THEATER TALK to Encore Elaine Stritch's 88th Birthday Bash This Weekend

In a notable episode from 2013, Broadway diva Elaine Stritch stopped by THEATER TALK to celebrate her 88th birthday. (She was born February 2, 1925.) This was the late performer's final of six appearances on THEATER TALK before her death. Joining her in the festivities were two of her best friends, music director Rob Bowman and actor Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, who had appeared with Stritch in the 2009 Broadway revival of A Little Night Music.

In a freewheeling conversation, the legendary Stritch - who triumphed on Broadway in shows including Sail Away, Company, and At Liberty, and who played a pivotal role on TV's 30 ROCK - had her say about Barbara Walters, New York City, Stephen Sondheim, Tina Fey, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, and the gift basket that Alec Baldwin sent her after her hip operation. Topping off the celebration, Stritch was presented with a birthday cake by THEATER TALK's enraptured co-hosts, executive producer Susan Haskins and Michael Riedel of the New York Post. The acerbic star died July 17, 2014 in her hometown of Birmingham, Michigan. They don't make them like Stritchy anymore!

The Elaine Stritch Birthday Bash episode of THEATER TALK premieres Friday, February 3 (2017; the day after what would have been Stritch's 92nd birthday) on PBS station Thirteen/WNET at 1:30 AM (Saturday morning) and repeats there on Sunday 2/5 at 11:30 AM; it re-airs on CUNY TV* Saturday 2/4 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 2/5 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 2/6 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; and also airs on WLIW/21 on Monday 2/6 at 5:30 PM and on NYCLife/25 on Thursday 2/9 at 11 PM.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at The City University of New York (CUNY) TV in Manhattan, and is distributed to 100+ participating public television stations nationwide. THEATER TALK is made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation, and The Friends of THEATER TALK.

*CUNY TV, the City University of New York television station, is broadcast in the NYC metropolitan area on digital Ch. 25.3 and cablecast in the city's five boroughs on Ch. 75 (Time Warner & Optimum Brooklyn), Ch. 77 (RCN), and Ch. 30 (Verizon FiOS). THEATER TALK episodes are available online anytime at www.cuny.tv and www.theatertalk.org and via iTunes.

Pictured: Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Elaine Stritch, and Rob Bowman in The Elaine Stritch Birthday Bash on THEATER TALK (Image courtesy Theater Talks Prods. / CUNY TV)