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Elaine Stritch retiring

operalover21

By operalover21
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operalover21 Community Regular

operalover21

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The legendary Elaine Stritch, 88, is retiring. She'll do a short, final stint (I'm going to a couple of them) at the Cafe Carlyle beginning April 6th and then she's retiring. She's actually leaving NYC entirely. She's moving to Michigan to be closer to her nieces and nephews.

 

She's certainly provided a lot of entertainment for a lot of years ....

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Gar1eth Grand Master

+ Gar1eth

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Ok I don't want to start a big fight here. I've only seen clips of her singing over the last 10 years or less. Her voice has character- is pretty rough. And that's fine. Frank Sinatra didnt sound the same in his later years. And I dont know about Barbra because in specials I dont hear her sing out in full voice anymore. My question is was she always like that or did she have a more melodic quality when she was younger?

 

Gman

operalover21 Community Regular

operalover21

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Ok I don't want to start a big fight here. I've only seen clips of her singing over the last 10 years or less. Her voice has character- is pretty rough. And that's fine. Frank Sinatra didnt sound the same in his later years. And I dont know about Barbra because in specials I dont hear her sing out in full voice anymore. My question is was she always like that or did she have a more melodic quality when she was younger?

 

Gman

 

She's not a singer. She was a unique personality. Singing was only a part of her. She always melodic. I think what your'e asking is did she have a beautiful voice. The answer is no.

bigvalboy Grand Master

bigvalboy

Posted
Posted
At 88, she's certainly earned some time off. But she will be missed!

 

[video=youtube;_eSoM3s87FM]

 

Thanks for the Vid Robster. It was most enjoyable to watch her again.

JT Brooklyn Mentor

JT Brooklyn

Posted
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Thanks for the Video Maninsomnia! Sal Mineo definitely a Cutie in his day! Another Name probably known even less than Stritch is Juliet Prowse a Vegas Showgirl who was a Girlfriend of Frank Sinatra. Sadly she Passed quite young.

rvwnsd Grand Master

rvwnsd

Posted
Posted
She's not a singer. She was a unique personality. Singing was only a part of her. She always melodic. I think what your'e asking is did she have a beautiful voice. The answer is no.

 

I saw a revival of Company about 10 years ago, in which Joanne was played by an actress who had the smoky/boozy speaking voice down pat. Then she sang "The Ladies Who Lunch." Her beautiful voice did the song no justice. Sigh.

 

Everybody rise!

Chris Eisenhower Community Regular

+ Chris Eisenhower

Posted
Posted
She's not a singer. She was a unique personality. Singing was only a part of her. She always melodic. I think what your'e asking is did she have a beautiful voice. The answer is no.

 

This is where Opera and I can find some middle ground. She's brilliant as Jack's mother on "30Rock" and if you haven't read David Sedaris' book "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk," buy the audio version which features ES's narration. It's hilarious.

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the clip of "Who Killed Teddy Bear," I saw it years ago at a Gay & Lesbian film festival. But, I was still surprised just now at how great Sal Mineo looks.

 

I have seen Elaine Stritch perform at a number of benefit concerts in New York (honoring the memories of people like Noel Coward and Ethel Merman). Each time, Stritch, by the force of her personality and singing voice, has stolen the evening from performers who are far better known to the general public. For the sake of all other performers & Elaine,

Happy Retirement!

seeker630 Community Regular

seeker630

Posted
Posted
You guys are kidding… really? She's an awesome entertainer.

 

Chris, the fact that I may never have seen her is no reflection on her as an entertainer. I've never been a big fan of sitcoms or standard soap operas (a lot of her TV work). I don't live near NY or a major theater city, so I doubt I've ever had the opportunity to see her in person. And her movies were not my preferred genre when they were made, and I've never been a big 'classic movies' fan. (And I don't think I've evere heard ' Who Killed Teddy Bear'.)

 

Not all gays are big movie/theater fans, lol.

Chris Eisenhower Community Regular

+ Chris Eisenhower

Posted
Posted
Chris, the fact that I may never have seen her is no reflection on her as an entertainer. I've never been a big fan of sitcoms or standard soap operas (a lot of her TV work). I don't live near NY or a major theater city, so I doubt I've ever had the opportunity to see her in person. And her movies were not my preferred genre when they were made, and I've never been a big 'classic movies' fan. (And I don't think I've evere heard ' Who Killed Teddy Bear'.)

