What Broadway performers deaths have surprised/saddened?- Page 3

[BialyBloomInc02]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 11:29pm

The untimely and tragic death of Broadway veteran George Rose (Pirates of Penzance, Drood) truly disturbed me. There's still many things unanswered about his murder (it happened in '88 I believe), but he was absolutely brilliant in everything he was in and left this world far too soon.

[SweetApple714]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 5:05pm

Jason Opsahl---nice, hard working guy. so sad that he struggled the way he did.

Carrie Hamilton---saw her in the first tour of Rent. such a bright spark and so young.

Kathleen Freeman---comedic genius, brilliant performer, classy lady

I second Anne Bancroft---they don't make actresses like her anymore

[grizzabella]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 7:40pm

Even though we knew he was sick, Jerry Orbach's passing was a shock because it was far sooner than anyone expected. An amazing talent and a lovely man. So sad.
Ann Bancroft went far too soon as well. And though many on this board are too young to have been familiar with her work : Colleen Dewhurst, a great lady of the theatre.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 7:45pm

Fred Ebb. After I read the book "Colored Lights" I became obsessed with Kander and Ebb, and when Fred Ebb died I was really sad.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 8:02pm

Gower Champion. My grandma told me she and him were close friends, and when he died, she was shaken.

Jason Raize is another one.

[bill mobley]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 8:15pm

Gregory Hines, Nell Carter, and Madeline Kahn. All three big surprises. Gregory hines never lost that youthful look, that great smile. I'll never forget Nell Carter presenting an award at the Tony's, and swaying to the song "Anything Goes" (which was one of the nominations). She was so full of life. I wanted to see Madeline Kahn in another wonderful role like she had in "On The Twentieth Century." I didn't know she would leave us so soon.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 8:37pm

So, how / when did Steve Barton die?

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 9/1/05 at 8:38pm

So, I found out he diewd in 2001 in Germany, but how?

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:04am

Tragically, Steve Barton had a substance abuse problem, which I believe was cocaine. He committed suicide with an overdose. The coroner ruled it suicide in Hamburg Germany. Jason Raize also was struggling with substance abuse when he hung himself on a horse farm in Australia.

Posted: 9/2/05 at 6:17am

"Jason Raize also was struggling with substance abuse when he hung himself on a horse farm in Australia."

Jason Raize is reported to have suffered from clinical depression. Rumors of his substance abuse are unsubstantiated.

Thanks.

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 8:45am

When I found out that Jerry Orbach had died I was on a bus with my mom and she was talking to her friend and all of a sudden she said to our friend "Oh did you hear that Jerry Orbach died?" She hadn't told me, and I started crying. I always will remember him as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, so it made me very sad. Even now when I see a pic or a clip of him I get sad.

[TheatreManiac]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 9:29am

Thanks TruthLasso, you beat me to it.

Besides, frankly airing out how one took his own life, especially in Jason's case, is still terribly hard to read. It's as bad as finding out for the first time.

Many others mentioned, they were sick and we go, "well, they had this or that" and we dismiss it, no we accept it -- as the disease taking over. Clinical depression is a disease too, and in Jason's case it did take over. The difference is, when someone is depressed it's a secret, but when someone has something like cancer it's more commonly known.

It was a great surprise that someone so talented and so young died, after being so inspired by one who was seemingly so full of life.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 10:19am

As I am in recovery from both substance abuse and depression myself, the intent of my writing about Steve Barton and Jason Raize was by no means to "gossip". The disease that I share with both of them is only conquered through knowlegde, medicine, and therapy. The more those diseases are talked about in the open removes both mystery, stigma, and ignorance. As far as Jason's possible substance abuse problem, I only wrote what I have heard from reliable sources. A lot of people have substance abuse issues which stem directly from their mental illness, and both need to be treated simultaneoulsy for recovery to occur. Neither one of them are shameful or should need to be hidden.

Posted: 9/2/05 at 8:56pm

"Besides, frankly airing out how one took his own life, especially in Jason's case, is still terribly hard to read. It's as bad as finding out for the first time."

