Elaine Stritch, a Grande Dame of the American stage, passed away today at the age of 89.

Some of you may or may not know that I was a Broadway actor before I became a trainer, and to honor her passing, here is my Elaine Stritch story:

Fresh out of theater school in New York, I was often hired as a nameless “tuxedo guy” in shows for choreographer Albert Stephenson, who directed reviews and star-studded fundraisers in the 1980s and beyond. On one of these nights we were paying tribute to Hal Prince, and Ms. Stritch was one of the headliners, tasked with singing “Ladies who Lunch” (of course)… and it was my job during her number to walk her safely on and off stage.

Everything was going great. But when she reached the famous line “and one for Mahler!”… she flubbed it. She flubbed the line!.. but in a weird, mumbly way: “And wuhfuhmumble!” She also waved her hands frantically in front of her face; it was a very strange moment.

The song concluded, I went out after her bows and walked her off stage, and when we got into the wings, she turned to me, grabbed me tightly by the arms and hissed “My upper plate flew out while I was singing!” She then dug her forehead into my chest and muttered “Shit! Shit! Shit!” a few times. 

Yes, Elaine had literally sung her teeth out of her mouth, caught them in front of her face, jammed them back in, and finished her best-known song, in front of Hal Prince and a full house. And, in spite of this mortifying event, she behaved like a pro.

Elaine Stritch was a classic, in every sense, and I was forever privileged for this small, intimate, human moment we shared.

– Brian Maffitt