All stories by ANITA GATES on BroadwayStars

Friday, October 18, 2024

Mitzi Gaynor, Leading Lady of Movie Musicals, Is Dead at 93 by Anita Gates

She was best known for starring in the 1958 screen version of “South Pacific.” But her Hollywood career was brief, and she soon shifted her focus to Las Vegas and TV.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:12AM
Friday, September 27, 2024

Maggie Smith, Grand Dame of Stage and Screen, Dies at 89 by Anita Gates and Robert Berkvist

She earned an extraordinary array of awards, from Oscars to Emmys to Tonys, but could still go almost everywhere unrecognized. Then came “Downton Abbey.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:42AM
Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Tony Lo Bianco, ‘French Connection’ Actor, Is Dead at 87 by Anita Gates

Once labeled a “natural-born heavy,” he shined onscreen and especially onstage, securing a Tony nomination and winning an Obie Award.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:12PM
Monday, June 3, 2024

Janis Paige, Star of Broadway’s ‘The Pajama Game,’ Is Dead at 101 by Anita Gates

She first made her mark in the all-star 1944 movie “Hollywood Canteen” before finding acclaim on the musical stage. Movie and TV roles followed.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:32PM
Monday, April 1, 2024

Barbara Rush, Award-Winning TV and Film Actress, Dies at 97 by Anita Gates

She received a Golden Globe in 1954 as that year’s rising star and appeared in movies alongside Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:24PM
Thursday, January 4, 2024

Glynis Johns, Tony Winner for ‘A Little Night Music,’ Dies at 100 by Anita Gates

In a trans-Atlantic career that endured for more than 60 years, she was also known for her role in the hit 1965 Disney movie “Mary Poppins.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:54PM
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Frances Sternhagen, Actress Who Thrived in Mature Roles, Dies at 93 by Anita Gates

Her Tony-winning Broadway career included “Driving Miss Daisy,” “On Golden Pond” and “The Heiress.” On TV she had maternal roles in “Cheers” and “Sex and the City.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:02PM
Monday, April 24, 2023

Megan Terry, Feminist Playwright and Rock Musical Innovator, Dies at 90 by Anita Gates

She wrote 70 plays, won an Obie Award and wrote and directed “Viet Rock,” a musical that predated “Hair” and is considered the first U.S. stage work to address the Vietnam War.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:18PM
Sunday, December 5, 2021

Eddie Mekka, a Star of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ Is Dead at 69 by Anita Gates

As Carmine Ragusa on the hit sitcom, he got to show off his singing, tap-dancing and gymnastic skills — and to croon “Rags to Riches” many times.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:03AM
Thursday, September 9, 2021

Elizabeth McCann, 90, Dies; Broadway Producer With a Formidable Track Record by Anita Gates

In a career that began in 1976, she won nine Tony Awards and helped bring “Equus,” “Amadeus” and the work of Edward Albee to the New York stage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:24PM
Sunday, August 29, 2021

Ed Asner, Star of ‘Lou Grant’ and ‘Up,’ Is Dead at 91 by Anita Gates

Best known as the gruff newsman he first played on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” he was also a busy character actor and a political activist.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:18PM
Saturday, May 1, 2021

Olympia Dukakis, Oscar Winner for ‘Moonstruck,’ Dies at 89 by Anita Gates

A veteran of the stage known for playing worldly wise and world-weary characters, she was cast in mature roles as early as her late 30s.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:12PM
Saturday, April 3, 2021

Arthur Kopit, whose ‘Oh Dad, Poor Dad’ shook up the theater, dies by Anita Gates

Arthur Kopit, the avant-garde playwright who thrust off-Broadway into a new era with the absurdist satirical farce “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ S…

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 02:51PM

Arthur Kopit, Whose ‘Oh Dad’ Shook Up the Theater, Dies at 83 by Anita Gates

A three-time Tony nominee, he first became known for avant-garde works, many of them christened with rambling titles, that sparked spirited reactions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:24AM
Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Nicola Pagett, ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ Actress, Dies at 75 by Anita Gates

