When Stars Fall, Broadway Sends 'Em Off in Style

In contrast to Hollywood, Broadway lavishes star-studded spectaculars on its deceased, and a cadre of loyal Broadway-lovers (many elderly) scan the obits and flock to the free tributes, reports the Wall Street Journal. Recent winners include tributes to Jerry Orbach ("Everybody from 'Law & Order' came") and Kitty Carlisle Hart ("I didn't realize how much she did for the arts"),

"Theaters have become a new kind of memorial chapel," says one owner, adding: "The more popular the deceased the better." Notables have included Arthur Miller, Tony Randall, Spalding Gray, Robert Altman, and Peter Jennings. And the fans lap it up. "It's not a funeral. It's one of the best shows you'll ever see," says one. (More Broadway stories.)