Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman

By: Sep. 16, 2019
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As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, stage star Phyllis Newman passed away yesterday, September 15, at the age of 86.

Newman got her start in show business at 4 years old imitating Carmen Miranda in theatres and clubs. Her portrayal of Martha Vail in the Jule Styne/Comden and Green musical Subways Are For Sleeping - costumed only in a bath towel - earned her a Tony Award. Her other Broadway credits include Bells Are Ringing, The Apple Tree, On the Town, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Awake and Sing, Wish You Were Here, First Impressions, and her one-woman musical The Madwoman of Central Park West, which she co-authored with Arthur Laurents. She garnered a Tony Award nomination for her highly-acclaimed performance in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound.

Off-Broadway she earned a Drama Desk Nomination for her starring performance in James Lapine's The Moment When... at Playwrights Horizons. She received unanimous praise from critics for her role as an eccentric crisis hotline operator in Nicky Silver's off-Broadway comedy, The Food Chain, appeared with Fisher Stevens and Annabella Sciorra in the Naked Angels production of Shyster and starred in the Drama Desk-nominated revival of A Majority of One. Regionally she has been seen in Pleasures & Palaces and Rocket to the Moon as well as Arthur Laurents' My Good Name directed by Daniel Sullivan.

BroadwayWorld remembers the stage legend with just a few photos from throughout her life:

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Adolph Green

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Edward Albee & Phyllis Newman attending the New Dramatists 58th Annual Spring Luncheon to honor Edward Albee at the Mariott Marquee Hotel in New York City..May 17th, 2007.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman with her daughter Amanda Green & Lauren Bacall attending the Opening Night Performance of the New Broadway Musical HIGH FIDELITY at the Imperial Theatre in New York City..December 7, 2006.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Lauren Bacall & Phyllis Newman arriving for the Opening Night Performance of LOVEMUSIK at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City..May 3, 2007.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Lauren Bacall, Phyllis Newman and Adolph Green attend the Opening night performance of 'West Side Story' in New York City, February 14, 1980.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Lauren Bacall and Phyllis Newman attend the Opening night performance of 'West Side Story' in New York City, February 14, 1980.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Laurie Beechman, Phyllis Newman and Adolph Green pictured at opening night at Rainbow and Stars in New York City on July 9, 1996.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Polly Bergen.attending the Broadway Opening Night Performance of 'Follies' at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka attending a reception celebrating Hunter's 54 Below debut with 'You Make Me Feel So Young' in New York City on 3/25/2013

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman, Hunter Ryan Herdicka attending a reception celebrating Hunter's 54 Below debut with 'You Make Me Feel So Young' in New York City on 3/25/2013

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attends the William Ivey Long Sardi's portrait unveiling and 70th Birthday Party at Sardi's Restaurant on August 30, 2017 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman and William Ivey Long attend the William Ivey Long Sardi's portrait unveiling and 70th Birthday Party at Sardi's Restaurant on August 30, 2017 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman and William Ivey Long attend the William Ivey Long Sardi's portrait unveiling and 70th Birthday Party at Sardi's Restaurant on August 30, 2017 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Sidney Lumet and Phyllis Newman.Attending a New York celebration in anticipation of director Sidney Lumet's Honorary Academy Award, which will be presented at the upcoming 77th Annual Academy Awards at Arabelle at the Plaza Athenee in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman.attending the Broadway Opening Night Performance of 'Follies' at the Marquis Theatre in New York City,

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attends the Broadway Opening Night Performance of 'On the 20th Century' at The American Airlines Theatre on March 12, 2015 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending 'Gore Vidal - A Celebration' at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City on August 23, 2012

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Adolph Green and Phyllis Newman attend the Opening Night of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" Marquis Theatre NYC on April 18, 2002

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attends The Kennedy Center Presents The Sondheim Celebration Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center New York City October 21, 2002

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending the Opening Night of the Broadway Musical Landmark, SWEENEY TODD at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York City. November 3, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman Attending the Opening Night Performance of ALL SHOOK UP at the Palace Theatre in New York City. March 24, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman and Amanda Green Attends the Opening Night (afternoon matinee) performance of LENNON at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. August 14, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman Attending the Opening Night performance of LENNON at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. August 14, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman Attending the Opening Night Performance of ALL SHOOK UP at the Palace Theatre in New York City. March 24, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman and Tommy Tune attending the Opening Night of the Broadway Musical Landmark, SWEENEY TODD at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York City. November 3, 2005

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending "Defying Inequality: The Broadway Concert " A Celebrity Benefit for Equal Rights" at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City. February 23, 2009

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Amanda Green attending the Broadway Opening Night Revival Performance of PROMISES,PROMISES at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. April 26, 2010

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman arriving for the Opening Night Performance of PRESENT LAUGHTER at the Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre in New York City. January 22, 2010

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Amanda Green, Brian Stokes Mitchell & Phyllis Newman attending the NOTHING LIKE A DAME Benfit Evening at the World Stages in New York City. June 15, 2009

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Betty Buckley attending the NOTHING LIKE A DAME Benfit Evening at the World Stages in New York City. June 15, 2009

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending BROADWAY BARKS 10 : The 10th Annual Adopt-a-thon at Shubert Alley in New York City. July 12, 2008

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman Arriving for the Opening Night Performance of Will Ferrell starring in "You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush" at the Cort Theatre in New York City. February 5, 2009

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman performing at the "Nothing Like A Dame: A Party For Comden And Green" at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman performing at the "Nothing Like A Dame: A Party For Comden And Green" at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman performing at the "Nothing Like A Dame: A Party For Comden And Green" at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Will Chase & Phyllis Newman at the Final Performance After Party for the ENCORES! Production of "Bells Are Ringing" in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Brad Oscar at the Final Performance After Party for the ENCORES! Production of "Bells Are Ringing" in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman arriving at the 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 7, 2009.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Noah Himmelstein arriving at the 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 7, 2009.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman arriving at the 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 7, 2009.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman on June 1, 1988 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending a Broadway Opening Night Performance on August 1, 1979 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman & Kathleen Marshall.at the Opening Night Performance of the Manhattan Theatre Club's Production of 'Venus In Fur' at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman.attending 'Gore Vidal - A Celebration' at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City on August 23, 2012

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman with Cast Alumni cast during the Curtain Call for the One Night Only 10th Anniversary Concert of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' at Town Hall on July 6, 2015 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman with Cast Alumni featuring: Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jenni Barber, Dan Folger, Deborah S. Craig, Sarah Saltzberg, Jose Llana, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Derrick Baskin, Lisa Howard and Jay Reiss during the Curtain Call for the One Night Only 10th Anniversary Concert of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' at Town Hall on July 6, 2015 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman during the Curtain Call for the One Night Only 10th Anniversary Concert of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' at Town Hall on July 6, 2015 in New York City.

Photo Flashback: Remembering Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman attending a Broadway Opening Night Performance on August 1, 1979 in New York City.



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