Elaine Stritch

A bona fide legend of Broadway, Elaine Stritch spent over five decades on the musical and dramatic stage, though her reputation as a sharp-tongued, unapologetically audacious personality spread far beyond the boards of New York and London. With her whiskey-soaked voice and wry comic timing, Stritch established herself as an unconventional leading lady in 1950s Broadway productions "Pal Joey" and "Bus Stop," with her show-stopping performance of the cynical and world-weary number "Ladies Who Lunch" from the 1970 musical "Company" becoming her career-long signature piece. The long-legged dame starred in several British sitcoms during the 1970s and remained a fixture in the American theater scene during the 1980s and 1990s, touring nationally and making a small dent in the film world with an acclaimed role in Woody Allen's 1987 film "September." She was 77 years old when she unveiled the one-woman show "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" and earned rave reviews for the autobiographical music and monologue production that won a Tony, Emmy and new fans as it morphed from Broadway to screen to cabaret. Into the new century, Stritch was tapped for scene-stealing character roles in film and TV including an Emmy-winning appearance on "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-13), and enjoyed her status not only as a revered treasure of Broadway's old guard, but as a salty addition to any stage or screen gathering. Heath at the age of 89 in July 2014 led to fond remembrances from generations of fans and fellow actors.