Merle Louise

I saw a post on social media that mentioned Merle Louise passed away earlier this week, though I haven’t heard or read anything else about it anywhere online. Is this true? I’ll be terribly sad if it is.

I was never fortunate enough to see her perform live, but I was always delighted to hear her voice on cast recordings when listening to them for the first time.

Updated On: 1/16/25 at 06:26 PM

Thank you so much for posting this, I hadn't read anything about this sad news. In my opinion, no one rivaled her as the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd. I saw the show 27 times and she was riveting each time.

I remember her mostly as the understudy Grandma in Billy Elliot. I saw her perform the role at least a handful of times. May she rest in peace.

A Broadway legend.

Did not know she had passed. I was lucky enough to see her in Sweeney Todd in 1979.

Wayman_Wong, thank you for posting that interview. It is very good and brought back a lot of memories of that time in the theatre and that time itself.

Her hit rate was impeccable, oh my gosh.

Whether it's luck, taste, or a bit of both, her 7 Broadway credits were the original productions of:

1. Gypsy
2. Company
3. Sweeney
4. La Cage
5. Into the Woods
6. Kiss of the Spider Woman
7. Billy Elliot

5 Best Musical winners. 4 Sondheims, a Kander & Ebb, a Jerry Herman, and an Elton John. Directed by such luminaries as Hal Prince (x3), Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, James Lapine, and Stephen Daldry.

Is she the Broadway equivalent of John Cazale (without her career being cut tragically short)?

Updated On: 1/18/25 at 03:25 PM

That's great BWW eventually posted one.