I think in that era, there was competition for "First Lady" of the American Theatre--usually Helen Hayes or Katherine Cornell. (I once heard someone refer to Julie Harris as the "Second Lady," perhaps because she was a generation younger). Others, such as Ruth Gordon, Eva LeGallienne, and even Jessica Tandy certainly could have been argued for. For FL of the Musical Theatre, I think people argued passionately for either Ethel Merman or Mary Martin--they were so different from each other and had different strengths (and weaknesses), even though they were sometimes cast in the same roles (Annie Oakley and Dolly)
I would think today Audra MacDonald and Bernadette Peters would probably have the titles. Grand Duchess might be Judith Light, surprisingly enough, especially in recent years, when she won back-to-back Tony Awards. |
