Career Linda Lavin

1 career

1.1 television , film
1.2 theatre
1.3 cabaret , recording

career
television , film

in 1967, lavin made appearance gloria thorpe in television version of musical damn yankees phil silvers. in 1969, lavin married actor ron leibman, , 1973 couple had arrived in hollywood, california. after various guest appearances on episodic television series such nurses, rhoda, harry o , kaz, lavin landed recurring role detective janice wentworth on barney miller during first , second seasons (1975–1976).

she left barney miller star in lead role in alice. show popular hit cbs , ran 1976 1985. series based on martin scorsese-directed ellen burstyn film alice doesn t live here anymore. lavin portrayed alice hyatt, waitress , singer, character burstyn had played. lavin performed series theme song, there s new girl in town, written david shire , alan , marilyn bergman , updated each of first 6 seasons. during series nine-season run, lavin earned 2 golden globe awards , primetime emmy award nomination, , gained experience directing, during later seasons. lavin played dual role in alice, debbie walden, wizened , former landlady of character vera louise gorman-novak. lavin made numerous television appearances outside of alice, including hosting own holiday special cbs, linda in wonderland (1980). acted in 2 sitcoms, room 2 (1992–93) , 1998 s conrad bloom. in room two, played mother moved in daughter, played patricia heaton, has show on local television station. daughter gives lavin s character own segment, called thought, @ end of program.

after working in theater many years, lavin cast in nbc television sitcom sean saves world (2013–14) playing sean hayes pushy, meddling mother lorna. los angeles times interviewer noted: highlight of show wonderful chemistry between lavin , hayes, exchange repartee , quips breezy ease. , cast seems smitten her. show has been cancelled.

she made numerous television guest appearances, including roles on muppet show (1979), law & order: criminal intent, o.c., touched angel (1999) , hbo s sopranos (2002).

she appeared in many telefilms between 1967 , 1998, including: damn yankees!, sadbird, morning after, jerry, mom, me, $5.20 hour dream, woman s child, maricela, lena: 100 children, whitewash, dream wish heart makes: annette funicello story, stolen memories: secrets rose garden, future: irvine fertility scandal, ring, , best friends life. lavin produced , starred in matter of life , death, 1981 telefilm based on work of nurse thanatologist joy ufema. directed 1990 telefilm flour babies.

lavin made feature film debut in muppets take manhattan (1984). other feature film appearances include see in morning, starring jeff bridges, , alain resnais s want go home, opposite gérard depardieu (both 1989) , back-up plan (2010).

theatre

lavin began career broadway appearances in musical family affair (1962) , plays such riot act (1963) , carl reiner s different (1967). in new york times review of john guare s 2 one-act plays, cop-out (1969), clive barnes wrote: miss lavin...carries versatility point of paranoia, , camps storm.

she arrived @ showbiz stardom featured role in musical s bird...it s plane...it s superman (1966). received first tony award nomination in 1970, role in neil simon play, last of red hot lovers (1969). clive barnes, in review new york times, wrote: linda lavin, eyebrows, [sic] flaunting telegraphed messages, mouth twitching , pouting, voice dry thunder , cough electric static, beautiful elaine, sex cat feeling coolly kittenish , looking safe tin roof. lavin s last broadway credit before moved hollywood in paul sills story theatre in 1971.

in years, lavin appeared in numerous off-broadway productions, including revuewet paint (1965), musical mad show (1966) , little murders (1969). lavin won theatre world award wet paint , drama desk award little murders.

after more decade away, appearing on television, lavin returned broadway stage in 1987, winning tony award best actress in play , second drama desk award role kate in simon s play broadway bound. frank rich, in new york times review, wrote: 1 wishes ms. lavin, touching performance of same high integrity writing, stay in role forever. theatre critic charles mcnulty wrote of performance considered 1 of memorable in contemporary broadway history, winning not awards praise approaching level of myth. distinguished theater critic gordon rogoff, extolling power available actor @ height of own command of detail, went far describe lavin s portrayal 1 of textbook lessons in great acting...

she starred on broadway in gypsy mama rose hovick, replacing tyne daly in july 1990. june havoc saw lavin s performance in gypsy , sent lavin photo of havoc s mother, real rose hovick, note of appreciation lavin s particular portrayal of character.

subsequent broadway roles included sisters rosensweig, replacement gorgeous teitelbaum starting in september 1993 , mrs. van daan in diary of anne frank (1997–1998), opposite natalie portman, garnered tony nomination featured actress in play. in 1995 appeared in off-broadway death-defying acts, consists of 3 one-act plays; lavin performed in elaine may ( hotline ) , woody allen plays ( central park west ). nominated drama desk award (outstanding actress – play) , won obie award (performance) , lucille lortel award. directed theater during period.

she played marjorie in tale of allergist s wife (2000–2001), co-starring tony roberts , michele lee, nominated tony award, leading actress in play, , drama desk award, , nanny helen (young carol burnett, played sara niemietz , donna lynne champlin) in hollywood arms in chicago , on broadway in 2002.

in 2010, lavin appeared ruth steiner in broadway revival of play collected stories, reprising role pbs production of play, , received fifth tony nomination role. appeared in new play jon robin baitz, other desert cities, off-broadway @ mitzi newhouse theater (lincoln center) beginning in previews in december 2010, closing february 27, 2011. lavin featured in kennedy center (washington, dc) production of musical follies, may 2011 june 2011, hattie walker.

she appeared in premiere of nicky silver play lyons @ off-broadway vineyard theatre, beginning in september 2011, through november 11. ben brantley, new york times reviewer, commented: watching ms. lavin, found myself thinking of nora ibsen s doll s house – well, pursed-lipped, lemony-sour, older nora in pseudo-chanel, 1 s never @ loss , when it. rita may little behind schedule in discovering herself, no 1 can fault hair-trigger timing of actress playing or surprising dimensions finds within one-liners. reprised role in broadway production, opened @ cort theatre on april 23, 2012 , closed on july 1, 2012.

lavin appeared in new nicky silver play sun, opened off-broadway @ vineyard theatre on may 18, 2014. ben brantley, in review new york times wrote: , s unconditional treat witness actress ms. lavin tuned precisely writer s wavelength script , performance become marriage of true minds.

lavin appeared in 2015/16 on broadway @ samuel j. friedman theatre in manhattan theatre club production of richard greenberg s our mother s brief affair.

in january 2017, lavin appeared in new york city opera s production of leonard bernstein s candide @ rose theatre @ lincoln center in role of old lady.

cabaret , recording

lavin has appeared in cabaret , concert performances. in 2005 appeared @ empire plush room in san francisco, accompanied billy stritch , husband, steve bakunas. talkinbroadway reviewer summed performance: linda lavin funny, warm , full of personality. in april 2006 performed @ birdland (new york) critically acclaimed cabaret act song remembers when , billy stritch. performed wilmington symphony (wilmington, north carolina) in march 2012.

her recording, possibilities released ghostlight records in 2012. steven suskin wrote: there still sweet, friendly sound of long ago (and sweet , friendly not words d use describe lavin-the-actress).