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DANNY Burstein was married to fellow Broadway star Rebecca Luker for the final twenty years.
Luker passed away on December 23 following a brave battle with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s illness.
Danny Burstein and Rebecca Luker pose on the opening evening after-party for Lincoln Heart Theater’s manufacturing of My Honest Girl on Broadway at David Geffen Corridor on April 19, 2018 in New York MetropolisCredit score: Getty Photos
Who’s Danny Burstein?
Burstein has appeared in 18 Broadway reveals and was starring in Moulin Rouge! The Musical till the coronavirus shutdown earlier this yr.
The 56-year-old actor was later hospitalized after contracting Covid-19 and feared he was close to death.
“I misplaced my sense of style and odor and had been monitoring the severity of my signs by the hour,” he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter.
“It felt like there was an 80-pound boy standing straight up on my chest,” he added, sharing that he “was surrounded by loss of life and I knew that the longer I stayed within the unit the higher my probabilities have been that finally it could be me the nurses have been speaking about.”
Danny Burstein in January of 2020Credit score: Getty Photos – Getty
Different memorable Burstein roles embody The Drowsy Chaperone, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof and lots of others.
He has acquired two Drama Desk Awards and 6 Tony Award nominations.
Burstein was born on June 16, 1964 in New York Metropolis.
His organic dad and mom separated when he was two months outdated and he was raised by his mom and stepfather.
The couple in January of 2019Credit score: Getty Photos – Getty
When did he marry Rebecca Luker?
Burstein and Luker have been married on June 9, 2000.
They met once they have been on the identical stage collectively in Time and Once more in San Diego.
Have they got kids collectively?
They don’t have kids collectively, however Burstein has two kids from a earlier marriage – Zachary and Alexander.
They have been Luker’s stepsons.
Rebecca Luker attends the American Theatre Wing Centennial Gala at Cipriani forty second Road on September 18, 2017Credit score: Getty Photos – Getty
How did Rebecca Luker die?
Luker died after being identified with the deadly neurodegenerative illness carefully associated to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
She made a video in October urging individuals to e mail their congressmen about making the drug Prosetin extra obtainable for these affected by ALS.
She additionally raised cash for the drug in an “At Residence with Rebecca Luker” in June.
The aim was to boost $175,000, however earlier than her loss of life she had already gained $230,317.
Rebecca Luker attends the Broadway opening evening of Cabaret at Studio 54 on April 24, 2014 in New York MetropolisCredit score: Getty Photos – Getty
Luker went public earlier this yr saying she had been identified with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Her loss of life was introduced by Burstein, who mentioned in a press release “our household is devastated.”
“I’ve no phrases at this second as a result of I am numb.”
Tributes flooded social media, together with from Broadway stars like Laura Benanti, who known as Luker “humble, loving and sort” with a “golden voice” that might “wrap you in peace.”
Seth Rudetsky mentioned it was “a fantastic loss for Broadway and the world.”
Kristin Chenoweth tweeted that Luker was “one of many primary causes I needed to be a soprano” and Bernadette Peters known as her ”probably the most stunning voices on Broadway and a beautiful individual.”
Luker made her Broadway debut in 1988 within the iconic present The Phantom of the Opera.