Elaine Stritch died in 2014 at the age of 89, having performed in 19 Broadway productions, over more than 60 years. There are more still photographs of her early performances in plays and musicals than videos. But luckily, she sang the numbers from some of the musicals of the 1940s and 50s in concerts, TV shows and her 2002 autobiographical show on Broadway, “Elaine Stritch at Liberty”
Pal Joey, 1952 revival, Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart; Book by John O’Hara. This was her sixth show on Broadway, having already performed in three plays and two musicals.
Stritch sings her number “Zip” from “Pal Joey” half a century later.
On Your Toes, 1954 revival, by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and George Abbott
You Took Advantage of Me
On the Ed Sullivan Show. Starts at around 12:40, ends at around 18:40. (About three minutes in, it turns from comic ballad to down-and-dirty jazz.)
Sail Away by Noel Coward, 1960.
This excerpts Coward’s diary and Stritch’s singing while showing fleeting rehearsal footage, and ends with an anecdote by Stritch, all of which offers a glimpse into her larger-than-life reputation off-stage as well as on.
Company by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, 1970
–You Could Drive a Person Crazy
From the famous documentary of the recording session for the original Broadway cast album
–Ladies Who Lunch
Her solo from Company became her signature song
A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee, 1996 revival
With George Grizzard. Her performance in this play resulted in her fourth nomination for a Tony
A Little Night Music, 2009 revival, by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler
Liaisons, in the role of Madame Armfeldt in the 2010 replacement cast.
To Keep My Love Alive, by Rodgers and Hart, from A Connecticut Yankee. Stritch didn’t appear in the show, but included this song her repertoire.
I’m Still Here from Follies
Stritch never performed in that show, but she made this song her own, as here at Sondheim 80th birthday concert
