Rita Gardner died on September 25, 2022, at the age of 87 from leukemia in United States.
Rita Gardner’s death was announced by her friend and colleague Alex Rybeck on Facebook.
In the post, Rybeck wrote; “Rita Gardner, best known as “The Girl” (“Luisa”) in THE FANTASTICKS (longest running musical), and my dear friend and colleague, passed away early yesterday morning at Mt. Sinai Hospital. She had leukemia”.
“We performed together as recently as this past March, when she and Lee Roy Reams duetted on “They Were You” at 54 Below”. “She is survived by her husband, Robert Sevra. No word yet on plans for a funeral service or memorial”, the post read.
Rita Gardner was an American actress and singer.
She was born on October 23, 1934 in New York, United States.
Gardner made her stage debut Off-Broadway in Jerry Herman’s musical review Nightcap before her breakout turn as Luisa in the original cast of The Fantasticks in 1960.
Her other film credits include The Cradle Will Rock, To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, Wings, The Foreigner, Shiva Baby, Chasing Taste, Tiger Lily Road, Marci X, Crazy Little Thing, One Plus One, Eroticise, Buddy & Grace, An Evening with Oliver and many more.