Rita Gardner, the actress and theater teacher known for originating the role of Luisa in the off-Broadway premiere of the long-running The Fantasticks, has died at the age of 87. Alex Rybeck shared the news on Facebook on September 25, saying she passed away at Mt. Sinai Hospital as a result of leukemia: "We performed together as recently as this past March, when she and Lee Roy Reams duetted on 'They Were You' at…
SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:03AM on September 26, 2022