Eartha Kitt, RIP

Christmas joy was tinged with a bit of sadness yesterday as one of my favorite Broadway diva's died. Eartha Kitt was eighty-one, and after more than six decades in show business, she was still one of the best. She recently won Emmies for her voice work in Disney's "The Emperor's New School," and she had planned a return to the Cafe Carlyle next month, where I had hoped to catch a performance.

Though I will not get that chance to see Miss Eartha perform one last time, I was lucky enough to see her Off-Broadway in Mimi Le Duck, which I reviewed on Intellectuals, Inc in 2006. She was magnificent, and I consider myself fortunate to have experience her live on stage. She was one-of-a-kind, the original "material girl" as she claimed, and never again will one like her come again.

So sometime this Christmas weekend, put on a recording of Eartha's "Santa Baby," pour yourself something French, say the words 'C'est Si Bon,' like a mantra, for she was good.

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