He was El Gallo in the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks, Billy Flynn in the 1975 musical Chicago, and Julian Marsh in the original 42nd Street. And, of course, as sarcastic detective Lennie Briscoe on TV's Law & Order. Tony Award-winning actor Jerry Orbach has died at the age of 69, losing a battle with prostate cancer.
I always had a special place in my heart for Orbach, having played El Gallo in our local theatre's production during my high school years.
"Deep in December our hearts should remember, then follow...."
UPDATE: O'Brien reminds me that Orbach also played Baby's Dad in "Dirty Dancing".
UPDATE2: My sister-in law lives in New Your City, and in early October, she had 'lost' her cell phone. (It had dropped out of her bag while she was in a towncar). Jerry Orbach had found the phone in the towncar and contacted the last number she had called, in an attempt to locate the owner and return the phone. He figured out it was Jen's phone, then called and left his number for her to call back and arrange to pick up the phone. She called, got directions and went to pick up the phone with a friend. When they walked up to the building, Jen was only focusing on getting the phone back when her friend noticed a huge "Law and Order" poster in the living room. As they knocked on the door, three people dressed as though they were going for a walk, opened the door, when they both realized that the person who met them at the door, and returned her phone, was Jerry Orbach.
UPDATE3: A few weeks after the phone incident, Jen was at the apartment building where she works as a weekend nanny for a family. It was during the day on Halloween when the woman she works for said she seen Jesse Martin in the elevator heading up to the Penthouse in the building for a Halloween party. It needs to be clear that Jen knows nothing about Law and Order. Nada. She didn't know that Jerry Orbach was on the show until her friend told her. She smiled like she knew him, but was thinking 'Ricky Martin' (the singer) so she was a bit intrigued. The woman she works for had mentioned this name before and for awhile she thought Ricky Martin's relative lived in the building! She was a little disappointed when she saw him from the back and there was no resemblance to Ricky Martin. As she was waiting for her ride back home to the Bronx, she was dressed in a tacky "Red Alert" costume. The woman she works told her she must go up in her costume since the apartment was open, as they were having an open house/Halloween party. Jen went up and (apparently) there were some people from the Law and Order cast, including Jerry Orbach. She didn't make it too far into the party, but managed to see and speak with Jerry Orbach.. they talked about where she lived in with the Christian Brothers in the Bronx (he was born there), that fact that he was a singer, and they have some mutual acquaintances in the brothers in the Lasalle community and that he like animals.
Jerry Orbach: How could you forget to mention he was BABY'S dad in Dirty Dancing.
Posted by: OB | December 30, 2004 at 05:28 AM