Orbach was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, son of Emily Olexy (a Polish American Roman Catholic) and the late Leon Orbach, a German Jew of Sephardic descent. He was an only child and raised as a Roman Catholic.
While he was still a child, his family moved to Mount Vernon, New York; Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Waukegan, Illinois. He studied drama at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, then went to New York, where he studied with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Orbach was an accomplished Broadway and off-Broadway actor. His first major role was that of El Gallo in the original cast of the decades-running hit The Fantasticks. He also starred in Carnival!, the musical version of the movie Lili. He also starred in a revival of Guys and Dolls (Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical), Promises, Promises (Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical), the original productions of Chicago (Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical) and 42nd Street (playing famous Broadway director Julian Marsh), and a revival of The Cradle Will Rock.
In the 1980s, he shifted to film work, including prominent roles as Jennifer Grey's father in Dirty Dancing, a cold-blooded killer in the Woody Allen drama Crimes and Misdemeanors, and the voice of the candelabra Lumière in Disney's animated musical Beauty and the Beast (a character he would reprise in every video sequel, as well as the House of Mouse tv series), and of Sa'luk in its 1996 video, Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
He starred in the short-lived 1987 crime drama The Law and Harry McGraw (playing a role that he originated and later reprised as a regular guest star on Murder, She Wrote for several years), which foresaw his best-known role of all, that of Detective Lennie Briscoe in the series Law & Order (1992–2004). (He had previously appeared in a guest role as a defense attorney in the season two episode "The Wages of Love".) Orbach also voice acted the character for the video game spin-offs of the series. Orbach was signed to continue in the role on Law & Order: Trial by Jury. He appeared in only the first two episodes of the series, which aired in March 2005, after his death. The fifth episode of the series, "Baby Boom", was dedicated to his memory.
In early December 2004, it was announced that Orbach had been receiving treatment for prostate cancer since Spring 2004; he died from the cancer at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York on December 28, 2004. Orbach was 69 years old. His agent, Robert Malcolm, announced at the time of his death that Orbach's prostate cancer had been diagnosed more than ten years before. The day after his death, the marquees on Broadway were dimmed in mourning, one of the highest honors of the American theatre world.
Orbach was married in 1958 to Marta Curro, with whom he had two sons, Anthony Nicholas and Christopher Ben; they divorced in 1975. In 1979, he married Broadway dancer Elaine Cancilla, whom he met while starring in Chicago. In addition to his sons and both wives, Orbach was survived by his mother.
He was named a "Living Landmark", along with fellow castmate Sam Waterston, by the New York Landmarks Conservancy in 2002. He quipped that the honor meant "that they can't tear me down".
Orbach lived in a high-rise off Eighth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen and was a fixture in that Manhattan neighborhood's restaurants and shops. His glossy publicity photo hangs in Ms. Buffy's French Cleaners, and he was a regular at some of the Italian restaurants nearby. As of 2007, there is an effort to rename the intersection of 8th Avenue and 53rd Street in honor of Orbach, but has met with some resistance by local planning boards.
On February 5, 2005, he was posthumously awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.
Orbach was an eye donor; his eyes saved two people from blindness.
Lullaby of Broadway
Jerry Orbach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What was the word you've just said, Allentown?
I'm offering you a chance to star in biggest musical
Broadway's seen in twenty years and you say, "Allentown?"
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The lullaby of Broadway
The rumble of the subway train
The rattle of the taxis
The daffy-dills who entertain
At Angelo's and Maxie's
When a Broadway baby says "Good night"
It's early in the morning
Manhattan babies don't sleep tight until the dawn
Good night, baby
Good night, milkman's on his way
Sleep tight, baby
Sleep tight, let's call it a day
Listen to the lullaby of old Broadway
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The hidee hi and boopa doo
The lullaby of Broadway
The band begins to go to town
And ev'ryone goes crazy
You rock-a-bye your baby 'round
'Til ev'rything gets hazy
Hush-a-bye, "I'll buy you this and that"
You hear a daddy sayin'
And baby goes home to her flat
To sleep all day
Good night, baby
Good night, milkman's on his way
Sleep tight, baby
Sleep tight, let's call it a day!
