Diva Alert #11: Angela Lansbury

Written by Jackson Upperco

May 23, 2017

Welcome back to Diva Alert, Performer Stuff’s series on Great Dames from the Golden Age of Broadway. In these posts, we’re taking a look at some of the American Musical Theatre’s most legendary ladies, along with their seminal stage triumphs.

This dame ain’t only a dame… she’s a crazy aunt, a cannibalistic baker, and a good-humored teapot. She can do it all – and has done it all. She’s a living legend. She is… Angela Lansbury.

The daughter of an actress and a politician, London-born Angela Lansbury was inspired to perform at a young age following the devastating death of her father. When war erupted, 15-year-old Angela moved to New York and studied acting. Her big break came when she was signed to a seven-year contract at M-G-M, where she appeared in classics like Gaslight (1944), National Velvet (1944), and The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1945).

By the time her contract ended in the early ‘50s, Lansbury had settled down with her second husband and two kids. Now a free agent, she continued to appear in films and starred in several Broadway plays. Her greatest success during this time was The Manchurian Candidate (1962), for which she earned her third Oscar nomination.

Lansbury’s star continued to rise in 1984 when she took the role of an author and amateur sleuth in the CBS television series Murder, She Wrote, which ran for twelve seasons and earned its leading lady twelve consecutive Emmy nods. In the meantime, she also voiced the role of Mrs. Potts in Disney’s beloved Beauty And The Beast (1991).

In the past decade, Lansbury has earned a Tony for her work in Blithe Spirit (2009) and nominations for both Deuce (2007) and the revival of A Little Night Music (2009). Well into her tenth decade, this dame never quits. She’s currently set to appear in Disney’s sequel to Mary Poppins – as if this dame’s immortality wasn’t already assured.



DID YOU KNOW? This diva holds the record for the most Emmy losses ever – 18 total nominations without a win! (Don’t cry though – her five Tonys are impressive enough!)

Lansbury (Musical Theatre) Roles You Should Know

Cora Hoover Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle (1964)



Our diva’s first Broadway musical, Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle, lasted a scant nine performances. Lansbury played the corrupt mayoress of a bankrupt small town, singing songs like this one, taken from a rare live audio of the original production.

Mame Dennis in Mame (1966)



Lansbury won her first Tony for her turn in the celebrated musical adaptation of the classic book, film, and play Auntie Mame. Playing a bohemian who’s suddenly charged with raising her orphaned nephew, Lansbury was a sensation selling this iconic Jerry Herman score.

Countess Aurelia in Dear World (1969)



Another Tony award came to Lansbury for her work in this second musical by Herman. This time she played a Parisian madwoman fighting a mighty oil company. The show wasn’t nearly as successful as the prior, but its leading lady got more delectable songs.

Madame Rose in Gypsy (1973, London; 1974, Broadway)



After playing Madame Rose in the 1973 London Production, Lansbury hopped the pond and starred in the first Broadway revival of this already classic Ethel Merman vehicle – becoming the first woman to win a Tony for playing the role. Here’s some rare footage.

Nellie Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1979)



Considered by many to be Stephen Sondheim’s crowning achievement, this dark musical about a murderous barber featured Angela Lansbury as his partner-in-crime, who cooks his victims and puts them in meat pies. Here’s a clip from the 1982 PBS broadcast.


Hungry for more theatre history? Check out our other stories below!

Jackson Upperco is a lover of retro television, forgotten Broadway musicals, and Pre-Code Hollywood. He boasts a Bachelors Degree in Film and Television from Boston University. You can keep up with all of his entertainment interests at jacksonupperco.com.
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