The production arrives in New York after a world premiere at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. (Performance begins at the 3:02 mark.). But, you know - and we would listen to music all the time. In a captivating video featured on the Disney+ original documentary "Howard," the talented singer and actress is seen stepping into a recording booth to work on the classic song "Be Our Guest." LANSBURY: Well, he had an extraordinary group of friends, wonderful people in the business who I never would have met. Market data provided by Factset. In 1945 she eloped with the matinee idol Richard Cromwell, who was 16 years her senior but the relationship failed after less than a year after he revealed he was. "The Worst Pies in London" from Sweeney Todd Lansbury won four of her five Tony Awards for performances in musicals, but the only musical performance preserved on film is her spectacularly original work as Mrs. Lovett in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Photo by Getty Images. BOYER: (As Gregory Anton) Yes. All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks. In 1991, Lansbury starred in the Disney classic, "Beauty and the Beast" as Mrs. Potts, the former castle cook who turned into a teapot after the curse was placed on the castle. Yet, even with so many vocal performances on her resume, her take on the Dowager Empress Marie in Don Bluth's "Anastasia" is. And whom are you going to the musical with? I relish the - having had that opportunity to play that role because I don't think there are many written like that. She will will be sadly missed. Lansbury is perhaps best known for her 12-year stint as Jessica . And she wanted to get away from it. In 1972, when Barry Brown and Arthur and Fritz Holt, Barry's partner, asked me to do "Gypsy" in London, I said, you've got to be kidding. They take bows, and you're batting zero. And congratulations on the Kennedy Center Honor. I consider that she was the Lear among, you know, movie women. We didnt think they would. And I just - it was a shock, but it wasn't a shock because I was so in love with Richard Cromwell when I married him that I was just - you know, I'd never had any kind of experience. Sit you down. I could discuss it, but I - in most instances, I was pretty quick to pick up directorial indications from somebody like George Cukor because he was extremely clear and funny and helpful. GROSS: Well, I feel a song queue coming on. Director Rian Johnson was thrilled to work with the legends. The only, let's say, the comfort I took was - and even then, I kind of leant on it - was the fact that I knew that I was an actress and that I could play different roles because I was continuously being offered extraordinary stretches, shall we say, as an actress, to play parts which were way out of my range. Angela Lansbury' s legacy lives on. And she loved doing it, but it put a tremendous strain on her, whereas I seem to do it with one hand tied behind my back. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I told the camera guy to just, 'Keep the camera rolling. Angela Lansbury's Life Today: The Iconic Actress Is Still Active & Recently Celebrated Her 96th Birthday By Laura Beatham Jan 13, 2022 05:40 A.M. Angela Lansbury has had a long and successful career in Hollywood for almost 80 years. When it comes to the work, I'm on solid ground. But certainly, we all were the beneficiaries of his artistry. RIP to the legendary Dame Angela Lansbury, whose astonishing career spanned nine decades, from her debut Hollywood performance in GASLIGHT to her final role in the upcoming GLASS ONION.. GROSS: You were nominated for an Oscar, Best Supporting Actress, for that first role. And I managed to just skin by by the skin of my teeth, you know, playing roles where I was much older than I actually was, playing Walter Pidgeon's wife in "If Winter Comes," you know? In the West End's Blithe Spirit, Angela Lansbury's past is always present --- Editor's note: I'm delighted to welcome London critic and reporter M Jessica Fletcher exemplified the natural warmth and depth of emotion that Lansbury infused all of her performances with. However, while she rarely portrayed villains, her greatest screen performance is arguably as the atypically . But, in 2010, she sat down with the New York Times for what she intended to be her final interview. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix Dec. 23. The actress took home a Tony for her performance in the musical Sweeney Todd. But it took me a year. So upset to hear the news that the legendary Dame Angela Lansbury has died, Paige tweeted, sharing a picture of the pair together. And Gypsy Rose Lee has become - your daughter has become a famous stripper. LANSBURY: Well, I - eventually, of course, when we moved out to Los Angeles, and I got my first big interview, and I got the part. We'd go to the various schools all around, preferably in New York and Miss - what's its name? She was a serious actress. