PhotosPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day in L.A. With the Angela Lansbury-Led Blithe Spirit TourThe North American tour of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, starring five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati, opened Dec. 14 at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Cast member Susan Louise O’Connor shares a recent two-show day!
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Matthew Blank
January 07, 2015
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day in L.A. With the Angela Lansbury-Led Blithe Spirit Tour
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day in L.A. With the Angela Lansbury-Led Blithe Spirit Tour
The North American tour of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, starring five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati, opened Dec. 14 at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Cast member Susan Louise O’Connor shares a recent two-show day!
47 PHOTOS
Good Morning! It’s Saturday, December 20th and I have the good fortune of doing TWO performances today of Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Waking up a bit early today so that I can go to yoga and stretch before the day.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Coffee before yoga? You betcha! And I like to make my coffee to taste as much like ice cream as possible.
Susan Louise O’Connor
It’s another beautiful day in California Guess we know who’s been ‘hogging’ the sunshine. I usually reside in New York City, so this weather is a big treat for me.
Susan Louise O’Connor
I found an amazing yoga studio near my Silver Lake sublet called One Down Dog. Check out their website www.onedowndog.com They play great music and have a ton of different classes.
I can actually WALK to yoga from the apartment (walking is rare in LA) and en route I listened to Marc Maron’s interview with Jenny Slate. It was very inspiring and a nice way to start a two show day.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Okay, yoga done, it’s time to hit the road in my rentawreck. I call him ‘Red Buddy’ and knock on wood, he’s been a great car. I really enjoy driving. There’s nothing quite like flying down the road, listening to the radio and singing along to Blank Space. You know you like it too.
Susan Louise O’Connor
I love this mural on Sunset!
Susan Louise O’Connor
I stopped at the drugstore on the way to the theater and who do I run into in the parking lot but star of Blithe Spirit, Charlotte Parry!
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here I am at the Ahmanson Theater, signing in for the first show of our two show day. Because of the upcoming Christmas holiday, we are actually in the middle of an ELEVEN show stretch. Whenever you start to feel tired, you catch yourself because if Angela Lansbury, who’s 89 and a beacon of talent, can do eleven shows in a row with a smile, so can you.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is Lora Powell, our Stage Manager. She is literally the kindest human being on the planet. Here she’s displaying one of the decorations she’s using on her door. We’re currently having a dressing room door decoration contest. I love competitions and crafts, so I am taking this very seriously. More on that later.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here comes the cast!! Jemima Rooper and Sandra Shipley signing in for the first show of the day. I feel so fortunate to work with these folks – they are so bloody talented. (as the only American, I’m trying to pepper in some Britishisms)
Susan Louise O’Connor
That’s Charles Edwards modeling his Secret Santa gift. We’re not sure what the contraption is used for, so for today we’re going with wine glass holder.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here is our Company Manager, Erik Birkeland, slaving away. Blithe Spirit is a four city North American tour, so this man never stops working.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Just in case you forgot, it’s a TWO show day. Here’s Tom Rhoades, Ms. Lansbury’s assistant, and I to remind you.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is my dressing room at the Ahmanson Theater. Around my mirror are pictures of my friends and family so I can have a little bit of home away from home. Opening night was this past Sunday, so you’re also seeing gorgeous flowers from my parents and Ms. Lansbury.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here is my dressing room door Christmas tree. It’s a plastic film of a tree and then I made ornaments with the names of the cast and crew. That’s kettle corn glued on the top. Fingers crossed everything stays in place till the judging.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Speaking of decorating, this is Sarah Bedo, our assistant Company Manager, hanging out by our Green Room tree.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Okay, it’s time to get dressed. First stop, mic. Because the Ahmanson seats over 2000 people, we all wear mics so the folks in the balcony can hear each Coward quip. This is Mark the Mic Guy.
Susan Louise O’Connor
I thread my mic up my back and through my hair so that it sits right in the middle of my forehead.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Hair done, makeup on, it’s time for clothes. I have two costumes for Blithe Spirit. I also did the show on Broadway in 2009, but the only clothing piece that’s the same are my shoes. That’s bound to be a Jeopardy question at some point. “Name the costume piece that Susan Louise O’Connor wore in both the Broadway and National Tour productions of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit” Hey, a girl can dream.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here is the lovely Sandra Shipley getting her wig on with help from Patrice.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Let’s do some backstage exploring. Here are my props. I play Edith, the Condomine’s new maid, so I have a lot hand props. I love playing Edith. No one would say she’s a good maid, or even an okay maid, but she tries very, very hard. She tries so hard that she frequently breaks things.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is the hallway that I sprint across many times a show, which I’m counting as cardio.
