PlayhouseSquare to Dim Lights for Hollander

Providence Hollander, one of the pivotal performers in Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris that became Ohio's longest running musical production, passed away in Cleveland September 10th at 84.
 
In theater tradition, PlayhouseSquare mourns the loss of their friend by dimming the venue marquees in her memory for five minutes Wed., Sept. 15th  at 7:30 pm...the former curtain time of Brel.  Now, and continuing through midnight on the 15th, PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre marquee reads:
 
             Providence Hollander
              Our Chanteuse
              Cherished Friend
              Adored By All
              1926 - 2010
 
Providence, along with cast mates David O. Frazier, Teresa Piteo, Cliff Bemis and director Joe Garry and musical director David Gooding, performed 522 performances of Brel between 1973 and 1975.  The productions were performed in the "lobby" of the formerly boarded-up State Theatre because the auditorium had yet to be restored
 
Brel is credited as the vehicle that helped save PlayhouseSquare by returning audiences from the suburbs to attend downtown entertainment.  A plaque commemorating Brel and the cast is set in the center of the State Lobby's floor.