It’s weird thinking about 2010. I already know that there won’t be any chance that I will get to surprise all of you with a new date, time and venue that Bea would be appearing at. Though I haven’t had the fortune of doing that in a while, she always managed to surprise us and every year I never gave up hope. That being said, we now have many years of her materials to sift through. Therefore, I declare, 2010 is the year to review the legacy of Bea Arthur.
I can’t think of a better way to start reviewing her life other then reading the words from a lucky guy that got to spend the last 6 years of his life with Bea. Not just for an occasional event here and there, but as her everyday personal assistant and eventual close friend. Click here, to read some of Dan Watt’s personal stories and what exciting project he has been working on (which he kicked off with Bea, herself!).
On another note, this web site turns 10 years old next month! I never would have imagined all that would have come out of this web site back then, but am so thankful for all the fans that I have met and special opportunities that I have received from it.
As always, keep your fingers crossed in hopes of some new media releases this year. ie. Maude Season 2 – 6 and Bea Arthur on Broadway on DVD or 3-D Blu-ray
I’m sure most of you have already seen this, but wanted to post it just in case you had not. I’m a little behind as I am recovering from a cold so forgive me
This is a clip from an upcoming series by Merv Griffin, Lunching With A Legend, with Bea’s assistant Dan Watt via Insider. Hopefully, the full posting of the episode will appear on YouTube and/or at lunchingwithalegend.com eventually. Keep an eye out for it!!
On Monday, September 14th, fans and fellow celebrities gathered one more time to remember Bea Arthur. I wasn’t able to attend, however, have gathered up some links from news stories of the event. Also, heard from fellow fans who wanted to share their experiences.
Here is part of an email that I received from a fan, Rudy, who was able to attend and goes on to say ::
For me, as an Angela diehard particularly, the most moving moment was when, toward the end, she set up the playing of the clip of Bea on “Malcolm In the Middle,” which she described as a marvelous example of Bea’s magical touch she could bring to even a scene that was only four minutes long. Angela was the essence of restraint and professionalism all throughout the show until this moment – when she uttered the name of the show (“Malcolm In the Middle”) her voice suddenly buckled out. It made me start crying all over again. It was obvious that Angela meant to express her love for Bea by being the best damn host she could be. I’m absorbing old school professionalism like this while I can, because before long it will be a fossil.
I’m very sorry that you did not get to come, but I’d trade the experience for what you had anytime – seeing Bea.
Here are some news links for your enjoyment of the event ::
Finally, if you can get the change to visit The Ali Forney Center website to learn more about Bea’s dedication and possibly donate to the cause. aliforneycenter.org
Directed by Mark Waldrop, “Celebrating Bea Arthur” will feature remembrances and performances from the late actress’s family and friends, including Adrienne Barbeau (“Maude” co-star), Zoe Caldwell, Billy Goldenberg (Arthur’s longtime accompanist), Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof lyricist), Charlie Hauck (“Maude” head writer), Norman Lear (“Maude” producer), Clinton Leupp, Anne Meara, Rosie O’Donnell, Chita Rivera, Daryl Roth (Bea Arthur on Broadway producer), Jerry Stiller and Rue McClanahan (“The Golden Girls”).
New York, NY….The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, will formally announce it’s plan to name a residence for LGBT youth in honor of Bea Arthur at her memorial service on September 14th at the Majestic Theater in New York City. The Ali Forney Center is working with a group of Bea’s close friends and colleagues to plan the memorial service…
You would think that I would be prepared for this day, because I certainly did. No. My jaw just dropped when a friend messaged me saying so sorry to hear about Bea. I said “WHAT?, where did you hear this”, being stuff like this is thrown at me all the time. But, as I have always said, I won’t believe it until I see it on CNN. Well, it was on MSNBC’s web site, so if that isn’t a confirmation enough, I don’t know what is. However, as I write this, I am now seeing it as breaking news on CNN. I am in shock, as I, nor anyway in the public knew that she had cancer. I’m sure more will be released in the future about these details.
In the meantime, let me just say that my thoughts and prayers to go her family and friends that had the private knowledge of Bea’s cancer and decline, in which I’m sure they have been secretly concerned about all this time.