She preferred the stage, but she won praise for her work on television as the rebellious and thoroughly spoiled Elizabeth Bellamy, and later as Anna Karenina.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:42PM
Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Gunnel Lindblom, Familiar Face in Bergman Films, Dies at 89 by Anita Gates

She appeared in early Ingmar Bergman classics like “The Seventh Seal,” “Wild Strawberries” and “The Virgin Spring” and devoted much of her long career to the stage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18PM
Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ Dies at 82 by Anita Gates

Her character on the hit 1960s sitcom radiated all-American wholesomeness and a youthful charm. After her TV career cooled down, she focused on theater acting.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:36PM
Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Rebecca Luker, a Broadway Star for Three Decades, Dies at 59 by Anita Gates

Her Broadway career, fueled by her crystal-clear operatic soprano, brought her Tony Award nominations for “Showboat,” “The Music Man” and “Mary Poppins.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:54AM
Friday, November 13, 2020

Lynn Kellogg, Who Found the Spotlight in ‘Hair,’ Dies at 77 by Anita Gates

She had a leading role as an uptight debutante-turned-hippie in the original Broadway production. She died of Covid-19.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:12PM
Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Conchata Ferrell, Memorable Maid on ‘Two and a Half Men,’ Dies at 77 by Anita Gates

She first achieved acclaim on the stage. But she was best known for her Emmy-nominated role as Berta, Charlie Sheen’s gruff housekeeper.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:12PM
Friday, August 7, 2020

Brent Carver, Versatile Tony-Winning Actor, Dies at 68 by Anita Gates

He played Hamlet, the wizard Gandalf and Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.” But he was probably best known for “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:36PM
Monday, April 6, 2020

Honor Blackman, a Memorable James Bond Adversary, Dies at 94 by Anita Gates

In a long career she was best known for an early role: Pussy Galore, who declared herself immune to Agent 007’s charms before judo-flipping him.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:48PM
Friday, March 27, 2020

Mark Blum, a Familiar Face Off Broadway, Is Dead at 69 by Anita Gates

Mr. Blum, who died of coronavirus complications, was also seen on Broadway; in “Crocodile Dundee” and other movies; and on numerous television shows.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:03PM
Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Adela Holzer, Whose Fall From Grace Was Theatrical, Is Dead by Anita Gates

She went from being “Broadway’s hottest producer” to “one of the cleverest and most successful white-collar criminals in the history of this state.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:42PM
Friday, December 13, 2019

Danny Aiello, Actor in ‘Do the Right Thing,’ Dies at 86 by Anita Gates

A memorable character actor on stage and screen, Mr. Aiello won an Academy Award nomination for his role in Spike Lee’s 1989 film.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:18PM
Monday, November 4, 2019

Ann Crumb, Who Starred in ‘Aspects of Love,’ Is Dead at 69 by Anita Gates

She was also nominated for a Tony for her performance in the title role of “Anna Karenina” and was a member of the original cast of “Les Misérables.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:33PM
Friday, October 11, 2019

Anna Quayle, British Character Actress, Is Dead at 86 by Anita Gates

She bantered with John Lennon in “A Hard Day’s Night” and won a Tony for playing four women in “Stop the World — I Want to Get Off.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:06PM
Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Rip Torn, an Outsize Presence Onstage and Off, Is Dead at 88 by Anita Gates

Mr. Torn won an Emmy for “The Larry Sanders Show” and acclaim for his theater work. But he was dogged by his reputation as a troublemaker.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:03AM
Friday, July 5, 2019

Paul Benjamin, a ‘Corner Man’ in ‘Do the Right Thing,’ Is Dead by Anita Gates

In a career that lasted almost half a century, he also appeared on screen opposite Clint Eastwood and other stars and was frequently seen on television.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:48PM

Sid Ramin, ‘West Side Story’ Orchestrator and a Composer, Dies at 100 by Anita Gates

A childhood friend of Leonard Bernstein, he won an Oscar and a Grammy for his work on the film “West Side Story” and 12 Clio Awards for his work in TV advertising.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:32PM
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Sylvia Miles, Actress With a Flair for the Flamboyant, Dies at 94 by Anita Gates

She won Oscar nominations for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely” and gossip-column attention for her indefatigable partygoing.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:32PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 15, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic