Best living stage actress

From this weekend's "Parade" Magazine:

Q. You said Helen Hayes was America’s best stage actress ever. Who’s No. 1 today?—Linda Stevens, San Francisco, Calif.

A. Glenn Close is our pick for America’s Greatest Living Stage Actress. Rounding out the top five are Julie Harris, Cherry Jones, Mary-Louise Parker and Meryl Streep. And rounding out our top ten are Angela Lansbury, Laura Linney, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald and Martha Plimpton. Who's your favorite? Vote in our poll at the right.

http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_03-16-2008/Personality_Parade

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Granted, I haven't seen Glenn Close in much and I may be underestimating her, but just offhand I'm not too sure I would have picked her for best living stage actress. What say you?

I'd agree with Lansbury. I'd also move Patti up the list and add Donna Murphy.

I love Meryl Streep with the fire of a thousand suns, but I'm not sure I'd consider her a stage actress. nor would I consider Glenn Close a stage actress. maybe her before Streep [but I don't like Glenn very much, so she certainly wouldn't be number one on my list]

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I would hardly consider Streep to be one of the top five stage actresses. I'd say Lansbury is number one. Her performance in Dear World is phenomenal. Really, every role she's ever played has been phenomenal.

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Donna Murphy should be on that list.

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Cherry Jones should be there.

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The greatest living actress HANDS DOWN

Dame Judi Dench

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Where's Bernadette?

Patti but where is Donna

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Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters, and Donna Murphy should be added.

Donna doesn't bother going to work enough to count.

Angela and Julie are my picks.

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Laura Bell Bundy



just kidding.
Angela Lansbury, Sutton Foster

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I Think as time goes on Audra will take that title, but right now it belongs to Lansbury

I would say Meryl Streep has indeed done enough stage work to count, she not only got her start in the 70s as a prominent stage actress (from the time she was at Yale) to her constant returns to the New York stage for the Public Theatre. Not sure if she's necessarily the best living stage actress (definitely the best living film actress), but she's definitely in the top five.
Donna Murphy with her chameleon-like ability and her breath-taking stage presence (try getting your eyes off her when she's on stage...you can't) should be on the list.
Now, Close? Never seen her on stage but she shouldn't be on there over the likes of Zoe Caldwell and Lansbury.
I think Lansbury should have the top title, with Caldwell, Harris, Maggie Smith, and Meryl Streep rounding up the top five. I'd say Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones, and maybe Cynthia Nixon (or a legend like Dench or Redgrave) should round up the top 10--in no specific order.
I think Anika Noni Rose is close to getting there, she just hasn't done enough stage work to put her in the same list as the rest of the actresses mentioned on here.

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Updated On: 3/16/08 at 04:25 AM