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Before that, however, she earned accolades on Broadway, originating the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, one of Sondheim's musicals. "Bosom Buddies" from MameAt the 1998 Tony Awards, longtime friends and original Mame co-stars Lansbury and Bea Arthur re-created their duet from the Tony-winning Jerry Herman musical, which brought both their first Tony Awards. LANSBURY: (As Nancy Oliver) No, sir. Good, you got it. The evening will be directed and hosted by Tony nominee Kate Baldwin. LEN CARIOU: (As Sweeney Todd, singing) Mrs. Lovett, what a charming notion BIANCULLI: Angela Lansbury grew up in England and came to the U.S. during World War II. Glass Onion was largely filmed in summer 2021. GROSS: It's funny because your situation was the opposite of Judy Garland. And I realized that I had just made an excruciating error, you know, an emotional error. I would be drinking a glass of water and breathing a big sigh of relief. Advertisement | GROSS: Well, how did you feel about playing the older women? It just had never really sunk in. Accuracy and availability may vary. Dame Angela smiled in solo shots, but was also pictured linking arms with actress Eva Marie Saint, and next to Carole Cook, Diane Baker and Robert J. Wagner, on the red carpet. And in this scene, you're telling your son, who has been brainwashed, that he has to be the assassin. What did it get me? So to be able to play that gave me tremendous sort of pleasure, and I'm so glad I've done it. But in that case, I was doing it eight performances a week, you have to understand. But you don't actively and consciously use it, but it's in there. Lansbury also was first to play Cora Hoover Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle, portrayed Rose in the first Broadway revival of Gyspy as well as Madame Armfeldt in a Broadway revival of A Little Night Music all of which are Sondheim musicals. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Tue 11 Oct 2022 18.27 EDT. In 1966, Angela Lansbury got her first big break on Broadway with her performance in Mame. In 2013, Dame Angela was given an honorary Academy Award for her lifetime achievements in the film industry and was also awarded a lifetime achievement award by Bafta in 2002. GROSS: Your first marriage was to Richard Cromwell, who you later found out was actually gay. I know that eventually - I think it crept in. It's been worked on here and in Russia, on and off, for over eight years. Star-studded. GROSS: And you started getting roles in movies. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Thank you, Nancy. Well, there you go. Paige Gawley. And you learn how to do certain things vocally and also interpretively, how to interpret something in a certain way. That second performance proved to be the last performance of the US tour and Angela Lansbury's last performance as Mrs. Lovett - the fiendishly plotting baker who's passion for the demon barber of Fleet Street lead them both down very dark paths. And that's acting (laughter). "But what it meant for me, besides just how special it is to have both of them in the movie, it meant that I just got to spend 10 minutes with each of them to film this little moment." BIANCULLI: Angela Lansbury speaking to Terry Gross in 2000. GROSS: And how did you feel about playing such a really evil role? But it's the most rousing speech I've ever read. "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from GypsyIn the late '80s, Lansbury hosted the Tony Awards for three consecutive years beginning in 1987. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. And so I was a working actress. Lansbury, who was most widely known for her work as . Angela Lansbury, who enjoyed an eclectic, award-winning movie and stage career in addition to becoming America's favorite TV sleuth in "Murder, She Wrote," has died, according to a statement. She was a serious actress. I was under contract. And I always remember it because Ingrid and Charles and George Cukor were so wonderfully kind. I wanted to play the game, you know? She played the role of Aunt March in the 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. You've been the stage mother, you know, throughout your life. West End star Elaine Paige said Dame Angela was always so kind and generous when the pair had met, describing her as one of the last Golden Age of Hollywood stars. GROSS: Well, I should mention that in Craig Zadan's book about Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents really praises your interpretation of this role. LANSBURY: (As Mrs. Iselin) You are to shoot the presidential nominee through the head. What was it like right after that number on - you know, onstage? And this is, you know, toward the end of "Gypsy." LANSBURY: I can't honestly say, except by my on-set demeanor. She was valiant and liberal and athletic and exciting and sexy and all kinds of good stuff that women are of a certain age and are not given credit for. So, I mean, you - if - most performers are like sponges, and we all pick up from one another. Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you! But what I experienced at drama school was the fun and the excitement of being given a part. Previews of the new musical will begin March 3 at Houston's Alley Theatre. Angela Lansbury, one of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of stage, film and television, who had a nearly 75-year career, died October 11in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, just five days. "The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy. LANSBURY: Well, I realized that what I was going to be doing in the theater really was quite different, although I didn't realize that at the time. In the Cool of the Day. GROSS: I think maybe this is a good time to talk about Broadway. And they sit in their dressing rooms for hours after having done "Rose's Turn," I'm sure, and say, I don't know whether I can leave the theater. Market data provided by Factset. And I'm still playing Jessica from time to time and loving it. All rights reserved. And he also had an incredible library of music, of old 78 records in those days. Even just in my first year, I was assigned a role of a lady in waiting in "Mary Of Scotland." Coming up, I review "Keeping Company With Sondheim," a new PBS "Great Performances" documentary about the new version of one of Stephen Sondheim's classic Broadway musicals. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE WORST PIES IN LONDON"). That was all prearranged and thought up by George Cukor. (Singing) Up in a balloon, boys, up in a balloon. Lansbury, a formidable actress who captivated Hollywood in her youth, became a Broadway musical sensation in middle age and then . RIP dearest Angela., Celeb obsessed? The actress died on October 11 at age 96. And so right then and there, I was whipped off to meet George Cukor. I'm sure many of our LANSBURY: Listeners will remember those. Born in London, she won five Tony Awards for her Broadway performances, was nominated for three Oscars, and in 2013 she received an honorary Academy Award for her lifetime achievement in film. March 3, 2023, By And the head of casting, a man called Billy Grady, came into the room while I was sitting there. The family of Dame Angela Lansbury announced today that the legendary actor has died, having passed peacefully in her sleep at the age of 96 (she would have been 97 in just a few days) (via NBC News). And Johnny will really hit those microphones and those cameras with blood all over him, fighting off anyone who tries to help him, defending America even if it means his own death, rallying a nation of television viewers into hysteria to sweep us up into the White House with powers that will make martial law seem like anarchy. Angela Lansbury. What I inferred was a great deal more than what I was saying. This is FRESH AIR. Serena Williams! Dame Angela was known for playing crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the long running TV series Murder, She Wrote, Broadway musicals Mame and Gypsy, and for voicing Mrs Potts in the Disney animation Beauty and the Beast. 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You must have been shocked when you found out. Dame Angela Lansbury smiled for the camera and posed with fellow veteran actors at a red carpet event, in the last public pictures taken of the actress before her death. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He was a great friend of Joan Crawford's and, oh, Bill Holden and Zachary Scott and all kinds of actors and actresses of that era. Lansbury won four of her five Tony Awards for performances in musicals, but the only musical performance preserved on film is her spectacularly original work as Mrs. Lovett in Stephen. Actress Angela Lansbury and director Michael Wilson arrive for the opening night performance of "Grey Gardens" The Musical at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, in . GROSS: How did do you feel about that scene? And in this scene, you're getting flirtatious with him. She was only in her 40s. 1, she recognised the fact that Britain was likely to be bombed, and that London really was no place for us to remain if we could possibly get away. Armfeldt's solo to celebrate Stephen Sondheim's Special Olivier Award. Angela Lansbury lost her father at a young age. Well, I was introduced to the studio, which was MGM, by a young man who was being considered for the role of Dorian Gray. In the murder mystery, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has virtual chats with several familiar faces, and his little group includes Lansbury and Sondheim, who play themselves. But do you feel beloved? GROSS: You made "The Manchurian Candidate" in 1962. The Private Affairs of Bel Ami. . And we celebrated. LANSBURY: Yes. Next month, Lansbury will be honored at the Tonys with a special Lifetime Achievement Award. (Getty Images), This is magical. 