Bryne originated the “Old Lady” in SUNDAY IN THE PARK (her Broadway debut) and Jack’s Mother in INTO THE WOODS. She also played Madame Armfedlt at the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration.
"The slotted spoon can't hold much soup, but it can catch the potato"
Talk about being able to make an impact with those two small parts. Very hard for me to enjoy anyone else in those roles and her recording of 'Beautiful' on the Sunday OBC is absolutely beautiful and haunting.
"It keeps fading...
I'll draw us now before we fade
Mother
It keeps melting
Before our eyes
You watch
While I revise the world
Changing,
As we sit here-
Quick, draw it all
Georgie...
Sundays
Disappearing,
As we look-
Look! Look!
You make it beautiful
Oh, Georgie, how I long for the old view"
I saw this online last night but couldn’t find any actual confirmation. Has it been confirmed? ![]()
Jordan Catalano said: "I saw this online last night but couldn’t find any actual confirmation. Has it been confirmed?
"
I’ve seen it confirmed on social by those who knew her, but not a press release or anything.
Can't be upset at 94! Thank you for the memories!
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/21
Grateful to have seen her onstage in two Sondheim productions.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
She also played Mozart's mother-in-law in the movie AMADEUS
RIP
Jordan Catalano said: "Playbill has confirmed. Very sad news but what a wonderful legacy she left us with two iconic performances filmed."
According to some googling, it was Merle Louise, not Bryne, who played Mme A. at North Shore Music Circus in MA in 2000. But what a cast that was!
Desiree Armfeldt - Donna McKechnie
Fredrik Egerman - Jeff McCarthy
Madame Armfeldt - Merle Louise
Anne Egerman - Angela Gaylor
Henrik Egerman - Adam Monley
Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm - Chuck Wagner
Countess Charlotte Malcolm - Diana Canova
Chorus Member Joined: 4/15/13
I got to see her in many productions at the Stratford Festival in Canada--a remarkable production of The Bacchae--and my first broadway show was Into The Woods where she made me laugh so much with her delivery--and whenever i see a production of ITW few laugh at some the lines she had the audience laughing and applauding, e.g. the Baker's Wife says "I don't have children" and she said "that's OK too" and we all laughed and clapped. I loved her.
Updated On: 5/3/23 at 01:03 PMBroadway Legend Joined: 3/18/10
No one's delivered "That's ok too" quite like her since. RIP
I am genuinely sorry to hear this.
I saw her as Jack's Mother in Into the Woods and Clara in a sublime revival of Hay Fever opposite Rosemary Harris.
I say her slotted spoon quotes very often in the kitchen. “That’s okay too,” pure brilliance. She’s brought so much joy in tiny ways over the years, I can’t help but be grateful.
Saw her in the original INTO THE WOODS. So glad that her performance was captured for broadcast, DVD and Blu-Ray!
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/26/16
‘Beautiful’ is such a wonderful performance by Barbara Bryne. I run across it occasionally on YouTube and always stop to watch.
Updated On: 5/4/23 at 02:53 AMBroadway Star Joined: 1/29/16
Such a brilliant, brilliant actor. Echoing what others have said, her Jack's Mother and both of her roles in SUNDAY are absolute perfection. RIP.
Too young to ever have seen an original Sondheim show that she was in but man is she not my favorite Sondheim consistency. 🤍
Chorus Member Joined: 3/20/17
Glad to see so many others loved her "That's OK too" as much as I did! I was about to mention it. An example of what you can do with just a few words when delivered right. So happy the production was filmed.
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