RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

#1

RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 12:27am

Oh my God, this is very sad news indeed. What a talented lady, great loss for the theater community. RIP, Ms.Wyler.
http://www.fresnobee.com/384/story/50323.html

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#2

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 12:29am

Oh my! And Charles Nelson Reilly. Too much. This is too much.

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"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.

#3

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 12:29am

Damn
Who will be next?
Loved Her.

#4

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 8:42am

Gretchen and Charles Nelson Reilly were my two favorite interviewees in "Broadway: The Golden Age." Such a great personality and a terrific wit.

I had the opportunity to meet Miss Wyler when she came back stage after a performance of a show I was in (here in L.A.) about a dozen years ago. She brought her good friend Earl Holliman with her, and I was completely star struck by the two of them. She was highly complimentary, and I was so honored to have her take the time to introduce herself. She was funny, charming and completely larger than life. I adored her.

Broadway has lost one of its brightest, shining lights.

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#5

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 9:10am

Gretchen with the chorus girls in the original Silk Stockings at the bottom.








As Lola on Broadway in Damn Yankees...



Third from the left, as a Hot Box Dancer in the original Guys and Dolls...



As Rosie on Broadway in Bye-Bye Birdie...

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 5/28/07 at 09:10 AM

#6

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 9:35am

She was great in the original SLY FOX in 1976. And I loved her in that episode of FRIENDS (Phoebe: Hey, Widow!).

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Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)

#7

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:59am

Her story on Broadway The Golden Age was always one of my favorites. She will be missed.
RIP

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There wouldn't be lights bright enough!

#8

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:17am

#9

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:32am

Any pictures of Gretchen as the lead in Silk Stockings? Her story for that was just wonderful and inspiring.

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"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.

#10

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:46am

She will always be Aunt Kissy (Private Benjamin) to me. Such a shame to lose two such great storytellers. Ms. Wyler and Mr. Reilly will be sorely missed.

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I killed the boss, you don't think they're gonna fire me over a thing like that!!!!

#11

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:52am

One of many performers who had the talent to become a huge star, but not the luck to find the vehicle that would take her to that level.

Still, she kept a lot of shows open and entertained a lot of people.

Pity that she never came back to Broadway.

Rest in Piece.

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"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music "Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70 "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba

#12

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:59am

#13

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 12:06pm

BrodyFosse123, where are you getting these terrific photographs?

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"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music "Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70 "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba

#14

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 12:16pm

wickedfan---Gretchen wasn't the lead in Silk Stockings. For those of you who know the film, she played the Janis Paige part (a terrific supporting role).

The female lead in the Broadway show was Hildegarde Neff (the Cyd Charisse part).

Gretchen Wyler on IBDb.com

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 5/28/07 at 12:16 PM

#15

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 1:29pm

Wow thanks for those pictures Besty and BrodyFosse. It really is a great loss. And I agree, she--along with Elaine Stritch and Amanda Plummer--gave my favorite interviews in Broadway: The Golden Age.
How I wish I could have seen her in SWEET CHARITY and BYE BYE BIRDIE.

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#16

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 2:08pm

She is also featured in the book

"Sing Out, Louise!: 150 Stars of the Musical Theatre Remember 50 Years on Broadway" by Dennis McGovern and Deborah Grace Winer

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"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music "Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70 "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba

#17

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 3:13pm

What a loss. She was ever bit as talent as the people kept replacing. Saw her Vera in Mame and she gave Bea Arthur something to lose slept over. If you never got to see her live. You missed out.

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What great ones do the less will prattle of

#18

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 6:45pm

Sad - reminded me of a really great article in After Dark back in the 70s about all of her replacement gigs called "Get Gretch".

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"Love Life. Live." Michael Bennett

#19

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 6:54pm

Two great losses in one day...Not fair.

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Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

#20

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:10pm

Saw her in CHARITY in London, and then several years later got to have lunch with her on a press junket for the bus and truck of AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE (She played the Julie Harris role, amazingly enough, not the Estelle Parsons character ...). She had hysterical stories of life in London doing Charity, especially about Sammy David Junior in GOLDEN BOY (which I'd also seen on the same trip as a teen). She wasn't all that successful in MISS REARDON, but she was such a commanding presence.

And she'd just stood by for Bacall in APPLAUSE, never going on, a fact that apparently was not in the Playbill. Was I wrong?

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"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

#21

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 8:01pm

I was lucky enough to meet her at an animal rights event, she was funny, classy, intelligent, and kind. I never got to see her on the stage, unfortunately - how lucky some of you have been to have seen her and/or worked with her!!

#22

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/28/07 at 8:12pm

Sad news ! I admire her work on animal activism, specially I vegetarian myself.

Gretchen - You will be miss ! R.I.P

#23

re: RIP: Gretchen Wyler Has Passed Away

Posted: 5/29/07 at 2:00pm

Very classy woman indeed