BROADWAY actress and choreographer Anne Reinking who starred in Chicago has died aged 71.
Reinking died Saturday while visiting family in Seattle, said her manager, Lee Gross and cause of death was disclosed.
Reinking was well-known as the star of the Broadway show Chicago and a Tony-Winning Choreographer.
Tributes poured in from the Broadway community, including from Tony Yazbeck, who called her an “absolute inspiration”.
Bernadette Peters took to Twitter to say her “heart was broken” and Billy Eichner said “she was one of the most mesmerizing people Ive ever seen on stage. A singular genius. RIP”.
Born in Seattle in 1949, Ann trained as a ballet dancer, but made her debut on stage at a young age with a more bold style of dance.
At just 19, she starred as a Kit Kat Girl in the original 1960s run of Cabaret.
From that point on, Ann was a prolific Broadway dancer, appearing in Coco in 1969, Over Here! in 1974, Goodtime Charley in 1975, Dancin' in 1978 and Sweet Charity in 1986.
Reinking played Roxie Hart in 1977's Broadway production of Chicago.
She reprised the role of Roxie in the original 1996 production of Chicago, alongside Bebe Neuwirth as Velma Kelly and Joel Grey as Amos Hart.
After a long career on stage, Ann went on to co-directed and co-choreograph Fosse, a musical showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse – to whom Ann had been a protégée and a lover.
She won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for the 2000 West End production of the show.
Reinking’s work on “Chicago” was rewarded with a 1997 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.
Reinking also was featured in the film version of the musical Annie in 1982 playing the role of Grace Farrell, Annie's mother figure.
Reiking, who's son Chris was born with Marfan syndrome, spent her latter years raising awareness about the disease.
In 2009, she produced a documentary named In My Hands: A Story of Marfan Syndrome.
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