Awaited returns of actors

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Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 12:04pm

With the news of Maggie smiths return to the stage. Im wondering who people would like to see return for another hurrah. Im talking about actors around 75+ Making a return.

I know it has been said that Angela Lansbury is done with theatre (as much as I loved seeing her).

Maggie Smith And Julie Andrews were on the top of my list.
Others would be Ian McKellan, Helen Mirren, Micheal Gambon (Though he as well has said hes done). Judy Dench.

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 12:25pm

I can't imagine how hard it must be to physically do a Broadway show night after night that age. I would think memory loss would be my major concern. It is one thing doing several takes of a scene in a movie but doing it live must be scary, worry about a senior moment. God bless those that can still do it well !

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 2:02pm

Olivia de Havilland.

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 2:06pm

yankeefan7 said: "I can't imagine how hard it must be to physically do a Broadway show night after night that age. I would think memory loss would be my major concern. It is one thing doing several takes of a scene in a movie but doing it live must be scary, worry about a senior moment. God bless those that can still do it well !"

I completely agree. But I love and have so much respect for those who can still and are willing to still create their craft. And nothing beats seeing a legend return to stage IMO

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 3:31pm

Ian McKellen did King Lear in London July 11 - Nov 3rd 2018. Really just a couple of months ago. He was magnificent. Feel so lucky to have seen him. He was so physical in the role you wouldn't believe he is 79.

He did miss one show. Tripped getting on train to theatre and messed up his thigh a bit. Dr's told him he could not do matinee that day. So he came out on stage as everyone was waiting for refunds and spoke to them for over an hour. I've heard he was wonderful. They had to take refunds as all shows were sold out.

Can't return if you've never left :)

Updated On: 2/27/19 at 03:31 PM

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 3:34pm

SherrieByTheSea said: "Can't return if you've never left :)"

By that token, Mirren was just on Broadway in 2015...

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 4:54pm

I was just too late to London when McKellen did it in 2017 and was just too early this last time in the west end. I also was just too late his last time on Broadway same as Helen mirren. Such a disappointment.

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 5:32pm

Sadly, I don't think we'll see Judi Dench and Michael Gambon onstage again: Dench is nearly blind now due to macular degeneration, and Gambon announced he was retiring from theatre in 2015 due to memory problems.

I also have to wonder how Julie Andrews' voice would hold up even in a straight play? If she had wanted to return to the stage after her husband's death (as Angela Lansbury did), I feel like she would have done that already.

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:00pm

We all seem to be up with elderly British actors. So I will add Derek Jacobi, who I saw give magnificent performances in Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing, Breaking the Code, and (in London) in Becket. He was also excellent in The Suicide.

I also hope that we will get to see Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench at least one more time on this side of the pond. We are at getting the opportunity to see Glenda Jackson at least one more time shortly; and I am hoping that Eileen Atkins will indeed be back next season, so that is great theatre news. It is also time for Fiona Shaw to visit us again...she may have lost the Tony, but IMO she was better than either Diana Rigg or Zoe Caldwell (in 2 Tony winning performances) were in Medea.

On the American front -- hell, I forgot that she was born in Australia -- I would love to see Zoe Caldwell again, even in a small role; and Jane Alexander; and Swoosie Kurtz; and Kathleen Turner, who IMO should have won the Tony for Virginia Woolf; and how about Glenn Close (who admittedly has not been gone for that long) in a revival of Hay Fever. And where has Brian Stokes Mitchell been?

And, for heaven's sake, when is Meryl Streep going to 'honor' her statements that she would return to Broadway once her kids were grown up. Since I have only seen her live one time -- and that, in an abysmal production at the Public Theatre about 40 years ago -- in which she played Alice in Wonderland (at least she was the one good thing in the production, and she was terrific; how about she and Kevin Kline in something...now that might justify premium prices.

#10

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:05pm

Most of these people HAVE performed in recent years, but in the case of the British ones, it seems most of them just prefer to stay in their home country.

As far as Americans go, I agree that Streep is the biggie for me.

#11

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:06pm

Theatrefanboy1 said: "I was just too late to London when McKellen did it in 2017 and was just too early this last time in the west end. I also was just too late his last time on Broadway same as Helen mirren. Such a disappointment."

FYI National Theater Live captured both McKellen's 'King Lear" and Mirren's "The Audience." Depending on where you live"King Lear" is currently in rotation (Symphony Space this Fri night if you are in NY area - other locations on their website) and it looks like they are re-broadcasting "Audience" in certain theaters this coming summer (dates TBA). I saw both of these through NTL and, of course, not the same as being there, but the next best thing and an incredible gift if you missed the live versions. Hope you can enjoy these and mitigate the disappointment!

#12

Awaited returns of actors

Posted: 2/27/19 at 6:25pm

I can only speak for myself on this, but for me it has less to do with witnessing any particular performance of theirs, and more to do with seeing them LIVE. It’s not that the performance itself doesn’t matter - of course it does. But there is footage of all these actors giving plenty of performances over the years, either in films, television, or in filmed productions like NTLive. But seeing them live is the rare opportunity.

Of course, if there is a particular role that I am dying to see a particular actor in, then I feel a bit more satisfied with a filmed version, because I don’t need to see them live to satisfy that specific desire. But this thread seems to be more about the actors themselves, and less about roles we want them to play.

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