Angela Lansbury, Good Actress With Sondheim

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Angela Lansbury, Good Actress With Sondheim

Angela Lansbury, who received her fifth Tony earlier this year, is set to receive Signature Theatre's Stephen Sondheim Award next spring.

After her first stage performance, in 1964's "Anyone Can Whistle," with a score by Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim himself called her performance "a gift to the musical theater."

"Anyone Can Whistle" only ran nine performances, but Lansbury was just getting started.

She's won Tonys for a revival of "Gypsy" and in the original production of "Sweeney Todd" and provided the voice of the Giant in the 2007 production of "Into the Woods" at Signature.

She is set to return to Broadway in December for a revival of Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Signature Theatre has produced 18 works related to Sondheim, which is the most of any U.S. regional theater. They inaugurated the award this year by giving it to its namesake.

The award is given to "individuals who have achieved success interpreting, supporting and collaborating on Sondheim’s music works."

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Angela Lansbury Wins Fifth Tony

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Angela Lansbury Wins Fifth Tony

Sunday night's Tony ceremony didn't provide too many surprises, but one nice element is that Angela Lansbury won her fifth Tony for her performance as Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit."

She ties for the most Tonys with Julie Harris.

All of Harris' Tonys are for Leading Actress in a Play.

Four of Lansbury's Tonys are for Leading Actress in a Musical. This one, her latest, is for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She received a standing ovation when she got her award.

She was also nominated in 2007 for a Best Leading Actress in a Play for "Deuce," but did not win.

Her other wins were for "Mame," "Dear World," "Gypsy," and "Sweeney Todd."

Harris also won a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

Later in the evening, Lansbury presented a lifetime achievement award herself to Jerry Herman, composer of "Hello, Dolly!" and "Mame."

In her acceptance speech, Lansbury said ""Who knew that (at) this time in my life that I should be presented with this lovely, lovely award. I feel deeply grateful."

In other actress highlights, Liza Minelli won the award for special theatrical event for her production "Liza's at the Palace."

In her speech, Minelli thanked her parents for "the greatest gift they ever gave me, Kay Thompson," her godmother.

Minelli recreated part of Thompson's club act in her show.

The award for Featured Actress in a Musical went to Karen Olivo for her portrayal of Anita in "West Side Story."

Olivo was profiled earlier in this blog.

Alice Ripley received the Lead Actress in a Musical prize for her turn in "Next to Normal." Ripley plays a woman dealing with bipolar disorder.

Marcia Gay Harden received the Lead Actress in a Play award for "God of Carnage."

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Get Ready for the Tonys

KaGina Wilhelm Actress - Get Ready for the Tonys

The Tony Award ceremony will air Sunday night at 8 p.m. on CBS. Before the awards are handed out, Linda Winer of newsday.com looked at several magic moments from this year on Broadway.

Among the actress-related highlights was the confrontation between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots in "Mary Stuart."

The powerful meeting reveals both the courage and insecurity in both queens.

Lauren Ambrose received plaudits for her performance in "Exit the King." In it, she believes that she "love the life back into" Geoffrey Rush's titular king.

Winer feels Kristin Scott Thomas has been wrongly overlooked for her work in the revival of "The Seagull."

Pia Glenn's work in Will Ferrell's "You're Welcome, America, A Final Night with George W. Bush" also deserves some appreciation.

Glenn received the Astaire Award for best female dancer for her turn as the disco-dancing Condoleezza Rice.

Finally, Winer highlights Angela Lansbury's work as Madame Arcati in the revival of "Blithe Spirit." Lansbury is nominated for a Tony for this work. Tomorrow we'll see if she wins!

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Tony Award Nominations Announced

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Tony Award Nominations Announced

The nominees for the 2009 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards were announced Tuesday.

Among the nominees for leading actress in a play were Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Harden for "God of Carnage," Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter for "Mary Stuart," and Jane Fonda for "33 Variations."

Fonda's performance was discussed previously in this blog in March.

Leading actress in a musical nominees were Sutton Foster in "Shrek the Musical," Allison Janney in "9 to 5: The Musical," Alice Ripley in "Next to Normal," and Josefina Scaglione in "West Side Story."


Rounding out the leading actress in a musical nominations is Stockard Channing for "Pal Joey." Her work in that show was discussed in this blog in January.

For best featured actress in a play, the nominees are Hallie Foote in "Dividing the Estate," Jessica Hynes and Amanda Root in "The Norman Conquests," and Marin Ireland in "reasons to be pretty."

Finishing out those nominations is the legendary Angela Lansbury in "Blithe Spirit."

The featured actresses in a musical nominees are Jennifer Damiano for "Next to Normal," Haydn Gwynne and Carole Shelley for "Billy Elliot, The Musical", and Karen Olivo in "West Side Story."

Completing the nominations for featured musical actress is Martha Plimpton in "Pal Joey."

Gina Wilhelm Actress