I am very sad to read of this news. Billy Elliot could not have asked for a more perfect grandmother. The expertise she brought to Wicked helped everyone on the production team to make sense of Morrible.
I saw her many times in the revival of Cabaret as Fraulein Schneider. I marveled at her ability to remain fresh and keep her performance feeling spontaneous. It was such a joy to watch her Schneider come alive in Schultz’s gaze—for a woman of her age to become so girlish, flirtatious, and coquettish...to watch her Schneider’s surprise and delight and embarrassment that she could still become all these things...and the terrible sadness of her resignation when she chose to give it up. Her delivery of Schneider’s last line, “I regret everything,” is etched into my memory.
I’m sad we never got to see her play Big Edie.
She was a treasure, and, despite her long and varied career, I wish there were more Carole Shelley performances for us to see. |
