Katie Holmes made her Broadway debut at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre here in NYC as the Arthur Miller play she is starring in, All My Sons, opened in previews last night. Pink reader Liz was in the hiz last night for Katie‘s debut and offers a very positive review of her performance … here are a few pics of Katie on stage last night:

Liz writes: Just got home from the premier of All My Sons, and I was thoroughly impressed. First of all, John Lithgow blew me away, and Dianne Wiest was outstanding. Patrick Wilson was totally in his element on stage, of course. And Katie Holmes actually really amazed me. It’s not easy to keep up with thespians of this caliber, and she totally held her own. Also, the staging is really minimal, so the actors really had nothing to rely on but their chops. The play’s content is really fascinating, giving them great material, and they all did a fantastic job of bringing it to life. Now on to the gossip … As expected, there was a large Scientology protest outside the theatre beforehand, blah blah blah … Tommy Boy was there, sitting exactly four rows in front of me. He was very congenial and took pictures with a few people, and the audience erupted in applause as soon as he came in to take his seat. The performance went smoothly after the initial ooh’s and ahh’s and everyone respected his privacy. Dustin Hoffman was also there, and spoke with Tom for a bit. As soon as people realized he was in the house as well, he also got a round of applause and a few camera flashes. Katie definitely was looking at Tom during their curtain calls. It was pretty cute, actually. She seemed to be kind of shy about it,and just really hoping she got approval from the audience, which she most certainly did. All in all, a great show, true Arthur Miller style, and worth it to see!

Nice! I’m glad to hear from a real person that Katie was able to hold her on stage with the other very talented players. After the jump, check out couple pics of Tom Cruise‘s arrival at the theater last night, hear what he had to say about his wife’s performance and check out a couple pics of those Scientology protesters that Liz mentioned above …

As expected, hubby Tom had nothing but praise to lavish on his wife’s Broadway debut, tho he remained mum on the mass of Scientology protesters who showed up to have their say. Here are pics of Tom‘s arrival:

And here are a couple pics of the protesters:

Katie Holmes kicked off previews for her Broadway debut in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons on Thursday – along with some anti-Scientology protestors. Around 20 demonstrators (many in masks) staged a protest, shouting “Free Katie” and holding signs that screamed “How many more must die?” outside the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City. “We are not boycotting Katie, we are not boycotting the play – we are protesting Scientology. It is evil. Scientology kills people. It follows you home at night. It is perverted,” a demonstrator insisted. But Holmes and husband Tom Cruise seemed undeterred. Moments before the curtain went up, Cruise was all smiles as he entered the theater, greeting theatergoers, taking pictures and clapping. He hugged Dustin Hoffman, who was sitting a couple rows away, drawing another cheer inside the theater. “It was really powerful, I’m so proud,” Cruise was overheard saying after Holmes’ performance. (After her performance, the two dined at the stylish Angus McIndoe restaurant near the theater.) While reviews likely won’t come in until the play officially opens October 16, a writer for New York’s Daily News says Holmes “held her own” among Broadway veterans John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson. “Holmes exuded the same lovable charm she did as Joey Potter on TV’s Dawson’s Creek,” according to the Daily News. “She shed the baggy T-shirts and jeans she has been sporting on the streets of New York for the past several months of rehearsals, revealing a rail-thin physique in ’40s-style sundresses.”

To be honest, I don’t have a burning desire to see this show for any reason other than the hoopla that has been generated by Katie‘s appearance in the play. Horror of horrors, I’m not a huge Arthur Miller fan (don’t stone me, please) … but I’m really glad to hear that Katie hasn’t lost any of her Dawson’s Creek charm that made her a star all those years ago. I suppose congrats really are in order for Ms. Katie Holmes.

PS: I have to give a shout-out to the faceless Scientology protester who showed up with the sign that read RUN, KATE, RUN (AND TAKE BECK WITH YOU). That person is the winner of the day :)

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source, thanks Liz]