Elaine Stritch, the acerbic, hysterical singer, actress and comedian died today. She was 89.
Stritch was one of the greatest models of longevity in show-business. She began working as a singer in the 1940s and was on television by the end of that decade. She then starred on Broadway, TV and film for an almost unbelievable 70 years.
Few careers resemble anything like the life of Ms. Stritch. The NY Times describes Stritch as “plain-spoken, egalitarian, impatient with fools and foolishness, and admittedly fond of cigarettes, alcohol and late nights.” From what I’ve learned of her, that puts it mildly. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend the recent documentary on her career, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (it’s currently streaming on Netflix and is terrific).
At the Stake, we primarily know Stritch for her work on 30 Rock, for which she won an Emmy in 2007 as Jack Donaghy’s mother, Colleen. No television show has meant more to me personally; I’ve watched it in its completion at least six times and it has shaped me and my cultural worldview dramatically.
When you spend that much time with people-fictional or not-you learn to love them. And it is because of Colleen Donaghy that I learned to love Elaine Stritch.
So, because of 30 Rock, the Stake says, Rest in Peace, Colleen Donaghy. As Liz Lemon once said, “You are a sassy old broad.”
