Tony-nominated performer Rebecca Luker died December 23 due to complications from ALS, a diagnosis she received only last year. Born April 17, 1961, in Birmingham, Ala., Luker earned a bachelor’s in music from University of Montevallo, taking a year off during her schooling to perform Johanna in Sweeney Todd at Michigan Opera Theatre. She made her Broadway debut in 1988 as an understudy in The Phantom of the Opera, eventually taking over the lead role of Christine Daaé, opposite Michael Crawford, within a year. In 1991, she created the role of Lily in The Secret Garden, earning her first Drama Desk nomination. Below is Luker and Mandy Patinkin in “How Could I Ever Know.”
In 1994, she played Magnolia in Hal Prince’s revival of Show Boat, earning her first Tony nomination. She returned to Broadway as Maria in the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music, then as Marian the Librarian in the 2000 revival of The Music Man, earning her second Tony and Drama Desk nominations. Below is Luker with Lonette McKee and Gretha Boston in “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” at the 1995 Tony Awards.
She succeeded Laura Benanti as Claudia in the 2003 revival of Nine, then earned her third Tony nomination for playing Winifred Banks in the 2006 Broadway premiere of Mary Poppins. She stayed with that production for much of its run, moving to the Off-Broadway world premiere of Death Takes a Holiday in 2011, for which she received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. Below is Luker and The Sound of Music cast at the 1998 Tony Awards.
https://youtu.be/q7EDJRZLx7E
Luker returned to Broadway twice more, succeeding Victoria Clark as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and temporarily replacing Judy Kuhn as Helen in Fun Home. She is survived by her husband, performer Danny Burstein, and their two sons, Zachary and Alexander.