11 Videos of Angela Lansbury's Greatest Performances, Watch Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in New, Eerie Trailer for Broadway's, Stephanie Hsu, Angela Bassett, Austin Butler, More Net Oscar Nominations, Seven Times Barbara Walters Interviewed Broadway Stars, In Memoriam: A Look at the Theatre Artists We Lost in 2022, From Belle to Beetlejuice: Celebrating the Stage Work of Kerry Butler, Look Back at Rebecca Luker on the Stage For Her Birthday, Maude Apatow Extends Run as Audrey in Off-Broadway's, Alysha Umphress, Abby Mueller, Gizel Jimenez, More to Perform at 3rd Annual Maestra Music. Lansbury's late-career roles included a starring role in PBS's Little Women miniseries, where she worked with director Vanessa Caswill, and a role in 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. And congratulations again on the Kennedy Center Honor. In 2018, Lansbury starred in "Buttons, A New Musical Film" (also titled "Buttons: A Christmas Tale") alongside another legendary actor, Dick Van Dyke. In fact, she received Tony Awards for her performances in both Mame and Sweeney Todd as well as for her work in Gypsy, Dear World, and Blithe Spirit(plus a sixth Lifetime Achievement Tony). And that revelation, I think, is what ended the marriage. March 2, 2023, By ", Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "It was musical theater heaven," composer songwriter Alan Menken revealed in the documentary. The iconic actress, who died Tuesday at 96, will make her final film appearance in Netflix's upcoming Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. She won her first Tony Award for that performance . Did you ever feel competitive with your mother? He was a serial killer intent on murdering many of his customers. "Lansbury is joined by late actor Jerry Orbach, who voiced Lumiere the candlestick in "Beauty and the Beast," in the dynamic performance. So this is what I mean about I - my education at that time was so varied and so exciting from the point of view of what I was learning that I've used and called on it ever since. Liverpool was bombed right after we left on our ship, which was a Canadian Pacific liner which was headed for Canada. Rest, great soul.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. So it was a good experience. All rights reserved. And he arranged that the casting director would see me, this young English girl, who at that time was - I think I was 17. So my career in movies was jump-started by my being accepted for the role of Nancy in "Gaslight.". But LANSBURY: Yes, I think so, because she thought - after all, she was a woman. What does it get you? LANSBURY: No, except to say that it's one of the most rewarding pieces of musical theater to perform there is and one of the hardest. This is FRESH AIR. Now, she enjoys spending time with her children and grandkids. Can you explain how you got a lead for that movie but ended up making "Gaslight" first? And I was making 500 a week or 750 a week, which in those days was an enormous amount of money. It was like training on the job. GROSS: Can you talk about any specific aspect of singing that you learned during that period? GROSS: Over the years that you did that show, did you ever count how many murders you solved? LANSBURY: (As Nancy Oliver) Seems to be getting worse, doesn't she, sir? But I was not one of those people. The speech is short. But they only let me puff it. You knew Merman's work. In the '60s, both Lansbury's son and . Something went wrong, please try again later. March 3, 2023, By Armfeldt in the 2009 Broadway revival of A Little Night Music, but at the 1993 Kennedy Center Honors she had the chance to perform Desiree's solo to honor Stephen Sondheim. James Frawley, Angela Lansbury and Arnold Soboloff in, Friedman-Abeles / The New York Public Library, Angela Lansbury, Jane Connell, Sab Shimono and Frankie Michaels in, Bonnie Langford, Lisa Peluso, and Angela Lansbury, Charles Rule, Rex Robbins, and Angela Lansbury, Zan Charisse, Angela Lansbury, and Maureen Moore, Martha Swope/NYPL for the Performing Arts, Zan Charisse, Angela Lansbury, and Rex Robbins, Mary Louise Wilson, Zan Charisse and Angela Lansbury in, Zan Charisse, Angela Lansbury and Rex Robbins in, Len Cariou, Merle Louise, and Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, Victor Garber, and Angela Lansbury, Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett and Susan Louise O'Connor, Deborah Rush, Rupert Everett, Angela Lansbury, Jayne Atkinson and Simon Jones, A Little Night Music Playbill - Opening Night, Angela Lansbury, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Keaton Whittaker, Kerry Butler, Eric McCormack and Angela Lansbury in, John Larroquette, Angela Lansbury and Candice Bergen in, By Shortly after news broke on Tuesday that the celebrated actress died in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, tributes . And it turns out you're actually part of a conspiracy to assassinate the political opponent and take over the country. What is that? Her movie credits include "Gaslight," "The Manchurian Candidate" and Disney's animated version of "Beauty And The Beast." The last public pictures of Dame Angela were taken in October 2019, at film do in LA. ", Warning: Contains light spoilers for "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. (Singing) Wait. But that was the beginning of her career in the States and mine, too.