Broadway legend Pamela Blair has passed away at the age of 73 after a long illness.
The beloved American actress, singer, and dancer succumbed to her condition at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, over the weekend.
Blair, who was born in 1949, kicked off her career with a performance in the Broadway musical Promises, Promises in 1968.
In the following years, she appeared in the likes of Sugar and Seesaw and became the only female cast member in the play Of Mice And Men.
While she was arguably best known for her role in A Chorus Line, Pammie eventually transitioned to a career in television and went on to be cast in a variety of soap operas including Another World, Loving, and Ryan’s Hope. One of her most notable works included her role in All My Children for which the actress received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1987.
Blair also appeared in the likes of The Cosby Show, Law & Order, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Days And Nights Of Molly Dodd, and more.
Paying tributes to the late actress were fellow performers and co-stars including A Chorus Line co-star Baayork Lee who wrote:
“I am very sad to say my Sagittarian sister Pam Blair has gone to play with her colleagues among the clouds. You are free now Pammie so dance, dance, dance among the stars.”
Lee added: “Pammie and I shared the same birthday. We always wrote to one another no matter where we were on that day.
“What a colorful character she was as depicted in the Val monologue in the show. She brought the house down every night as well as a woman standing at the edge of the orchestra shouting ‘Wash your mouth out.’”
Meanwhile, the official account of the late Marvin Hamlisch, the composer of A Chorus Line, posted: “We are saddened to hear that Pamela Blair, the original ‘Val’ in A Chorus Line, has passed away.point 492 |
The character was loosely based on her own life, and she was a part of the musical from the very first workshop.point 91 | Our thoughts are with her loved ones and fans.point 129 | ”point 132 | 1
Our thoughts are with Pammie’s loved ones during this challenging time.