Angela Lansbury

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:04pm

Now that 'Blithe Spirit' has closed and Ms Lansbury is having a very well earned rest, I was wondering how many, if any, performances she missed in the shows run?
Anyone know?

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:06pm

Zero.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:09pm

Did any of the other actors in BLITHE SPIRIT miss performances? (just out of curiosity)

Angela is too much of a professional to ever miss a performance...even if she had been slightly ill, I'm sure she would have gone on.

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:11pm

I could have sworn I saw an understudy slip on the ground for one of the men when walking through Shubert Alley once.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:17pm

What a trouper.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:22pm

I've seen the woman seven times on stage (3x's in MAME, twice in SWEENEY, GYPSY and A LITTLE FAMILY BUSINESS and she was never out sick once. Part of Lansbury's theatre ethics is that she's always been more like an athlete in training when doing a musical. It sure is nice knowing you can go see a show and not worry that the leading lady will be a no show. saw the revival of 42nd Street three times and never once got to see the TONY award winning actress perform her role.

[nealb1]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:25pm

Christine Ebersole did have prior engagements when she went into "42nd Street," that the producers said was ok. And, she left the show for several months, due to a medical condition, and then came back to serve the remainder of her contract.

What a trouper!
Updated On: 7/22/09 at 11:25 PM

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:32pm

Add to all that her friend Bea Arthur's death! I would have thought that she would have gone to the funeral...so unless it was on a Monday and in NYC, she might not have gone.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:33pm

That's nowhere near as interesting a story, nealb.

Good on both of them. I've never understood the need to exalt one performer by bringing down another. All hail Angela, though!


Updated On: 7/22/09 at 11:33 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/22/09 at 11:36pm

Jayne Atkinson was out one performance the weekend of the Tonys.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 12:32am

On this count we differ ghostlight. When I take the time, energy and pay the small fortune it costs to buy a theatre ticket I want to know the leading player's track record on showing up. I don't think it's too much to ask nor do I think it is "bringing down another performer" when it comes to knowing how often they are not appearing in their advertised shows. Regardless of the reasons I want to be aware of the odds and appreciate other theatre goers letting us know when performers don't appear. Because of this we can now purchase a ticket for WEST SIDE STORY early in its' run knowing in advance that there's a good chance we won't be seeing the same cast on the cast recording.

[Rudy2]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 12:43am

I agree with you. After hearing about all these cast changes in "West Side Story" my desire to go out of my way to see it, already mild, has been eviscerated.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 12:51am

That's fair, Demitri, and I don't think we differ that much. I thought, like nealb, that Ebersole's absences were pretty common knowledge during 42nd St, but I may have been going on inside information rather than what was made public. I do agree it is reasonable to expect that a ticket-buyer should be informed about planned absences, certainly. Medical issues are a little dicier.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 8:10am

Jayne Atkinson was out sick for three shows (and came back while she was still sick!), Deborah Rush was out for two, but that was a pre-scheduled absence, Rupert Everett was out for two.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 8:35am

There are no guarantees in live theater. Part of the beauty.

I never understand the idea of being upset with performers for taking their time off: whether it be sick days, personal days or vacation days. They are people that get sick, that have personal issues, that have commitments. While I might be disappointed to miss a favorite performer, I will not begrudge them their right to take the days off. I can't expect them to do anything I wouldn't do....and while I don't take many days off from my job, I do on occasion. Sometimes I need a "mental health day", sometimes my kids have events I must attend, sometimes I'm puking my guts out.

Yes, kudos for any performer that never has to miss a performance!

[fgreene1938]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 9:23am

I saw "Sweeney Todd" with Lansbury twice in 1979. She and the show were terrific. I do recall that there was a poster in the lobby of the Gershwin (then called the Uris) with a reprint of a review of the performance of Marge Redmond as Mrs. Lovett. Redmond played Mrs. Lovett for the Wed. and Sat. matinees. This was a permanent arrangement, not understudying for a sick star, which made perfect sense given the amount of singing and running around Lansbury did in the role. The theater took great pains to make ticket buyers aware of this, as they did when Lansbury took a two week vacation (she was in the show for over a year). No one showed up unaware to a performance without Lansbury.

Also, to my understanding there was no memorial service whatsoever for Bea Arthur (her wishes) so I don't think Lansbury missed any performances, though it must have been hard to go on at the time as she made heartfelt statements about her friend to the press.

[robinycus2]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 10:20am

I saw Lansbury in two matinees of Sweeney and never heard of this. Did she Redmond start to appear in the matinees towards the end of the run?

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 1:34pm

Good for Angela! Way to be a pro! I love her and I'm so glad that she continues to perform on Broadway even though I'm sure she doesn't need to financially.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 1:58pm

According to the IBDB, Marge Redmond is not listed on the opening night credits. She is listed as a standby for Mrs. Lovett. Maggie Task is listed as the original understudy for Lovett.

Along with Marge Redmond on the "replacements/transfers" list is Denise Lor as a Mrs. Lovett standby. So, I'm think the matinee "deal" was later in the run.