Flashback Friday: Elaine Stritch Surprises Café Carlyle With Broadway's Greatest Grand Finale

Emmy Award winner, four-time Tony Award nominee, and Broadway's favorite lunching lady Elaine Stritch died yesterday at the age of 89. She performed in 19 Broadway productions over the course of her celebrated career, which spanned nearly three quarters of a century, and became one of the Great White Way's most memorable characters both on and off stage. Yet one character that managed to elude the theatrical legend is Momma Rose, from Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' Gypsy — a role tailor-made for Stritch's larger-than-life personality. Fortunately, she left behind some evidence of the performance she would have given if offered the chance to play the iconic part. Listen as Stritch offers a surprise performance of the showstopping number "Rose's Turn" during one of her many solo concerts at Café Carlyle. We unfortunately can't see her delivery, but we can assume she's not wearing pants.