Lauren Bacall: Broadway dims lights
The Broadway community mourns the loss of Lauren Bacall, legendary stage and screen star, who died Tuesday at the age of 89. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory on Friday, August 15th, at exactly 7:45pm for one minute.
Ms. Bacall won Tony Awards for her starring roles in two Broadway musicals adapted from classic films: 'Applause', based on 'All About Eve', and 'Woman of the Year', based on the Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn movie of the same name. She also starred in the comedies 'Goodbye, Charlie'; 'Cactus Flower'; and 'Waiting in the Wings'.
Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of the Broadway League said,
"Lauren Bacall had a distinct presence on stage and screen during a career that spanned decades. Along with her talent and memorable performances, her timeless beauty and witty intelligence will be remembered. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans."Born and raised in New York City, the young Ms. Bacall studied acting; stood outside Sardi's selling copies of Actor's Cue, a casting tip sheet; ushered at Broadway theaters; and was a hostess at the American Theatre Wing's Stage Door Canteen. Her first Broadway role was a walk-on in the 1942 play 'Johnny 2 x 4', and then she was cast in 'Franklin Street', a comedy directed by George S. Kaufman, which closed out of town.
Between 1995 and 2012 she was featured in more than a dozen films, including 'The Mirror Has Two Faces', in which she played Barbra Streisand's mother. The role brought her an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress and soon after a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2009, she received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of her central place in the Golden Age of motion pictures.
Ms. Bacall returned to New York in 1958 and, three years later, married actor Jason Robards, Jr. She lived in the Dakota, on Central Park West, until her death. She is survived by her sons, Stephen Bogart and actor, Sam Robards; her daughter, Leslie Bogart; and six grandchildren.
Lauren Bacall in 'Woman of the Year'Originally published on