The legendary performer of stage and screen passed on just two weeks shy of her 98th birthday. Known primarily for her iconic voice and stage presence in Hello Dolly, along with roles in decades of theatre; she also was featured in films like Thoroughly Modern Millie, and appeared on numerous television shows.


She is, to me, the epitome of an era in Hollywood and theatre, where an actress had a distinct and unforgettable look and personna; and could be recognized before she walked into the room by her voice alone. And what a voice it was - a combination of exuberance, warmth, steely determination and sweetness, which I trust was a dramatization of the real person herself.

She loved performing, and the interaction of performer and audience was her sustenance. She was a true star, who kept working into her nineties.

Goodbye Dolly, and here's wishing you are still singing and gracing the stage in the great beyond.

A Broadway legend pretty much defined by a single role...RIP.