Susan Louise O’Connor
These are the stairs from the living room to the bedroom. The bedroom is offstage and hence invisible.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Meet Erica and Clista who handle all the props for the show. There are so many props for this show, brandy, tarot cards, cucumber sandwiches, etc. etc.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here is Hector, the Head Carpenter. His screen puts my television to shame.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Back to the dressing rooms to see Rebecca and Toni, two of the standbys for the tour.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is Simon Jones, who plays Dr. Bradman. He has performed in both the Broadway run in 2009 (that I did as well) and in the West End run that Charles, Jemima & Angela also starred in.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is Simon’s dressing room door decoration made of holiday silverware! He’s very inventive.
Susan Louise O’Connor
My role is super physical. Today I wiped out on stage while running away from Elvira, the ghost. Thankfully the fall ‘worked’ for the moment and thankfully nothing broke, just some impressive bruises. My modeling career maybe affected.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Our Production Stage Manager, John Atherlay, marks some official notes
Susan Louise O’Connor
Between shows, the cast gets cozy in the Green Room.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Barbara, the wardrobe supervisor, looks into the future. I’m betting she’s seeing a second performance of Blithe Spirit
Susan Louise O’Connor
The door decorating contest continues. Robert Callely, Ms. Lansbury’s manager, and Tom, her assistant, show off their creation.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Ann, who works in wardrobe, makes craft magic between shows. Check out her wonderful Christmas Cactuses.
Susan Louise O’Connor
While the others are productive, the cast continues to slumber in the green room.
Susan Louise O’Connor
It’s time for show number TWO!
Susan Louise O’Connor
Here I am checking out the door decorating competition on the Stage Management door. Lora has created a vintage masterpiece.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Gus, the Hair Supervisor, styles Angela Lansbury’s wonderful wig.
Susan Louise O’Connor
This is the amazing Mark Capri, who covers the Mr. Condomine & Dr. Bradman roles.
Susan Louise O’Connor
The second show has commenced. Mary, Ms. Lansbury’s dresser, repairs a costume piece created by the late and brilliant Martin Pakledinaz.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Intermission of show number two, I ponder additions to my tree. How can I make this the winner?
Susan Louise O’Connor
Michael steams Ann’s hair. Don’t question the experts.
Susan Louise O’Connor
Sandra and Simon peruse my new tree additions.
Susan Louise O’Connor
The show is over and my friend Doug is in town from NYC, so we grab a snack after the show.
Susan Louise O’Connor
What a wonderful two show day! And guess what? We’re doing another two tomorrow. It appears that two show days are the new black.
Directed by Michael Blakemore, the production officially opened Dec. 14 at 6:30 PM at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles following previews that began Dec. 9.
Read: "Rock Star" Angela Lansbury on Touring the Country in Her "Culminating Role" Following the closing of the LA engagement on Jan. 18, 2015, the tour will continue to SHN’s Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco Jan. 20-Feb. 1, 2015, and Mirvish Productions’ Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto Feb. 11-March 15. The tour will conclude in Washington, DC, March 17-29 at the National Theatre, where Lansbury made her first pre-Broadway stage debut nearly 58 years ago to the day.
“During the course of my career, I’ve had the good fortune to play many, many unique and wonderful roles in the movies, on stage and television,” said Lansbury in a previous statement. “And it is a joy to once again step into the role of Madame Arcati, and bring Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit to wonderful audiences here in North America who have supported me for over seven decades.”
The production also has scenic and costume designs by Helen Hayes Award winner Simon Higlett (Lansbury’s costume designs are by two-time Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz), lighting design by Drama Desk nominee Mark Jonathan and sound design by Olivier Award winners Ben and Max Ringham.
"Researching for his new novel," press notes state, "Charles Condomine invites the implausible medium Madame Arcati to his house for a séance. While consumed in a trance, Madame Arcati unwittingly summons the ghost of Charles’ dead wife Elvira. Appearing only to Charles, Elvira soon makes a play to reclaim her husband, much to the chagrin of Charles’ new wife Ruth. One husband, two feuding wives and a whisper of mischief in the air – who will win in Coward’s unworldly comedy?"
The North American tour is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Steve Traxler, Lee Dean, John Frost, Charles Diamond and Will Trice in association with JAM Theatricals.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
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