My first time in a Boston theater was a birthday present to see the same National Company of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" ....Tammy Grimes was happily on that September day. But I do recall the same placard in the Shubert lobby many years later announcing that Margaret Hamilton was out that evening in the tour of "A Little Night Music" and would be replaced by Hermione Gingold! A spoken announcement was also made saying she had taken the Amtrak up from NY to do the show. So I saw Jean Simmons and Hermione Gingold together before the London production....and got to see HG play Madame Armfeldt for a 3rd time after seeing her twice in the pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial!
An amazing story, James! The only time I saw LaGingold on stage was when she toured with SIDE BY SIDE WITH SONDHEIM. In this case the replacement occurred After intermission, when a new Guy came onstage. Also Gingold's solo was not "Liasons" from ALNM, But "The Madam's Song" from the Seven Per Cent SOLUTION
