Remembering Dame Patricia Routledge (1929-2025)

Dame Patricia Routledge, born February 17, 1929, died today at age of 96. Although she was a hugely successful stage actress, she is best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket on the television series Keeping Up Appearances.  She won a Whitbread Award in 1966, and a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Darling of the Day in which she starred with Vincent Price.  She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in Candide.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Matthew Lopez, first Latino playwright to win Tony for Best Play

Matthew Lopez, born March 24, 1977 in Panama City, Florida, is the first Latino to win a Tony Award for Best Play.  At the 74th Tony Awards held September 26, 2021 he took home the award for his play The Inheritance, which was nominated for 11 Tonys and won 4 of them.

Lopez was inspired by the E. M. Forster novel Howard's End for his play, which has also won an Olivier Award among many others for best play.