Who was Mimi Hines? Broadway star who once replaced Barbara Streisand dies aged 91
Well-known actress, and singer Mimi Hines, 91, unexpectedly passed away on October 21, 2024. She was an important part of Broadway throughout her career, appearing in musicals such as The Pajama Game and The Unsinkable Molly.
While speaking to People magazine on Tuesday, October 22, Mimi's attorney Mark Sendroff revealed that she died of natural causes at her Las Vegas-based residence. Further updates on the same are currently awaited.
Furthermore, social media platforms were also flooded with tributes as soon as the news of Mimi Hines' demise went viral. One of them was TV personality and host Scott Nevins, who added a YouTube video of Hines' performance through Facebook, describing her as a talented individual. He continued praising Mimi's work by stating:
"The clip is from the Ed Sullivan show, and Mimi is performing two numbers from "Funny Girl", which she is starring in on Broadway, taking over for Barbra Streisand. Please witness how she effortlessly goes from delightfully zany in one song to heartbreakingly brilliant in the next. What a talent."
Music composer Billy Stritch also expressed his grief on Instagram, which featured a picture of him posing with Mimi Hines. He said that he clicked the photo after Mimi celebrated her 80th birthday concert at 54 Below and her singing skills were "better than ever."
Stritch said that he received the photo from attorney Mark Sendroff and continued:
"Mark was like family to Mimi and championed her career for probably fifty years. We're all sad about this loss but special thoughts go to Mark who loved her best of all. Thank you Mimi for sharing your amazing and unique gifts with the world. You will not be forgotten!"
Mimi Hines' work on Broadway received a lot of praise over the years: Career and other details explained
The Vancouver, British Columbia native worked at various nightclubs before her successful work on Broadway. She was also accompanied by her partner Phil Ford when the duo was featured on The Tonight Show in 1958. The pair tied the knot in 1954 and divorced in 1972.
Mimi Hines eventually became popular after replacing Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl in December 1965. She played the character for around 18 months and then joined touring companies of I Do! I Do! and The Prisoner of Second Avenue.
In an interview with TheaterMania in July 2013, Mimi revealed that she was only two when she began singing and joined the nightclub circuit at the age of 14. She said that her first meeting with Phil Ford was one of her favorite memories and recalled her experience of working in Funny Girl by saying:
"We played three theaters with Funny Girl. We started at the Winter Garden and then went down to the Majestic. We ended up at the Broadway. I asked Ethel Mermen which one was the best. She said, 'They're all toilets, honey, but if ya gotta love one, it's the Broadway.'"
Mimi and Phil first met in 1952 when the former was 19 and following their appearance on The Tonight Show, the pair participated in various shows such as The Dean Martin Show and Pat Boone in Hollywood. Mimi and Phil did not share any kids and the latter passed away in 2005.
Apart from stage work, Mimi Hines also portrayed Mrs. Latimer in the NBC series, Frasier. She slowly became popular for her appearances in musicals like Never Too Late, A Majority of One, and more.
Mimi was additionally a part of off-Broadway projects such as 70, Girls, 70 and had three albums in her credits, starting with her debut album Mimi Hines Sings, which came out in 1966. Mimi and Phil were cast for a TV show, based on a health resort called The Garden of Eden, which never premiered despite that the pair filmed for the pilot episode.