Julia Roberts Wows Broadway Theatre Goers  3/30/06

Julia Roberts enjoyed a successful Broadway debut last night (28MAR06) with the first preview of Three Days of Rain, although she burst out laughing when a plastic tomato prop bounced all over the stage.

The Oscar-winning actress was so popular with New York theatre-goers her first few lines were inaudible over the audience's thunderous applause at the Bernard B Jacobs theatre.

The New York Daily News writes: "A moment that reminded the audience this was the first preview came midway through the second act.

"(Roberts) had to contend with a runaway prop tomato. The plastic veggie landed on the floor, bounced and echoed like a table tennis ball - a blooper that left Roberts briefly in stitches.

"She broke character and couldn't help flashing her trademark toothy grin.

That smile was in evidence at the curtain call, which showed that Roberts had checked her superstar status at the stage door."

Three Days Of Rain officially opens on 19 April (06) after more previews. In late January (06), it scored $7 million (#3.9 million) in advanced sales in one day.

The play was written by Richard Greenberg and was a Pulitzer Prize nominee in 1997.