Tomkat in the House (or at least the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre)

Fans of All My Sons, Arthur Miller's classic tragedy of war profiteering, have always known it still has the potential power to incite controversial passions.

But who knew the current Broadway revival co-starring Mrs. Tom Cruise would lead to these demonstrations:

More than 200 bystanders had gathered across the street to watch Holmes leave the theater as police officers on foot and horseback patrolled the scene.

Not among the observers: the roughly 30 Scientology protesters from a group called Anonymous who demonstrated before the show behind a barricade, loudly chanting ''Scientology kills!'' Some wore masks like in the movie ''V for Vendetta,'' and one poster read: ''FREE KATIE.''

The AP article (featuring the apparently news-breaking headline: "Tom Cruise praises Katie Holmes' B'way Performance") also features some rare pre-opening reviewing from the otherwise reticent Associated Press. Shocking the production would let such scathing criticism be published so early:

If Holmes felt nervous and jittery, she didn't show it. She delivered her lines with confidence and projected her girlish voice so it could be heard loud and clear. She danced around on stage with gusto. She looked lovely in two dresses that highlighted her trim yet shapely figure. She wore a brown shoulder-length hairpiece to hide her trendy pixie cut.

And she received a standing ovation afterward.

"Free Katie" indeed. She'll never get to know if she's truly good in this or not.