vilaine fille still grieves for Jerry Orbach, one of Broadway's greatest leading men, her favorite television hero, a true-blue New Yorker, and an all-around beautiful soul.
Playbill has a wonderful story on the memorial held yesterday in New York:
"Someone told me Jerry never quit a show that was running," [Sam] Waterston said to general laughter. "It's an amazing fact that he was in only one Broadway flop his entire career. The agent Jeff Berger wanted to know how he pulled that off. Jerry said, 'I'll tell you my secret and you can tell all your clients. Whenever I needed money, I said yes.' Jerry's talents were very precious, but he wasn't precious about them."
Searching for the actor's publicist, [Professor Richard] Brown couldn't find one. "I discovered Jerry didn't have people," said Brown. "When I called to go through that usual labyrinth, Jerry answered the phone, and I was taken aback. I told him about my class, and would he do it, and he said. 'Sure.' I said, 'We'll send a limo.' He said, 'I'll take the subway."
The article also features examples of the delightful verse Orbach wrote for his wife Elaine.
Read Gothamist's tribute to Jerry Orbach (more hits here).
Finally, let's talk about Orbach the vocalist. Want to hear a gorgeously elegant and mellow baritone? Visit this page and listen to "Try to remember." Want to hear *enunciation*? Listen to "Razzle-dazzle." (They don't make enunciation like that anymore.)
G-d bless you, Jerry Orbach.
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