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.
Singer/actress/songwriter/activist Cyndi Lauper, born June 22, 1953 in Queens, New York, has won a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy! Just one more to go, Cyndi!
Cyndi released her first album She's So Unusual in October 1983.It debuted on the charts in December 1983 and peaked at No. 4 in June 1984. It was the one of the best-selling albums of 1984. She won a Grammy for Best New Artist and She's So Unusual won the Grammy Award for Best Album Package.
She had an uncredited cameo in The Goonies, but then had a starring role in the movie Vibes with Jeff Goldblum in 1988. Cyndi had a reoccurring role on Mad About You, for which she received two Primetime Emmy nominations and won one in 1995 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
In 2013, she won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for the composing the music for Kinky Boots. It was the first time a woman had won the award by herself.
She has become an outspoken advocate for gay rights and women's rights.
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.
The original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! opened on January 16, 1964, starring Carol Channing as Dolly Levi. It also starred Charles Nelson Reilly and Eileen Brennan. It won ten Tony Awards that year, winning in ten categories.
It debuted in Detroit in November 1963 before moving to Broadway the following January.
When Channing left the show, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey and Ethel Merman all appeared in the title role.
My man Billy Joel released his single Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), November 1, 1977. It is the first track off of The Stranger, his fifth studio album.
The song was made into a Broadway musical which garnered Billy a Tony!
Helen Mirren, born July 26, 1945 in London, is one of the most prolific and honored actresses of our time. She has won an Academy Award (out of four nominations), won four Primetime Emmys, (out of eleven nominations ), two Golden Globes (out of eight nominations) and one Tony Award (out of three nominations). Dame Mirren has won numerous other acting awards. She is the only actress to portray three different British queens.
She became Dame Helen Mirren in 2003 for her services to drama. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.
Pop diva Cyndi Lauper won the Tony for Best Original Score for the musical Kinky Boots at the 67th Tony Awards Ceremony June 9, 2013. Kinky Boots was nominated for 13 Tony awards and won 6 that night.
The Sound of Music won five awards at the 14th Tony Awards held April 24, 1960. It tied with Fiorello for Best Musical.
Mary Martin won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Maria Von Trapp, beating Carol Burnett as Princess Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress. Patricia Neway won Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as the Mother Abbess.
The Sound of Music also won for Best Conductor and Musical Director, and Best Scenic Design (Musical).
Theodore Bikel and Kurt Kasznar were nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. Lauri Peters was nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Liesl Von Trapp. The musical was also nominated for Best Direction of a Musical.
Angela Lansbury won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a musical for her role as Countess Aurelia in Dear World, April 20, 1969. It was the only nomination for the musical and Angela took it home!
This was her second win of five total Tony Awards.
Juanita Hall, born November 6, 1901 in Keyport, New Jersey, is the first African-American to win a Tony Award. Hall appeared in Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific on Broadway which opened in 1949. In 1950, she won the Tony for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Bloody Mary.
She reprised her role in the movie version of the musical.
She passed away February 29, 1968 from complications from diabetes.
I cannot even begin to chronicle all of Rita Moreno's accomplishments in a few short words, because she's pretty much done it all and been awarded for it. She is the first actress to win a Grand Slam (or whatever they call it). She's been awarded:
Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (West Side Story) 1962
Grammy for Best Album for Children (Electric Company) 1972
Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play (The Ritz) 1975
Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program - 1977
I saw her in The King and I, Singing in the Rain, and The Ritz (one of my favorite movies of hers),
This video clip of her accepting her Academy Award just shows why we love her so much!
My man Billy Joel won a Tony Award for Best Orchestration June 8, 2003 for Movin' Out, a musical based on his music. Movin' Out was also up for Best Musical but lost to Hairspray starring Harvey Fierstein.
