Edgar Lansbury, a Tony Award-winning producer and younger brother of actress Angela Lansbury, died Thursday at the age of 94 at his home in Manhattan, according to his son. No reason was given.
Peggy Gordon, who starred in Lansbury’s Godspell, posted the news on Facebook.
“My big, adorable and adoring Godspell family, we have now lost our surrogate father, Edgar Lansbury. How blessed he was to live such a full, rich and wonderful life, surrounded by people who adored him. Don Scardino says a memorial will likely take place this fall. Contact all your Godspell relatives from all ten original companies, plus London (hello Gay) and anyone else I missed. Man, if Joe Beruh was waiting for Edgar with a cigarette in his mouth, I have no doubt Edgar would have Joe stomp on it. Love never dies. It is an energy that only turns into matter. That’s all of us. So I believe Edgar’s energy continues.”
His credits include the Broadway and film productions of God game And The subject was roses (his Broadway debut and won the 1964 Tony for Best Play), as well as the 1974 Broadway revival Gypsy in which his sister Angela starred and won a Tony.
Film and television credits include The Wild Party, Blue Sunshine, SquirmAnd Coronet Blue.
Other Broadway credits include The only game in town (1968), Look at the lilies (1970), The Magic Show (1974), American Buffalo (1977, Drama Desk nomination), and Lennon (2005).
Lansbury was also a producer of the 2011 Broadway Revival God game.
Lansbury’s off-Broadway credits include Promenade at the Promenade Theater on the Upper West Side, which he designed and operated, Arms and the man, waiting for Godot, Long day’s journey into night, And While bees drown in honey (Drama Desk nomination).
He received the 2007 John Houseman Award, presented by The Acting Company in honor of his commitment to developing classical actors and a national audience for the theater.
Survivors include his children David, an actor, James (an assistant director on Seinfeld), George, Michael, Brian and Kate, and his second wife, artist Louise Peabody.
