‘The Fantasticks’ Original Cast Member, Rita Gardner, dies at 87

Rita Gardner was a singer and actress from the United States. Gardner, who had previously been Off-Broadway in Jerry Herman’s musical revue Nightcap, was hired as Luisa, or “The Girl,” in the Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones musical The Fantasticks in 1960.

Rita Gardner, an original cast member of ‘The Fantasticks,’ died at the age of 87.

Rita Gardner, a long-running Off-Broadway and The Fantasticks original cast member, died Saturday of leukemia at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. She was 87 years old.

Gardner’s death was publicized on Facebook by her friend and coworker Alex Rybeck.

Rita Gardner Age, Family, Early Life

Rita Gardner was born on October 23, 1934, in New York City, New York, United States. She holds an American nationality and Her Zodiac sign is Scorpio.

On Rita Gardner’s parents, there is currently no information known.

Rita Gardner Husband, What about her Relationship?

Gardner married playwright Herb Gardner, but their marriage ended in divorce.

Rita Gardner cCreer, What was her profession?

Before her blockbuster role as Luisa in the original cast of The Fantasticks in 1960, she made her Off-Broadway debut in Jerry Herman’s musical revue Nightcap (1958). Other Off-Broadway credits for Gardner include The Cradle Will Rock (1964), To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (1969), Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1972), Steel Magnolias (1987), Wings (1993), and The Foreigner (1994). (2004). Gardner made her Broadway debut as Sally Nathan in the short-lived musical A Family Affair (65 performances) in 1962.

She played Linda English in a brief revival of Pal Joey in 1963, and she took over for Susan Watson shortly after the debut of Ben Franklin in Paris in 1964. Following that, her Broadway career stopped, with her appearing as a standby or understudy in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965), The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), and Morning’s at Seven (2002). (understudy for Cora and Esther).

Move That Thang

In 2006, she appeared as Rosie in The Wedding Singer, with three musical pieces, including “Move That Thang.” Gardner’s regional theater credits include the musicals Show Boat and The Impossible Years at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania (1983), Lucky in the Rain at the Goodspeed Opera House (1997), and Eleanor: A Love Story at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. (1999). She appeared in Kiss of the Spider Woman’s national tour (1994).

Murderers, which she performed at The Cincinnati Playhouse, received critical acclaim (2007). On Saturday nights in 2002, she performed her one-woman revue Try to Remember: A Look Back at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City. Ballads by The Fantasticks are included in the revue. In 2011, she performed the revue at New York City’s Metropolitan Room. Gardner has been on Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season one episode 18), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Dora the Explorer (as Grandma Fox).

How much is Rita Gardner Net Worth?

It is impossible to estimate Rita Gardner’s net worth at the time of writing because no information about her earnings has been made public.

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Which school and college did She go to?

Rita Gardner studied acting at New York City’s HB Studio.

Is She available on any kind of social media platform?

We did a quick search for the social media presence of Rita Gardner but weren’t able to find her on any social media platforms.

Physical Appearance of Rita Gardner’s Height, Weight

Interesting facts about Rita Gardner’s should be knows