Farewell, Elaine Stritch
Farewell to stage star Elaine Stritch. She’s still among us, but no longer on stage.
I love her sass. Her comic vinegar has always reminded me of my aunt who felt her leg cast went too high for her comfort — and so, banged some of it off with a hammer.
I’m glad I got to see Ms. Stritch in “A Delicate Balance” on Broadway about 20 years ago (where she was clearly too old to be talking about wearing a topless bathing suit, but I still didn’t care) and in “At Liberty” 10 years ago here in town.
She’s a character. I hope that all of us who think this is her final exit from the stage are somehow proved wrong. But I think her looming move to Birmingham, Michigan at age 88 tells us what we need to know.
April 13th, 2013 at 8:27 am
43 years ago next month, my Mom and I went to New York and stayed at then rather run down St. Regis Hotel, to celebrate both our birthdays, hers on the 5th, mine on the 9th. I’ll never forget eating dinner in the King Cole Room there, with an amazing depiction of the merry old soul by Maxfield Parrish. It haunts me to this day, not really. Hilarious.
We also went to the theater, and Elaine Stritch was a member of the ensemble first Broadway cast of COMPANY, I felt so urbane going to that play, so sophisticated. Not the genuine dumpy 15yo boy with crooked teeth and braces that I was. I love that little kid that went and did all kinds of cool stuff, I’m glad to know him.