Drama League Award Winner the "Grand Dame" of American theatre, Angela Lansbury.

New York City - On February 8 the Drama League celebrated the legacy of one of the world's great actresses at The Pierre Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Truth be told, Angela Lansbury is more than an actress, she is an artistic treasure whose career has spanned stage, screen and television for almost seven decades.

Founded in 1916 and according to its mission statement, "The Drama League of New York has been at the forefront of providing the American Theatre community with talent, audiences, and prosperous support. It is one of the nation's oldest continuously-operating, not-for-profit arts advocacy and education organizations."

The star-studded event drew over 450 guests as the Drama League pulled out all the stops for their 26th annual benefit gala. Among the many guests and performers was Edie Falco of "Sopranos" fame and now starring in the hit Showtime series "Nurse Jackie." I asked Falco to comment on the impact Lansbury, the reining Grand Dame of American theatre, had on her own career, "Only just in so far as she was in 'Sweeney Todd,' which is the first Broadway show I ever saw. It was one of those 'you have to be kidding me' moments. I got to the theatre and the sound effect of that high pitched boat whistle that you get in the beginning, I thought, 'I am never leaving, I will never leave this place!' Should I be lucky enough to have the opportunity to do this with my life, I will."

Catherine Zeta-Jones, also presently starring on Broadway in "A Little Night Music," presented Lansbury with the Drama League Award.

A Long Island native from Northport, Falco told me she finally bought a place in East Hampton recently and is longing for the summer, "I can't wait, I am counting the seconds." After a successful second season, Falco anticipates "Nurse Jackie" will be picked up for another season with filming starting in August or September. At the evening's ceremony Falco introduced Lansbury's protégé Tom Rose.

Among the other many stars and notables at this year's event were Catherine Zeta-Jones, Victor Garber, Dee Hoty, T.R. Knight, Audra McDonald, James Barbour, Donna Murphy, Charles Busch, Marian Seldes, Christopher Sieber, Will Swenson, Cheyenne Jackson, Chita Rivera and her co-star in the original Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd" Len Cariou.

A legendary Broadway actress in her own right, seven time nominated and two time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters told me, "I started watching her [Lansbury] when I started watching movies as a little girl at home, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'Gaslight' and things like that, she has always been in my peripheral vision and mind. Then she came to Broadway and she is amazing. She is a deep, great star and at 84 is still a great star."

A great star indeed from the moment of her film debut, as Lansbury garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in her first role in "Gaslight" in 1944. She was again nominated in the same category the following year for "The Picture of Dorian Gray." In all Lansbury has won five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and has been nominated for numerous other industry awards, including a third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1962 for "The Manchurian Candidate" and 18 Emmy Awards. Most of the Emmy Awards came for her portrayal of mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in the long running television series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984 to 1996).

Actress Edie Falco of "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie."

In a conversation with the great lady herself, Lansbury commented on her continuing desire to perform, "Actually, I still have the urge to perform. If you are a person in good health and still have the ability to do it why would you stop? Tell me one reason why I would stop, I can't, I can't think of one. Unless I was bored and I am not, I'll never be bored as long as I am in the theatre. Of course, one does need to be hired; one has to land the job." Commenting on her "A Little Night Music" co-star Zeta-Jones, who was presenting Lansbury her award, the actress said, "I have lovely things to say about Catherine, she is a gem of a girl. I enjoy being with her so much."

I asked Lansbury to comment on the effect of the virtual media on live theatre and other forms of traditional entertainment, "I am going to tell you something, two young boys, 14 year-olds, came down from New Hampshire to see the show because one of them is my grand-nephew. Afterward they were discussing the show with their uncle, not with me because they didn't say a word to me because they were so dumbstruck. The thing they said to him was that the thing they noticed was that 'the actors were so real.' For a young kid to see a live actor working on stage is really a novelty today. So I think the Broadway theatre and all theatre, regional or otherwise, will prevail. Simply because to see real people actually walking around and putting their hands in their pockets, acting like proper human beings is going to be a revelation after watching those small screens."

Small screen, big screen or live on stage, Angela Lansbury will remain an artistic force to be reckoned with, as she shows no signs of slowing down. Her mark on American theatre, film and television is indelible, as was so admirably honored this year by the Drama League of New York.

For more information go to www.dramaleague.org.