BLITHE SPIRIT, Starring Angela Lansbury, Opens National Tour in LA Tonight

Following the internationally acclaimed production with sold-out engagements on Broadway and London's West End, television legend, Oscar recipient and five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury returns to the stage in an exciting North American tour of Noël Coward's smash-hit comedic play, BLITHE SPIRIT. Performances for BLITHE SPIRIT have begun at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles with an official opening tonight, December 14.

Following the closing of the LA engagement on Sunday, January 18th, the tour will continue on to SHN's Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco from Tuesday, January 20th through Sunday, February 1st; Mirvish Productions' Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto from Wednesday, February 11th throughSunday, March 15th and will conclude in Washington D.C. from Tuesday, March 17th through Sunday, March 29th at the National Theatre.

Returning to the role of Madame Arcati, for which she won her fifth Tony Award in 2009 for Best Featured Actress in a Play, Angela Lansbury ("Murder, She Wrote;" Sweeney Todd; Mame; Gaslight) will be joined by an all-star cast including Charles Edwards as Charles Condomine ("Downton Abbey," The 39 Steps, Blithe Spirit - 2014 West End revival), Jemima Rooper as Elvira ("The Black Dahlia;" One Man, Two Guvnors; Blithe Spirit - 2014 West End revival), Charlotte Parry as Ruth Condomine (Coram Boy, The Importance of Being Earnest), Simon Jones as Dr. Bradman ("Hitchhiker's Guide," The Real Thing, Blithe Spirit - 2009 Broadway revival/2014 West End revival), Susan Louise O'Connor as Edith ("Orange Is the New Black," Blithe Spirit - 2009 Broadway revival) and Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Bradman (Anything Goes, Blithe Spirit - 2009 Broadway revival). The play is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Blakemore (Kiss Me, Kate; Copenhagen).

The creative team includes scenic and costume designs by Helen Hayes Award-winner Simon Higlett, lighting design by Drama Desk nominee Mark Jonathan, Angela Lansbury's costume designs by two-time Tony Award-winner Martin Pakledinaz and sound design by Olivier Award-winners Ben and Max Ringham.

Coward, in his autobiography, claimed he wrote the play in five days during a holiday. Only two lines of dialogue were removed before its first production in London. Researching for his new novel, 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 of BLITHE SPIRIT is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Steve Traxler, Lee Dean,John Frost, Charles Diamond and Will Trice in association with Ken Davenport, Kathleen K. Johnson and Jam Theatricals.

For more information, visit www.BlitheSpiritThePlay.com.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus