Angela Lansbury-Led BLITHE SPIRIT Becomes Best-Selling Play Revival at the Ahmanson in Over 25 Years

Following sold-out engagements on Broadway and in London's West End, television legend, Oscar recipient and five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury enjoyed continued success with Noël Coward's smash-hit comedic play "Blithe Spirit" in its Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre engagement.

Lansbury returned to the Los Angeles stage for the first time in over 30 years, and L.A. audiences had clearly been waiting, making "Blithe Spirit" the best-selling play revival at the Ahmanson Theatre in more than 25 years - a title previously held by "The Trip to Bountiful," which immediately preceded "Blithe Spirit" in the 2014-2015 season at the Ahmanson.

In addition, "Blithe Spirit" was the third best-selling drama at the Ahmanson in the last 25 years, just behind the plays "God of Carnage" and "War Horse."

The North American tour of "Blithe Spirit" launched at the Ahmanson on December 9, 2014, and ran through January 18, 2015. Following the L.A. engagement, the tour continued to SHN's Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, January 20 through February 1, 2015, and will then move to Mirvish Productions' Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, February 11 through March 15, and w i l l conclude in Washington, D.C., March 17 through March 29, at the National Theatre where Lansbury made her first pre-Broadway stage debut nearly 58 years ago to the day.

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 (the popular TV show "Murder, She Wrote," the memorable stage productions of "Sweeney Todd" and "Mame," the classic film "Gaslight") is 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 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 about the "Blithe Spirit" tour, visit www.BlitheSpiritThePlay.com.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus