OFFICIAL: Elaine Stritch has passed- Page 3

[jiff]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 2:57pm

"At my tiny flat, there's just my cat..."
Thanks for sharing with us your great talent. God bless you.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:02pm

From Alec Baldwin - "I'm sure that even God is a bit nervous right now. I love you, Elaine."

I love that.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:05pm

My heart hurts hearing this news.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:06pm

I still love this little sketch she did
Elaine on Letterman

[Will42]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:06pm

I'm just devastated.
I know that Ms. Stritch was in poor health and that 89 is a long life, but she was one in a million. A great and unique talent. We all just got poorer. There will never be anyone like her again. R.I.P.

[DAME]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:09pm

And we will always have this from the not too far end.. which I think is beautiful and captures her essence. R.I.P.
Elaine drops the F bomb

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:11pm

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:13pm

A true original. RIP, Elaine.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 3:51pm

Hmm, I'll be going to Pump Boys and Dinettes when they are dimming the lights for Elaine, would City Center participate in something like that?

[musikman]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 4:12pm

The first show I ever saw on Broadway was the revival of Show Boat as an 8 1/2 year old. It was a Wednesday matinee in late August and Rebecca Luker was out that day (her understudy Kim Lindsay was on instead). My parents got me to the Gershwin Theatre pretty early for the show, just in case.

As we were waiting outside, my mom nudges me and points me in the direction of this incredibly stately woman dressed in a blue blazer and tan skirt walking past us towards the stage door.. She asked if I knew who that was, and after I responded no, she said "That's Elaine Stritch! She's in the show. You're gonna see her up on stage!" Well I suppose she heard us because she turned around and gave me a smile only Stritch could give. I'll never forget it.

I'll never forget watching her in A Little Night Music twice in one week and be so moved by her 'Liasons.'

RIP to a true one of a kind.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 4:21pm

What an extraordinary woman and a unique performer. I was fortunate to see her in NIGHT MUSIC but wish that I had seen more of her work in person. At least God won't be bored for the rest of eternity. She will keep him on his Toes.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 4:23pm

I remember waiting with my cousin one night after a show. He wanted Elaine's autograph but also had the courage or naive stupidity to dare ask for her to personalize it...with a phrase!

"In addition to your autograph would you please write...Does anyone still wear a hat?"
She smiled, looked at him, let out a small laugh, paused and said "...no!"

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 4:53pm

I had the good fortune to see her twice in NIGHT MUSIC - she was note perfect, which might not have been everyone's experience but she was flawless both times. Also saw her two years ago at Disney Hall in LA, which was a shaky performance but just being in her presence was enough.

My favorite experience was in Boston while she was touring AT LIBERTY. It was just before the Red Sox broke their curse to win the World Series, and Elaine called out the baseball scores at various points throughout the show. Near the end the Red Sox won, and when she announced it the theater erupted in cheers. She took a half second pause, scowled, and with her incredible Stritch timing said - "I wish I could get a hand like that!"

Of course we were more than happy to give it to her, and she seemed genuinely pleased with the show that night. I hope she found some peace near the end, but as the new documentary reveals, she was always searching, always struggling, always fighting. That hunger for knowledge and contentment is what fed her and made her a great artist. Thank God we have that documentary, the taped AT LIBERTY performance, the COMPANY recording, and so many others to demonstrate what a force she was. She is an important part of our history and will never be forgotten.

Updated On: 7/17/14 at 04:53 PM

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 4:53pm

(sorry, double post) Updated On: 7/17/14 at 04:53 PM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 5:04pm

I took this picture of Elaine when she performed at a cabaret show in Austin in 2008. I wanted to ask if I could take a picture with her, but I was too intimidated. It was a fantastic performance.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 5:15pm

Such a talent. I saw her in A Little Night Music and she was a true delight. I actually have a wonderful little story about her I'll share. While waiting at the stage door to meet the cast, she came out and thanked everyone for coming. There was a group of younger people that were saying "Elaine!" Please sign out poster!" And she explained that if she signed for them, she would have to sign for everyone and she had to go home to take her insulin. They then kept on pestering her, until she replied "I NEED TO GO HOME AND TAKE MY INSULIN!" smiled, waved to the rest of the crowd and everyone clapped for her. I'll drink to that. RIP Elaine.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 6:45pm

God bless her! I never got to see her live, but surely her "Ladies Who Lunch" is one of the all-time great Broadway songs and renditions.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 6:55pm

i was lucky enough to see MS. STRITCH in the OBC of COMPANY, the Summer of 1970...and without knowing it i had seen a legend-to-be in the making...R.I.P. HERE'S TO THE LADY!

[wickedfan]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 6:55pm

I saw A Little Night Music when it was in previews at the Menier Chocolate Factory and remembered thinking "This is a very flawed production, but thank God for Maureen Lipman." Her Madame Armfeldt was divine. When it was announced she wasn't transferring with the show to Broadway I thought, "Well, it's our loss." A year later when it opened on Broadway I was severely disappointed and the whole production just seemed even weaker than it was in London. I had no intention of going back.

Then they announced that ELAINE STRITCH was coming into the show. I was floored. I didn't ever think her coming back to Broadway was an option. I knew that I had to see her live. I had to. There had been some reports of her going up on dialogue and lyrics but I didn't care. I would rather watch Ms. Stritch flub lines than watch most actors be letter perfect.

Needless to say, I sat in the second row on a Sunday matinee and was floored. She WAS letter perfect on every word and her performance was transcendent. It was all perfect without feeling perfected. Her "Liaisons," her dead pan comic timing, and most importantly her "Wooden Ring" speech to young Fredrika. The pain in her eyes, the shakiness in her voice and the loss she felt could be seen, heard and felt by all in that speech. You could hear a pin drop in those two minutes, everyone was so transfixed. I went back again the next week. Yes, a show that earlier in December I vowed I wouldn't see again, I went on to see for a third time (fourth, if you count Menier). And Ms. Stritch was once again perfect on every word, cue, and note. And her "Wooden Ring" speech once again made 900 people fall dead silent.

You can't put a price on something like that.

Updated On: 7/17/14 at 06:55 PM

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 7:09pm

I totally agree, wickedfan. She was particularly moving in "Liaisons." When she sang "where is style? where is skill? where is forethought?," you couldn't help but realize it was sitting onstage right in front of you.

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 7:18pm

I've never been moved by a celebrity's passing as I am for Stritch. I thought about what clip to post at this time, and I decided against one of her well-known showstoppers. Instead, I'm going with this unexpected number that she used to close her legendary one-woman show.


Stritch

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 7:21pm

Many of you have spoken about performances that have impressed you. But I also want to mention all the wonderful stories that have grown up around Stritch. Whether they are true or exaggerated, they make for good "theater."

Elaine being confronted by a police officer in Central Park for riding a bike in Central Park while just wearing a bra

Elaine refusing the advances of Marlon Brando

Elaine collecting two paychecks - one for being standby to Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam and one for playing Melba in Pal Joey (Elaine, go to New Haven and sing the f'ing song)

Elaine asking Sondheim if a piece of Mahler was a pastry

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 7:27pm

Elaine is still trending on Twitter, #4 in US with 51K tweets. the amount of love for her makes me smile. she is without a doubt smiling from above.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 7:45pm

"Elaine collecting two paychecks - one for being standby to Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam and one for playing Melba in Pal Joey (Elaine, go to New Haven and sing the f'ing song)"

I hope this story is true. It is easily my favorite story of hers.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 8:20pm

Rest in peace, and thank you.