The talented Broadway singer, actress, and comedian Elaine Stritch was the definition of her own worst enemy. Due to a decades long drinking problem and a sharp tongue, she lost out on many plum theatrical roles, having to settle for the understudy or a lesser role. Over the years, she auditioned for a few television and movie roles, but LA was not a good fit, and she spent most of her career on the east coast.
For many producers, Stritch was simply more trouble than she was worth. Similarly talented but more reliable actresses were often cast in her stead. Stritch was especially jealous of Angela Lansbury, a contemporary who enjoyed success in theater, film, and television. (Remember Murder She Wrote?)
In 2001, Stritch finally achieved the success she craved with her Tony-award winning one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, in which her sense of humor, unmistakable charisma, and great legs were on full display.
For sixty years, Elaine Stritch was THERE. She knew everyone, partied everywhere, and had frank opinions about everything. And in Still Life, we get to go along for the ride!
What Other Reviewers Say
Joe Hagan, author of Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine: “Still Here is both an affectionate portrait of the artist as a tart-tongued diva and a secret history of a glamorous and gutsy Manhattan spiked with wit and wile, sex and Sondheim.”
Who Wrote It
Alexandra Jacobs is an editor and writer at The New York Times who has also written for The New Yorker, the Observer, Entertainment Weekly, and many other publications.
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