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

Tony Nominee's Pedigree

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Tony Nominee's Pedigree

Karen Olivo received her first Tony nomination yesterday for actress in a featured role in a musical for her portrayal of Anita in "West Side Story."

It's just another accomplishment for this young actress, a former student of the Harrison School for the Arts and alumna of the Theatre Winter Haven in Winter Haven, FL.

Olivo had actually played Anita before, at Theatre Winter Haven. The producing director of that theater group remembers her as "steady, committed, and talented."

She started acting when she was about 13, appearing in a children's production of "The Magician's Nephew."

She actually started acting after her older did it.

She got a $500 scholarship from Theatre Winter Haven for promising high schoolers pursuing a career in the arts.

Since leaving Florida, she has lived in the Bronx for the last 13 years. This is her fourth Broadway play.

She has also been in "Rent," "Brooklyn," and "In the Heights."

"In the Heights" did win a Drama Desk Award for outstanding ensemble performance.

The Tony Awards will be announced June 7 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

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