Death of Rebecca Luker

In middle school, I became obsessed with the Broadway revival of "Show Boat," which had Rebecca Luker, the one and only "Magnolia" to earn a Tony nomination (thus far).

Listening to the recording, you have an easy time getting swept up in Magnolia's story: the early innocence (including the conditional love song, "Make Believe," a kind of proto-"If I Loved You") ....to the big turning point ("You Are Love") ....to disillusionment, to a sadder-but-wiser state ("After the Ball")....

Rebecca Luker was anointed the new Barbara Cook, the new Julie Andrews--and she went on to borrow from the Cook ("Music Man") and Andrews ("Sound of Music") repertoire.

It's a great treat to see her performing at the Kennedy Center Honors for these two ladies; you can find the clips on YouTube.

Late in her career, Luker (a candid interviewee) admitted that she wished she hadn't been such an ingenue. "I wish I'd branched out more. Maybe played a bitch."

Opportunities became scarce, however, because of Lou Gehrig's disease; around one half-year ago, still in her fifties, Luker died.

This person's voice has touched me for approximately thirty years--I still sing "Show Boat" to my toddler, on a close-to-daily basis--but I think the greatest thing Luker did happened toward the very end of her life. She gave an interview to The New York Times; she was unsure how many months she had left, and she said this:

I want to tell everyone how lucky they are. I tell my friends they can talk to me about their problems, but just to be aware that if you can walk down the street and you're healthy, you have everything. I'm never going to complain again.

Hats off to Rebecca Luker.

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