Photo courtesy of The Muny
During a rain delay at The Muny in 1973, Debbie Reynolds took requests from audience members and performed "Singin' in the Rain."
Debbie Reynolds, an iconic performer on Broadway and in film, passed away yesterday at the age of 84—just one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher.
Reynolds gave three memorable performances at The Muny during her prolific career. In 1973, she first appeared on the stage in Irene, which had closed its Broadway run for a week to perform at The Muny. Its opening night drew in a crowd of 11,544. When two rain delays halted the show, Reynolds "strode to the orchestra pit" and began taking requests from audience members. The first song she performed, aptly, was Singin' in the Rain.
“Debbie Reynolds truly tops the list of legendary performers who have appeared on our stage,” Muny president and CEO Denny Reagan said in a statement. “Her passing reminds us of just how fortunate we are to have shared in her remarkable career.”
Reynolds returned in 1980 to perform her cabaret production, The Debbie Reynolds Show. In 1989, Reynolds appeared once again at The Muny in a stage production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She received an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 1964 film of the same name. In its 2017 season, The Muny will reprise The Unsinkable Molly Brown for the first time since its run in 1989.
Mike Isaacson, executive producer and artistic director for The Muny, shares his memories of the late star.
"I’ve been a huge Debbie Reynolds fan my entire career, and I had the privilege of meeting her once at her studio in L.A.,” he said in a statement. “We were auditioning for Bring it On, and she was fascinated by all the young people auditioning, and she took time to meet them all. We talked for half of an hour about Broadway, and she shared with me a few movie memories. I will always cherish that time, and it’s a real thrill to be producing Molly Brown this next summer, knowing she’ll be looking down and taking care of us."