Listen to the lullaby of old Broadway
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The hip hooray and bally hoo
The lullaby of Broadway
The rumble of the subway train
The rattle of the taxis
The daffy-dills who entertain
Until the dawn
Good night, baby
Good night, milkman's on his way
I'll do it!
Come on along
Come on along and listen to
The lullaby of Broadway
The hidee hi and boopa doo
The lullaby of Broadway
The band begins to go to town
And ev'ryone goes crazy
You rock-a-bye your baby 'round
And sleep all day!
Listen to the lullaby of
Old Broadway!
The lyrics to "Lullaby of Broadway" by Jerry Orbach showcase the excitement and allure of Broadway, with all its bright lights and non-stop energy. However, there is one character who is not impressed with this lifestyle, as he declares near the beginning of the song that he is not cut out for show business and instead wants to return to his hometown of Allentown. The singer of the song tries to convince him to stay, offering him the chance to star in a huge musical of the likes that Broadway hasn't seen in decades, but ultimately the character remains resolute in his desire to leave the city behind.
The rest of the song paints a picture of what life in New York City's Broadway district is like, from the rumble of the subway train to the daffy-dills who entertain at local clubs like Angelo's and Maxie's. Even when it's time to go to bed, the city never truly sleeps, as evidenced by the fact that Manhattan babies don't rest until dawn. Despite this madness, there's a certain magic to Broadway that makes it impossible to resist "the hidee hi and boopa doo" of the lullaby of Broadway.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry show business isn't for me, I'm going back to Allentown!
You're offering me a chance to star in a big musical on Broadway, but I've decided that show business isn't for me and I'd rather go back to my hometown of Allentown.
Come on along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway
Join me as we listen to the sounds and rhythms of Broadway, the bustling heart of New York City's theater district.
The hip hooray and bally hoo
The energetic and exciting sounds of singing and dancing on Broadway.
The rumble of the subway train
The deep, rhythmic vibrations of the subway trains passing through the underground tunnels of New York City.
The rattle of the taxis
The cacophonous and chaotic sound of taxis speeding down the busy streets of Manhattan.
The daffy-dills who entertain
The eccentric and flamboyant performers who entertain audiences at nightclubs like Angelo's and Maxie's.
When a Broadway baby says 'Good night', it's early in the morning
Nightlife on Broadway lasts until the early hours of the morning, so when performers say 'good night', it's actually very early in the morning when most people are still fast asleep.
Manhattan babies don't sleep tight until the dawn
New Yorkers who frequent the nightlife scene on Broadway don't go to bed until the sun starts to rise in the morning.
Good night, baby / Good night, milkman's on his way / Sleep tight, baby / Sleep tight, let's call it a day
It's time to say goodnight and go home to rest, because it won't be long until the milkman arrives to deliver milk and start a new day.
The hidee hi and boopa doo
More energetic and joyful sounds of Broadway, with catchy rhythms and playful lyrics.
The band begins to go to town / And ev'ryone goes crazy
The excitement builds as the live band starts to play, and the audience gets swept up in the frenzied energy of the music.
You rock-a-bye your baby 'round / 'Til ev'rything gets hazy
The music of Broadway is so contagious that it makes you want to dance until you're dizzy and everything starts to blur together.
Hush-a-bye, 'I'll buy you this and that' / You hear a daddy sayin'
Even parents get caught up in the excitement of Broadway, promising their children anything they want in order to keep them happy and entertained.
And baby goes home to her flat / To sleep all day
After a night of revelry on Broadway, it's time to go home and sleep all day to recover and get ready for the next night's festivities.
I'll do it!
I've changed my mind and decided to give show business a try after all!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Warren, Al Dubin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind