Jerry Orbach has died
of prostate cancer. Mr. Orbach was one of the great Broadway artists of our time:

On Broadway, the Bronx-born Orbach starred in hit musicals including "Carnival," "Promises, Promises" (for which he won a Tony Award), "Chicago" and "42nd Street." Earlier, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks," playing the narrator. The show went on to run for more than 40 years

I first saw Mr. Orbach in the original Chicago, playing the slimy lawyer, where he stripped to the love song in the grand finale. I saw him also in the first stage version of 42d Street. Truly a great performer. People who only know him from Law & Order don't know what they missed.

The one time I saw Mr. Orbach not on stage was one morning a few years ago here in The Principality, when he was walking down Nassau Street. I recognized him immediately and I whistled a few bars of Razzle Dazzle 'Em as I walked past him. He was pleased, smiled, and whistled along.

Classy guy.