the touring musical based on the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Award hails Bill Cosby as one of the greatest

WASHINGTON — Bill Cosby is the winner of the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for his groundbreaking comedy and acting career.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Wednesday that the 71-year-old will be honored as one of the world’s greatest humorists. Some of the biggest names in comedy will salute Cosby when he receives the award on stage Oct. 26.

In a statement, Cosby says his mother read Twain’s famous stories to him as a child. Cosby says he wants to apologize to Twain for falling asleep hundreds of times. Still, he says Twain’s stories inspired his work.

Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen Schwarzman says the star of “The Cosby Show” during the 1980s is one of America’s most beloved comedians.

Past honorees include George Carlin, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg.

Today's birthdays

Singer Leon Russell is 67. Jazz guitarist Larry Coryell is 66. Actress Linda Hunt is 64. Singer Emmylou Harris is 62. Actress Pamela Reed is 60. Country singer Buddy Jewell is 48. Actor Christopher Meloni (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 48. Singer Keren Woodward of Bananarama is 48. Country singer Billy Dean is 47. Guitarist Greg Camp (Smash Mouth) is 42. Guitarist Tony Fredianelli of Third Eye Blind is 40. Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5 is 30. Actress Bethany Joy Galeotti (“One Tree Hill”) is 28.