Luba Lisa

Luba Lisa Gootnick (March 10, 1941 – December 15, 1972) was an American actress, singer, and television personality born in Brooklyn, New York. The daughter of Esther (née Diamant) and Louis Gootnick, a former New York City police officer, Lisa came from a Jewish family and built a Broadway career spanning from 1961 to 1964.

Her stage work began with Carnival! in 1961, in which she played Princess Olga, followed by a role in the 1962 production of I Can Get It for You Wholesale, a cast that also featured Barbra Streisand. In 1964 she took on the role of Anita in a Broadway revival of West Side Story, though the production closed after 31 performances.

That same year, Lisa earned her most celebrated notices for the role of Addie, a character described as a floozy, in the musical I Had a Ball. The number "Addie's at It Again" was added to the show by the producers prior to its Broadway opening, and she also performed "Boys, Boys, Boys" alongside a group of lifeguards. A critic for the New York Times noted her work in both numbers, describing her as demonstrating talents as a seductive performer and a lively dancer. The role brought her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical as well as a Theatre World Award in 1965.

Beyond the stage, Lisa appeared in the film Pepe, in which she danced with Maurice Chevalier, and she also worked as a television personality. In 1972 she starred in the Off-Broadway musical revue They Don't Make Em Like That Anymore at the Plaza 9 Music Hall, a show built around performer Arthur Blake's celebrity impersonations, including portrayals of Marlene Dietrich and Jimmy Stewart.

Lisa died on December 15, 1972, when the plane she was traveling on crashed near Colchester, Vermont while en route to Burlington. Winter weather conditions during night travel were believed to have caused the crash, which killed all four people aboard, including the pilot. She is interred alongside her parents at Mount Ararat Jewish Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.