BEA ARTHUR broke onto the American theatre scene in 1954 when she performed the part of Lucy Brown in the U.S. premiere of Marc Blitztein's production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera. Prior to Threepenny, Ms. Arthur studied at Erwin Piscator's Dramatic Workshop of the New School. Following that, she auditioned as a singer for the summer theatre at Tamiment, where she worked with fellow actors Arte Johnson and Dick Shawn. Her career as a singer led to a part in the successful Off-Broadway musical The Shoestring Revue. On Broadway, Arthur originated the role of Yente the matchmaker in the critically acclaimed musical Fiddler on the Roof, followed by the role of Vera Charles in Mame, opposite Angela Lansbury. She won a 1966 Tony Award for Mame and went on to reprise her role in the movie version opposite Lucille Ball. Bea launched into film, appearing in the Oscar-nominated Lovers and Other Strangers and in Mel Brooks' History of the World - Part I. She did several made-for-television films, most notably "My First Love" with Richard Kiley, and followed up with the feature films Stranger Things and Enemies of Laughter with Peter Falk. Norman Lear became aware of Bea's stage work, and felt she would be perfect for the part of Edith Bunker's cousin, Maude, in the hit television series "All in the Family." "Maude" soon developed into its own series, and Bea won the 1977 Emmy Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Comedy Series. Arthur later joined the cast of "The Golden Girls" as Dorothy Zbornak, whom she played from 1985 to 1992. The role earned her a second Emmy in 1988. After years of outstanding work on television, Arthur returned to Broadway and appeared in Woody Allen's The Floating Lightbulb. She has continued to give her time to numerous events, such as Jubilee and tributes to her friend Angela Lansbury, all of which raised much-needed funds for AIDS research. She has also been passionately involved in the cause for animal rights. In Los Angeles over the past few years, Bea delighted audiences in Anne Meara's After-Play and in Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna's comedy Bermuda Avenue Triangle. Arthur also won the Comedy Ace Award for her performance in the FOX series "Malcolm in the Middle." She adds, "After being in the business a long time, I've done everything but rodeo and porn." Bea Arthur on Broadway, her first one-woman show, is the realization of a longtime dream of singing the songs she loves most and sharing so many of her favorite personal anecdotes with a live audience. Bea would like to thank Donald Sadler for not letting her quit this project, and her two sons, Matthew and Daniel, for being so supportive and cute.

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