Smile, Smile, Smile Photos - Off-Broadway

When my wife and I walked into many an opening night performance, it was our pleasure to find David and Joe Garry, David's partner for 40 years and husband for two, and schmooze about the theatre scene in Cleveland and New York, and the many places all of us had visited.

Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent. Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.

Earlier this week, legendary actresses of stage and screen, Ruby Dee died at the age of 91. According to sources, the actress was at her home in New Rochelle, NY, surrounded by family members when she passed away.