It was one of those beautiful yet bittersweet afternoons that hit me harder than I expected. A month ago, my dear friend Christine—an incredible actress—succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Today, her husband Alan had arranged a memorial for her at my home theater, a space that’s always felt like a second home to me. Just three weeks ago, Alan and the family had a private burial, and today was a chance for all of us who had worked with her—onstage and off—to say our goodbyes.
I’ve been in awe of Christine’s talent ever since I first worked alongside her on Calendar Girls a few years ago, but I also knew her personally, and she was a woman of such grace and warmth.
Today, we were reminded not just of the incredible woman she was, but also of the performer she’ll always be. As we watched clips of her on stage, I learned so much about her career that I never knew.
There were five films showcasing her musical talent, where she took on some of the most iconic leads. Her portrayal of Hello, Dolly! was something to behold—such a challenging role, and one I know well, having performed Dolly myself for a season. To see her tackle it so effortlessly was awe-inspiring. But the most emotional part came at the end, when we watched a young Christine, captured in black-and-white film, performing as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. She was breathtaking, singing “Cabaret” like only she could.
It’s hard to grasp that this disease took her from us so quickly. I can still picture her onstage, always so present, always supporting me in whatever I did.
Wendy, who had been in Calendar Girls with us, shared a story that stuck with me. About a year ago, she went to visit Christine and showed her a photo of our cast gathered around the piano at the end of Act One, all of us nude, by the way. Christine looked at the picture and asked, “How lovely, who are these ladies? Is this for a charity?” She didn’t even realize that it was a photo of her, front and center, playing the piano. Wendy was heartbroken, but I told her, “Remember how amazing she was, and how much fun we had doing that play. That’s what she would want us to focus on.” I know Christine would have loved today. I just hope, in some way, she was there with us.
The day also gave me a chance to reconnect with so many people from the theater world, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years. The buzz afterward was fantastic, and it felt good to share that space with all of them—reminiscing, laughing, and celebrating the life of a woman who touched us all.
As I said, she would’ve loved it. It was a full house, packed with friends and family, and it was a bittersweet reminder of a life so well-lived.
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