I’m going to post this up right now, but will be updating it when more information is present. At of this moment, it is only breaking news that she passed away this morning from cancer. No further information is available as of this original posting. So stay tuned, as always.
She really appreciated her fans, you. So, don’t forget that! Don’t be sad today, instead break out your Golden Girls and Maude DVDs and remember why we loved that dry-wit sense of humor that got us through our own personal hard times in life. That is what friends are for, thank you Bea.
This site is understandably getting hit hard today, so it’s going up and down a lot. Feel free to follow my twitter as I will be posting on there as well. www.twitter.com/vectorlyme
:: Additional tidbits and points of interest from news sources ::
• “Maude,” “Golden Girls” star was at home with family in Los Angeles
• No funeral services are currently planned, family asked that donations be made to either the Art Attack Foundation or PETA in lieu of flowers.
A note I just received from Bea’s assistant/spokesperson ::
On be half of the Art Attack Foundation we are deeply saddened by the lost of one of Broadway and Television’s greatest, Bea Arthur.
Ms. Arthur broke onto the American theatre scene in 1954 when she performed in a production of Three-Penny Opera. Miss Arthur followed her stage debut with another successful off-Broadway musical, The Shoestring Revue. In 1964 it was the role of Yenter, the matchmaker, in Fiddler on the Roof, which made her truly famous. A year later she won her greatest Broadway acclaim in Mame. Starring opposite Angela Lansbury, her portrayal of Vera Charles, a savagely witty and serpent-tongued woman earned her a Tony Award in 1966.
Famed producer Norman Lear took note of Miss Arthur in The Shoestring Review, and convinced her to do a guest role as Edith Bunker’s cousin, Maude, on All in the Family. Her character was so intriguing that she got her own show in 1972. Bea won an Emmy for best actress in a comedy series for her work on Maude. Next, Arthur joined the cast of The Golden Girls, for which she also won an Emmy. The show ran seven years.
Bea’s career encompassed all area’s of the performing arts which is why she was the perfect fit to be our Chairperson. As a way to say “thank you” for Miss Arthur’s support through the years, the Art Attack Foundation has decided to create a special scholarship in her name that will be given to those with exceptional talent and drive in the performing arts. Bea, you were an inspiration to many and you will be truly missed.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will be inducting Bea Arthur into the Hall of Fame on December 9, 2008. She will join more than 100 individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the television medium and have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984. Click here for more information! This post will be updated if any new developments are learned, so please check back!
Update :: The event will not be aired, but a highlight reel may be available at a later time. Meanwhile, download the press release! [PDF format]
I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but keep forgetting! So, in the event that you didn’t pick up the Maude DVD (god will still get you for that) and/or have never seen a full episode of Maude, then head over to Joost! They are offering a few full episodes of Maude for free from season one. You have no reason not to watch now! They are also better quality then those chopped up episodes that come and go on YouTube. Enjoy!
So, it seems that The Globe has a recent article, that I have only seen online (short version) about Bea’s declining health. I’m starting to receive emails about this and wanted to have this opportunity to remind you about this website, where I stand and what I know.
This is a fan web site that I have run for 8 years now. Simply that. I am a fan and wanted to share my appreciation for Bea with other fans. It is that simple. I have met Bea a couple times, but it was nothing more of an experience different from when any other fan that has met her. I do not get special treatment, secret information or any of the sort other then what is in public domain to the rest of us. So, I would apprecaite you keeping that in mind during any phase of rumors and gut feelings you might have!
My grandmother is going on 99 in October and it wasn’t until just this year that she has started to go down hill. So, don’t let the age factor alone make you believe that there is something wrong automatically. We just will never know until we know. From my experience with the media and the personal lives of celebrities… they often contradict each other. Media wants dirt because that gains headlines much better and celebrities want their privacy for understandable reasons. Let’s just wait and see shall we, because I know that is all that I can do personally. In the meantime, lets keep watching Maude and the Golden Girls and apprecaite Bea’s body of work. That is what this site is for and why you are here reading this now!
Hope you had the chance to see the TV Land Awards! From what I hear and have seen on the internet, Bea looked great! Unfortunally, my Tivo didn’t record the show twice now, so I still haven’t seen it! Hopefully, this Thursday, all will go smoothly!
