March 29, 2024

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Rebecca Luker, Tony-nominated Broadway star, dies at 59

Broadway star Rebecca Luker died Wednesday at the age of 59. In February, Luker announced that she had been identified with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, typically referred to as ALS.

Luker performed on New York’s largest phases for additional than 30 decades, garnering three Tony Award nominations in the course of her job. She started her performing job in “The Phantom of the Opera” in 1989, and went on to surface in renowned productions which include “Show Boat,” “The Seem of Music,” “The Songs Guy,” and “Mary Poppins.” Her ultimate stage job was in 2019, when she played a showcased position in a output of “Footloose” at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C.

Luker is survived by her spouse, Broadway actor Danny Burstein, who was starring in the musical adaptation of “Moulin Rouge!” prior to the coronavirus pandemic introduced performances to a halt in March 2020, and two stepsons, Zachary and Alexander.

Rebecca Luker and her husband Danny Burstein at the 2019 Tony Awards at Radio City New music Corridor on June 9, 2019 in New York Metropolis.Taylor Hill / FilmMagic

“Our relatives is devastated. I have no terms at this instant since I am numb,” Burstein advised Nowadays in a statement. “Thank you for the frustrating quantity of really like & guidance. We sense you below with us.”

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative condition which influences nerve cells in the mind and spinal twine and will cause the reduction of muscles and eventual paralysis. There is no cure for the sickness, and the average lifetime expectancy for men and women identified with ALS is three to 5 several years, according to the ALS Association.

Reactions from the theater local community poured in shortly right after Luker’s demise was declared.

“There are no terms. Rest in Peace, Rebecca Luker. You ended up an angel. May perhaps you proceed to encourage all of us. We will hardly ever overlook you,” wrote Josh Lamon, who starred in the Broadway manufacturing of “The Prom” in 2018.

Patti Murin, who played Princess Anna in the Broadway adaptation of “Frozen,” known as Luker’s passing “a devastating decline for humanity and for the arts.”

Michael Crawford, who was a aspect of the unique forged of “The Phantom of the Opera” and performed along with Luker, termed her a “ideal” co-star.

Jessica Vosk, who has starred in “Wicked,” tweeted that it was the “thrill of (her) lifestyle” to be Luker’s close friend.

Luker’s extended and accomplished profession influenced quite a few some others. Michael R. Jackson, who won a Pulitzer Prize for drama before this 12 months for his off-Broadway musical “A Bizarre Loop,” wrote on Twitter that he had grown up listening to her performances.

Other individuals celebrated Luker’s everyday living by sharing video clips of her performances and live shows.

Burstein was identified with COVID-19 in April and wrote in an essay for The Hollywood Reporter that Luker had also revealed signs or symptoms for the disease but “her bout lasted only about a week.”