Angela Lansbury Considers a Return to the Stage

Angela Lansbury, who recently appeared in a limited run of the staged reading Oscar and the Pink Lady in L.A., is now considering a full-fledged return to the theatre, according to the LA Daily News.

The legendary actress is moving from back to the Big Apple after having purchased an NYC condo; she also keeps a home in L.A. and a vacation home in County Cork, Ireland. Will being back in the city induce her to make a Broadway return? "I'm kind of opening a new window here. It will be interesting to see what transpires from this move back to New York. With my grandchildren grown now, and my family all involved in their own lives and their own business, I no longer feel I need to be right there — and I think they'll enjoy for me to get on with my life," she stated. Previously, Lansbury had taken time to be with her husband Peter Shaw during his illness; he died in 2003.

Lansbury added that in addition to not wanting to make her family feel responsible for her, she "wanted to be, needed to be back in New York theatrical society."

Lansbury won Tony Awards for her performances in Sweeney Todd, Mame, Dear World and Gypsy. Other Broadway appearances include Anyone Can Whistle, Hotel Paradiso, A Taste of Honey, The King and I, a 1983 revival of Mame, and A Little Family Business. A long-time film star, her screen credits include National Velvet, The Harvey Girls, The Court Jester, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The World of Henry Orient, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and The Pirates of Penzance; she received Oscar nods for her performances in Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate. Lansbury starred in the title role of Jerry Herman's telemusical "Mrs. Santa Clause," but is best known to TV audiences for her role as detective Jessica Fletcher on "Murder, She Wrote." She was also recently seen in the hit family film Nanny McPhee.