THANK YOU, TM!! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who's wounded anew every time Jason's death is brought up.

PA, I appreciate your explanation and share in your hope that one day there will be no more mystery, stigma, or ignorance regarding mental illness and its symptoms, including substance abuse.

Unfortunately, that day has not come yet. To be honest, the pain of knowing that Jason suffered so horribly from depression is bad enough. (Depression has a hold on me as well. I wouldn't wish what I go through during an episode on my worst enemy.) To hear these still-unsubstantiated rumors of drug abuse just brings more pain, and to speak as though you know the truth when you really don't is...well, it's just not right, and I don't like to call people wrong. But you can't hold Jason up as an example if he's not actually an example.

When the rumors turn out to be true...THAT'S the time to start a compassionate, intelligent discussion. Although you'll have to excuse me if I choose not to participate. Drugs or no drugs, it's still hard.

Thanks again.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 9:26pm

I started this thread, and Jason was one of the performers I mentioned..not suicide or depression, just his death. Someone inquired about Steve Barton, and since Jason's case was very similar, I mentioned it. I dont believe I said anything about drugs in his case, as from my understanding from people close to the event, there was a problem with alcohol that directly affected his already severe depression.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 10:04pm

Does anyone happen to remember Jason Raize perform on the Disney Channel ages ago, with Jessica Simpson in concert?

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 11:13pm

I had the privelege of seeing Jason perform before his Lion King fame. I saw him in a nat'l tour of Jesus Christ Superstar playing Pilate. Not having seen the Lion KIng, I only remembered him from his incredible talent in JCS. His version of Pilate's Dream and Neely's Gethsemane were the two things I distinctly remembered from the show. He was even younger when I saw him, which is why his talent impressed even more.

[alterego]

Posted: 9/3/05 at 12:09am

Merman, Martin, Louden and Kahn. All originals all missed.

[CJR]

Posted: 9/3/05 at 12:16am

Gregory Mitchell. A friend of my best friend, as well as almost all my performer friends -- everyone Im friends with worked with him at some point....

Such a very talented, sweet, loving and charismatic man. His death (or, I should say the events leading up to his death.... with all the brain damage we knew it was inevitable) was definitely shocking and absolutely out of the blue.

I remember getting the news at work that he'd collapsed at the Kennedy Center. I hung up the phone, started to cry and then made a phone call to make sure my friend knew. It was a very trying week emotionally for everyone. It's hard to believe that in a few short months it'll have been a year already. Time really does fly.

Updated On: 9/3/05 at 12:16 AM

[I<3bway]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:35am

Definately Jonathan Larson's death. I know I didn't know about him until I was watching the PBS special on b-way musicals. I wasn't really interested into RENT until later on and when I heard that he just suddenly died at such a young age was such a shock to me. He had sooooooooo many more stories to write, more music to share with us.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:50am

I hope he lives to a hundred and something, but when Mel Brooks dies I will be devastated.

I have been very devastated by Jonathan Larson's, Jason Raize's, Cy Coleman's, Ralph Burns', Billy May's, Michael Gibson's, and especially Steve Barton's deaths.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:54am

Arthur Miller. I still cry sometimes when I see one of his plays in the bookstore.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 10:58am

Idina...oh wait sry no i am wrong. I always think about how crazy psycho fans put in Memory posters around Wicked giving the illusion to the rest of the world that she had died.

but seriously Jerry Orbach was very saddening.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 11:10am

Michael Bennett's death at 44 was heartbreaking. I had several friends who'd been on Broadway and on tour with his shows and they were simply devastated. His premature death -- and the thousands of deaths from AIDS in the entertainment industry over the years -- forever altered theatre, music, film and the world itself. So much talent snuffed out in its prime. It's profoundly sad to think about.

[PitPro2004]

Posted: 3/14/06 at 11:13am

I'll third Lynne Thigpen...and what a lovely photo! Thanks for sharing it.