THE GREAT LINDA BALGORD

Linda Balgord popped into mind.  She does regularly.  But tonight the thought of her lingered. This picture of us in TITANIC popped up on my Aura Frames and I happened to catch it. I was lucky to share some time with her when we played opposite each other as Ida and Isador Straus at the Fulton Theatre and Maine State Music Theatre.  I had worked with her before in Houston in a production of CATS.  She was a golden throated Grizabella.  Our paths, in that show, hardly crossed. But I was on stage with her when she sang Memory.  In awe was I. And watching her and the glorious Ken Page ride up to cat heaven at the end of that show was magic.  So I was a bit intimidated when I knew I was going to play opposite her in TITANIC.  She played all the diva roles in history making productions.  Mamma Rose…Norma Desmond…Grizabella…Fosca…Queen Elizabeth I.  So I was apprehensive when we started our journey together in TITANIC.  She had every right to be a diva.  I was almost kind of expecting it.  Not even Sherlock Holmes could uncover a diva in the behavior of Ms. Balgord.

Without trying she was a leader.  Not deliberately.  She just had a lovely, easy tone.  A tone you wanted to be around.  Our first music rehearsal of STILL (Isador & Ida’s duet in TITANIC) with our brilliant musical director Ray Fellman I told her “It’s an honor to sing with you.”  Ray echoed my feelings.  She was surprised and pooh poohed our fandom.  We were like “You’re Linda Balgord for gosh sakes.”  And when we got to the staging of STILL our director (the equally fabulous Marc Robin) the three of us came up with our own version of that scene and the song.  Not what was done on Broadway.  Not what was in the script.  We found our own way.  She was open to any and all suggestions. And offered up things, organically, without needing to chat about it.  She just did it.  We connected in a profound way.  Doesn’t happen often.  And when it does you never want to let it go.  God I loved doing that show.  Looking into her eyes, every performance, I never wanted it to end because I know how rare that kind of connection is.  Just open and pure.

We lost Linda in the spring of 2024.  I was stunned when I got the news.  Wait…I just worked with you.  We sang together.  We held hands together.  We broke bread together.  We laughed together.  You can’t be gone.

I’m not a social animal.  In work situations I usually just punch in and punch out.  I remember, up in Maine, Linda swatted me (yes…an actually swat) when I didn’t attend the opening night party of TITANIC there.  “You aren’t in the cast picture!!! Why didn’t you come?”  My bad…because it meant that I could have had some more moments with her.  And I know, at least from my side of the fence, I would have wanted to keep a friendship going after we closed.  Alas, I’m in New York.  She lived in Wisconsin (I loved seeing pics of her garden).  When I think of her I feel a warmth…a tug of the heartstrings…an emptiness…a fullness.  Her wit.  The mischief in her eyes.  Her acerbic humor.  Visits to her dressing room pre-show.  She was our den mother.  She had a humility about her.  A successful career. A successful marriage.  Her professionalism.  I wanted to meet her standards.  I welcomed meeting her standards because it made me better.  Made our experience on stage fuller.  Those moments on stage when it just clicks.  It clicked with Linda and me.

I guess the angels needed a strong voice in the heavenly choir.  I’m not one to argue with any angel…but I wish she was still singing in our choir…off stage and on.  You were…correction…are one special lady.  It was totally my honor that our paths crossed.  Too briefly…but intensely.

So I write about Linda Balgord because when something pops up positively in our lives socially, spiritually, professionally…EMBRACE IT.  Don’t take it for granted.  I certainly didn’t with Linda.  People come into our lives for a reason.  Linda enriched my life.  So, darling girl, I’m looking up and thanking you for the pleasure of your company.  We exchanged gifts during TITANIC.  Me to her on the opening night.  Her to me on the closing.  I still have her card.  She wrote “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”  Except for still wanting you here me neither Linda…me neither.