Quick update on this site. To cut down on cost, I’m back to hosting this site on my own server and am going through some backend changes. You may come across some broken links in the meantime. I’m most likely aware of this, so be patient and check back a little later, as I will be fixing these as quickly as possible. More updates will occur over time. So, I basically just wanted to let you know what is going on with this site. As usual we will still available at www.beatricearthur.com, but the files will now be downloaded from my own www.lgt2.com, which is also going to be going under major changes. Just makes it easier for me!
Take care and come back again, as I always hope to be posting good news for fellow Bea fans!
Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends -
on
Enemies of Laughter
on
Mame
on
and
Choose your feed
preference:
At artattackfoundation.org, fans of Ms. Arthur's can
find genuine and authentic items autographed and donated by Bea and her
friends that are being sold on ebay for this worthy charity. It is a good cause, raising money for
student scholarships in the performing arts.
Happy New Year!
It’s weird thinking about 2010. I already know that there won’t be any chance that I will get to surprise all of you with a new date, time and venue that Bea would be appearing at. Though I haven’t had the fortune of doing that in a while, she always managed to surprise [...]
I’m sure most of you have already seen this, but wanted to post it just in case you had not. I’m a little behind as I am recovering from a cold so forgive me
This is a clip from an upcoming series by Merv Griffin, Lunching With A Legend, with Bea’s assistant Dan Watt [...]
On Monday, September 14th, fans and fellow celebrities gathered one more time to remember Bea Arthur. I wasn’t able to attend, however, have gathered up some links from news stories of the event. Also, heard from fellow fans who wanted to share their experiences.
Here is part of an email that I received from a fan, [...]
Directed by Mark Waldrop, “Celebrating Bea Arthur” will feature remembrances and performances from the late actress’s family and friends, including Adrienne Barbeau (“Maude” co-star), Zoe Caldwell, Billy Goldenberg (Arthur’s longtime accompanist), Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof lyricist), Charlie Hauck (“Maude” head writer), Norman Lear (“Maude” producer), Clinton Leupp, Anne Meara, Rosie O’Donnell, Chita Rivera, [...]
New York, NY….The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, will formally announce it’s plan to name a residence for LGBT youth in honor of Bea Arthur at her memorial service on September 14th at the Majestic Theater in New York City. The Ali Forney Center is working with [...]
You would think that I would be prepared for this day, because I certainly did. No. My jaw just dropped when a friend messaged me saying so sorry to hear about Bea. I said “WHAT?, where did you hear this”, being stuff like this is thrown at me all the time. But, as I have [...]
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will be inducting Bea Arthur into the Hall of Fame on December 9, 2008. She will join more than 100 individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the television medium and have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984. Click here for more [...]
I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but keep forgetting! So, in the event that you didn’t pick up the Maude DVD (god will still get you for that) and/or have never seen a full episode of Maude, then head over to Joost! They are offering a few full episodes of Maude for [...]
So, it seems that The Globe has a recent article, that I have only seen online (short version) about Bea’s declining health. I’m starting to receive emails about this and wanted to have this opportunity to remind you about this website, where I stand and what I know.
This is a fan web site that I [...]
Hello all!
Hope you had the chance to see the TV Land Awards! From what I hear and have seen on the internet, Bea looked great! Unfortunally, my Tivo didn’t record the show twice now, so I still haven’t seen it! Hopefully, this Thursday, all will go smoothly!
Quick update on this site. To cut down on [...]
For me, as an Angela diehard particularly, the most moving moment was when, toward the end, she set up the playing of the clip of Bea on “Malcolm In the Middle,” which she described as a marvelous example of Bea’s magical touch she could bring to even a scene that was only four minutes long. Angela was the essence of restraint and professionalism all throughout the show until this moment – when she uttered the name of the show (“Malcolm In the Middle”) her voice suddenly buckled out. It made me start crying all over again. It was obvious that Angela meant to express her love for Bea by being the best damn host she could be. I’m absorbing old school professionalism like this while I can, because before long it will be a fossil.
New York, NY….The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, will formally announce it’s plan to name a residence for LGBT youth in honor of Bea Arthur at her memorial service on September 14th at the Majestic Theater in New York City. The Ali Forney Center is working with a group of Bea’s close friends and colleagues to plan the memorial service…