 

Not all gays are big movie/theater fans, lol.

 

Don't take it the wrong way. :) I'm just surprised that people have not heard of her, since she's well-known like Patti Lupone or Betty White and has been around for quite a long time. I love her on "30 Rock" because she looks like and acts like my mother (well, except she's still alive, of course). But barring that small difference...

bostonman Grand Master

bostonman

Posted
Posted

She may not have a classically "pretty" voice, but she sure can deliver a song. ;-)

 

My favorite story about her, concerning that, is when I went to see her one-woman Broadway show ​Elaine Stritch At Liberty when it toured in Boston. Along with a wide variety of songs, she told much about her personal life, including her severe battles with drinking and diabetes. She's had a tough life - not that any of us haven't as well - but she was putting it out there, no holds barred, for the audience. She closed out the show with a song that at first would seem wildly inappropriate for her vocally (given the expectations we have of the song), "Something Good" from the film version of The Sound Of Music. I have no problem saying that I despise this song - Rodgers wrote this song by himself (Hammerstein had died of cancer even as the show was in its initial Broadway run), and the man may have been a genius composer but he was in no way shape or form any kind of a lyricist, and I find the song to be very amateur at best. And I wasn't jumping up and down to hear Stritch sing it, lol.

 

But of course, the message of the song (once you tear away Rodgers' odd harping on the difference between youth and childhood, lol) was the PERFECT cap to all of Stritch's stories about her struggles, and even without the vocal chops of Julie Andrews, she made it work for herself quite well. And you know what? I was so moved by the moment - I was crying. Here's this song I can't stand, and here was this woman best known for outrageous belty/comic numbers, and she was able to move me with it. THAT is when you know you're in the presence of a special performer.

 

Bless you, Elaine!

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted
Don't take it the wrong way. :) I'm just surprised that people have not heard of her' date=' since she's well-known like Patti Lupone or Betty White and has been around for quite a long time. I love her on "30 Rock" because she looks like and acts like my mother (well, except she's still alive, of course). But barring that small difference...[/quote']

 

Chris, When Larry Hagman died recently, few people seemed to know that Mary Martin, Broadway musical star from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, was his mother. Martin had a very significant career. She was the original star of a long string of hit Broadway musicals like "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Peter Pan," "One Touch of Venus," "I Do!, I Do!" and others. She famously turned down the lead role in "My Fair Lady." Martin was only seventeen when Hagman was born, so she was not that much older than Larry. My guess is that many people outside major U.S. cities did have occasions to see and remember Broadway stars.

Chris Eisenhower Community Regular

+ Chris Eisenhower

Posted
Posted
Chris, When Larry Hagman died recently, few people seemed to know that Mary Martin, Broadway musical star from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, was his mother. Martin had a very significant career. She was the original star of a long string of hit Broadway musicals like "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Peter Pan," "One Touch of Venus," "I Do!, I Do!" and others. She famously turned down the lead role in "My Fair Lady." Martin was only seventeen when Hagman was born, so she was not that much older than Larry. My guess is that many people outside major U.S. cities did have occasions to see and remember Broadway stars.

 

Speaking of, I know who Mary Martin is (Peter Pan)... but had no idea she was Larry Hagman's mother.

tyro Community Regular

tyro

Posted
Posted

Me too, but just barely. I discovered the Martin-Hagman family tie in a book a few days ago. So much for coincidence!

T

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted
Speaking of' date=' I know who Mary Martin is (Peter Pan)... but had no idea she was Larry Hagman's mother.[/quote']

 

Yes, people would associate Mary Martin most with Peter Pan. South Pacific and The Sound of Music were a long time ago, and other actresses played Nellie Forbush and Maria von Trapp in the films. Larry Hagman's first acting job was in the chorus of South Pacific. When Martin received the Kennedy Center Honors, Larry said "I'm proud to have Peter Pan as a mother; she's proud to have J.R. for a son. Figure that one out."

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