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

Remembering Bea Arthur

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Remembering Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur, star of "Maude" and "The Golden Girls," and Tony Award winner for "Mame," passed away this weekend at the age of 86.

Arthur started early, getting elected wittiest girl in class in school. She got a degree as a medical lab technician, but discovered that she "loathed" hospital work.

She took a drama course at the New School of Social Research in New York. She sang at a night spot.

Her career started to really gain headway when she was cast as Lucy Brown in the 1955 production of "The Threepenny Opera."

When she was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 2008, she pointed to that as the highlight of her career. She said it was then that she felt "Ah, yes, I belong here."

She continued in nightclub acts, plays, and musicals, before being originating the role of Yente the Matchmaker in "Fiddler on the Roof."

Her greatest triumph on Broadway came in 1966, when she was cast as Vera Charles in "Mame."

The New York Post called her portrayal "a portrait in acid of a savagely witty, cynical, and serpent-tongued woman."

She won the Tony for best supporting actress for that role and went on to repeat role in the film version of the show.

In many ways, her characters on "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" would be variations on Vera Charles.

On television, she first appeared on "All in the Family" as Maude Finley, who was a great foil for Archie Bunker as played by Caroll O'Connor.

The exchanges between Arthur and O'Connor were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear created a series around her.

"Maude" debuted in 1972. Arthur won an Emmy for her role on that show in 1977. The character became a standard bearer for the feminist movement.

"The Golden Girls" was also groundbreaking, particularly finding success in a television market geared toward younger audiences.

She was unconcerned at the similarity between her character on that show, Dorothy Zbornak, and Maude.

"Look," she said, "I'm 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line. What can I do about it? I can't stay home waiting for something different. I think it's a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting."

The show gained a huge audience and 10 Emmys, including two for best comedy series and acting awards for each of the stars.

She was close friends with her costars on that show. Rue McClanahan remembered Arthur as kind, caring, and no nonsense.

McClanahan said, "she showed me how to be very brave in playing comedy. I'll miss that courage. And I'll miss that voice."

Fellow costar Betty White added "She was such a big part of my life."

Between television series, she continued to perform in film and on stage. On screen, she was in "That Kind of Woman," "Lovers and Other Strangers," "The History of the World: Part I," and "For Better or Worse."

On stage she was in Woody Allen's "The Floating Light Bulb" and "The Bermuda Avenue Triange."

She toured the country in 2001 and 2002 in a one-woman show she called "...And Then There's Bea."

In 1999, she told of her three main influences: "Sid Caesar taught me the outrageous; Lee Strasberg taught me what I call reality; and Lotte Lenya, whom I adored, taught me economy."

She will be tremendously missed.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Remembering Marilyn Cooper

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Remembering Marilyn Cooper

Marilyn Cooper, Tony winner in 1981 for "Woman of the Year," passed away yesterday.

She was actually able to steal some of Lauren Bacall's focus in that show, singing a duet with Bacall and stopping the show with her punchlines.

Cooper's career stretched back in 1956 in "Mr. Wonderful." She also played Rosalie in the original production of "West Side Story."

She appeared in "I Can Get it for You Wholesale" and "Mame" as well as playing a number of roles in the Comden and Green (and Jules Styne and Aurthur Laurents" musical "Hallelujah, Baby!"

In the 1970s, she was in "On the Town," "Two by Two," and "Ballroom."

She also did a few straight plays in the '70s, frequently in Neil Simon shows. She was in "Broadway Bound" and "The Odd Couple."

Cooper originated the role of Agnes in "Gypsy," the Hollywood Blonde who develops a close friendship with stripper Tessie Tura.

She will be missed.

Gina Wilhelm Actress