Angela Lansbury to Host Memorial Service for Bea Arthur

Five-time Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury will host a memorial service for her Mame co-star Beatrice Arthur on September 14 at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre. The Emmy-winning actress died on April 25, 2009, at age 86. Celebrating Bea Arthur will begin at 1 PM, and seating is open to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Directed by Mark Waldrop, Celebrating Bea Arthur will feature remembrances and performances from the late actress’ family and friends, including Adrienne Barbeau, Zoe Caldwell, Billy Goldenberg (Arthur’s longtime accompanist), lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Maude writer Charlie Hauck, producer Norman Lear, Clinton Leupp, Anne Meara, Rosie O’Donnell, Chita Rivera, Daryl Roth (producer of Bea Arthur on Broadway), Jerry Stiller and Rue McClanahan.

Born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922, Beatrice Arthur appeared at off-Broadway’s Theatre de Lys as Lucy Brown in the famed production of The Threepenny Opera co-starring Lotte Lenya. Her Broadway career began in 1955 with the original musical Plain and Fancy and continued with roles in Seventh Heaven and Nature’s Way, then achieved acclaim as Yente in the original 1964 production of Fiddler on the Roof. Arthur won a Tony Award two years later for her performance as Vera Charles in Mame alongside Lansbury in the title role. She later played Vera on in the film version opposite Lucille Ball. Her final Broadway performances were in the play The Floating Light Bulb and in the solo show Bea Arthur on Broadway, which was nominated for a 2002 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event.

On television, Arthur created two of the most memorable female characters in television history: the title character in the 1970s series Maude and divorced substitute teacher Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls. She was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning one for Maude and another for The Golden Girls. Her most recent Emmy nomination was in 2000 for a guest appearance on Malcolm in the Middle.

Arthur married director Gene Saks in 1950. They had two sons, Matt and Danny, both of whom will be in attendance at the September 14 memorial celebration.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ali Forney Center, one of Ms. Arthur’s most beloved charities (www.aliforneycenter.org). The Center is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.