While Murder, She Wrote is getting the reboot, Angela Lansbury can be found back on the stage.
Lansbury was honored by the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania on Monday. Lansbury is an alumna of the Playhouse and was their inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame. She first performed at the Playhouse after the termination of her MGM contract in Affairs of State in 1952.
Six months prior to her stage performance at the Playhouse, Lansbury had given birth to her son Anthony Peter Shaw. “This little baby literally slept in the drawers of various chests [at the playhouse]. A sweet nursemaid took care of him when I was onstage. That was my introduction to New Hope, and a lovely one,” recalled Lansbury.
Those in attendance to honor Lansbury included Harold Prince, Tony Award winners Tyne Daly and Christine Ebersole, Tony Award nominee Hunter Foster, Lauren Molina, Nick Cearley, Alfred Uhry, and Boyd Gaines. Prince, who directed Lansbury in her Tony winning performance in Sweeney Todd, was the lucky one to give the Hall of Fame honor to Lansbury.
American Idol alum Justin Guarini was also in attendance and performed for Lansbury at the event and took to his Instagram to share the occasion. “Just got off stage from singing “Not While I’m Around” for the lovely Angela Lansbury. What a treat! Nerve-wracking though…Hal Prince was there too…I made it out alive though. Now on to my next gig…a performance at MOM’s. A funky end to a wonderful Birthday,” said Guarini with this photo attached.
Foster took to his Twitter to mention the personal importance of the event.
Had one of those really bad days and then Angela Lansbury and Hal Prince tell you they enjoyed your song. #allbetter
— Hunter Foster (@Hunter_Foster) October 29, 2013
Congrats to Angela Lansbury on being 1st inductee to @TheaterBCP Alumni Hall of Fame! http://t.co/79vCXg3POf
— Broadway Cares (@BCEFA) October 26, 2013
It's @TheaterBCP all lit up to honor Angela Lansbury tonight as the 1st inductee in BCP Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/1hd4foJROg
— Meg McSweeney (@megmcsweeney) October 29, 2013
For the first half of 2013, Lansbury toured Australia with James Earl Jones in the play Driving Miss Daisy. Doing this play has kept Lansbury resilient. “Driving Miss Daisy is an enormous part, and there was no problem at all with that. I always say that one’s brain is trained at an early age. It has a compartment that retains the words as long as you use it. The minute you stop packing new words into it, it falls apart,” said Lansbury.