The marquees of Broadway theaters will be dimmed on Friday, Aug. 15, at 7:45 p.m. for one minute, in honor of the stage and screen actress who died on Tuesday at age 89.
Bacall’s illustrious career includes two Tony Awards for best actress in a musical: in 1970 for Applause, the adaptation of All About Eve in which she played Margo Channing, the role created by her idol Bette Davis; and in 1981 for Woman of the Year in a part originated by Katharine Hepburn, a good friend whom she once called “the female counterpart to Bogie.”
She also headlined the stage comedies Goodbye, Charlie; Cactus Flower and Waiting in the Wings.
“Lauren Bacall had a distinct presence onstage and screen during a career that spanned decades,” said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League. “Along with her talent and memorable performances, her timeless beauty and witty intelligence will be remembered. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans.”
Before Bacall starred in films opposite beau Humphrey Bogart and nabbed accolades for both her screen projects and books, the New York City native studied acting and stood outside Sardi’s, selling copies of casting tip sheet Actor’s Cue. She also ushered at Broadway theaters and was a hostess at the American Theatre Wing’s Stage Door Canteen. Her first Broadway role was a walk-on in the 1942 play Johnny 2 x 4, after which she was cast in Franklin Street, a comedy directed by George S. Kaufman.
Bacall died Tuesday morning of a stroke in her longtime home in the Dakota, the famous Upper West Side building that overlooks Central Park in Manhattan.
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