UPDATED: Tony Roberts Takes Ill During ROYAL FAMILY Matinee; Understudy to Step In Tonight

BroadwayWorld.com has just received the sad word that Tony Roberts, aged 69, 'took ill' on stage during today's matinee of The Royal Family, resulting in the curtain coming down and the cancellation of the rest of the performance. An ambulance was called and Roberts has brought to the hospital, with no further word on his condition at this time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Roberts, his family and to those involved with the production. 

Latest Update: The actor was taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt. The Times is reporting that a hospital spokesperson (Jeff Jacomowitz) has said that Roberts is in stable condition.

Update: The New York Times has now posted on the news as well, noting that "Mr. Roberts began slurring his words about 15 minutes into the first act of the matinee performance on Sunday. He sat down, spoke two more slurred lines, and then the curtain was lowered. After about five minutes, an announcement was made asking if there was a doctor in the house."

The evening performance will go on as scheduled, with Anthony Newfeld, Roberts' understudy taking over his part for the evening. 

The new Broadway production of The Royal Family began previews Tuesday, September 15 and has been set to open Thursday, October 8 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). There's no word at this time on future performances. 

Roberts' ability to portray a variety of characters on stage, in films and on television has made him one of the busiest actors in America. He has appeared in over 20 Broadway plays and musicals, and has been twice nominated for the Tony Award. In 1969, he won the coveted critic's Poll Award for his performance in Promises, Promises in London.

Broadway credits include Jerome Robbins' Broadway; Victor/Victoria; How Now, Dow Jones (Tony Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical); Play It Again, Sam (Tony Nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play); Sugar; Absurd Person Singular; Don't Drink the Water; Doubles; Something About a Soldier (Professional debut); Saul Bellow's The Last Analysis; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; and Xanadu. He played Scrooge at Madison Square Garden and starred with the New York City Opera Company in Brigadoon, and South Pacific.

Other Broadway credits include Barefoot In the Park; Promises, Promises; They're Playing Our Song; The Sisters Rosenzweig; Take Her, She's Mine; Never Too Late; and Arsenic & Old Lace. Roberts had major roles in the films Annie Hall; Play it Again, Sam; Serpico; La Sauvage; Star Spangled Girl; Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy; Hannah And Her Sisters; Stardust Memories; Radio Days; The Taking of Pelham, One Two Three; 18 Again; Amityville 3D; Just Tell Me What You Want; and Switch. On television Roberts has starred on NBC in Leonard Stern's "Rosetti and Ryan" on CBS in Alan Alda's "The Four Season's," and on ABC in Mike Nichols' "The Thorns." His TV work includes Arthur Miller's "The American Clock" and Saul Bellows "Seize the Day" for PBS. He has starred in three episodes of "Law & Order" and tracked down Anthony Hopkins in the TV movie "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case." Among his output are some 50 or more books on tape featuring portrayals of ‘Sam Spade' in The Maltese Falcon for Random House, and ‘Stone Barrington,' the hero of the very popular StuArt Woods detective series.

He is the voice on the audio version of Rudolph Gulliani's Leadership, for which he won an audio book award, and the narrator of the Bravo Profiles Television Series. Mr. Roberts makes his home in New York City where he was born. He attended the High School of Music and Art and graduated from Northwestern University where he majored in Drama and studied Acting with Alvina Krause.

The cast for The Royal Family features Ana Gasteyer, John Glover, RoseMary Harris, Jan Maxwell, Larry Pine, Tony Roberts and Reg Rogers.