Rita Gardner was an actress who originated the role of Luisa in the long-running show “The Fantasticks.”
- Died: September 24, 2022 (Who else died on September 24?)
- Details of death: Died in New York City of leukemia at the age of 87.
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Acting career
Gardner was a young actress with few roles to her credit when she was cast as Luisa in the 1960 original Off-Broadway cast of “The Fantasticks.” Among her costars was Jerry Orbach (1935–2004), who would later star in “Law & Order.” Gardner left several months after the show’s opening, though it went on to become the longest-running musical of all time. Gardner went on to star on Broadway in “A Family Affair,” “Pal Joey,” and “Ben Franklin in Paris.” On TV, she made appearances on “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” as well as voicing Grandma Fox on “Dora the Explorer.” Gardner’s later stage roles included the rapping grandmother, Rosie, in “The Wedding Singer” and Molina’s mother in the national tour of “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
Tributes to Rita Gardner
Full obituary: The New York Times
