Pamela Blair, 'All My Children' and 'A Chorus Line' Actress, Dead at 73

“You are free now Pammie so dance, dance, dance among the stars,” Blair's "A Chorus Line" costar Baayork Lee wrote on social media

Pamela Blair, an actress known for All My Children and originating the role of Val in A Chorus Line on Broadway, has died at the age of 73.

The star died following a lengthy illness at her home in Phoenix on Sunday, according to Deadline, which first reported the news.

Several of Blair's family and friends, including her Chorus Line costar Baayork Lee, shared touching tributes to the actress on social media following her death.

“I am very sad to say my Sagittarian sister Pam Blair has gone to play with her [A Chorus Line] Colleagues among the clouds,” Lee, 76, wrote in a Monday Facebook post.

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The actress went on to note that she and Blair “shared the same birthday” of Dec. 5, and “always wrote to one another no matter where we were on that day.”

“What a colorful character she was as depicted in the Val monologue in the show,”  Lee recalled of Blair’s nightly performance, which included the popular “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three.”

She continued of Blair, “She brought the house down every night as well as a woman standing at the edge of the orchestra shouting, ‘Wash your mouth out.’ ”

“You are free now Pammie so dance, dance, dance among the stars,” Lee ended her post.

Blair was born on Dec. 5, 1949, in Bennington, Vermont, and studied drama with Cleopatra actor Herbert Berghof at the HB Studio in New York City, per a biography on IMDB.

She made her Broadway debut in 1968’s Promises, Promises and went on to star in the ensemble of shows Sugar and Seesaw. She eventually landed a bigger part, playing the only female role in 1974’s Of Mice and Men, as Curley’s wife.

Blair then went on to star as Valerie “Val” Clarke in A Chorus Line, a character based partly on her own life and experiences which she helped develop during workshops of the show, according to a tweet from the official account of late Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch.

The actress and singer had been a part of the musical since its first-ever workshop in 1974. “Our thoughts are with her loved ones and fans,” Hamlisch's account said.

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Following her work on the popular show, Blair originated the stage role of “Amber/Angel” in 1978’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She also appeared on the Broadway productions of King of Hearts, The Nerd and A Few Good Men.

She not only worked as a Broadway actress but also made several appearances on TV shows throughout the '80s and '90s, including All My Children, on which she played Mrs. Goodman and Maida Andrews, and Ryan’s Hope, where she played Elizabeth Shank Ryan.

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Blair also appeared as Sabrina’s mom on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Rita Mae Bristow on Loving and Karen on The Cosby Show. Her final screen credits include starring in the 2003 movie 21 Grams, as well as the 2009 miniseries Maneater as Cinnamon Mason.

Among the accolades Blair received over the course of her career was a Theatre World Award for A Chorus Line, as well as nominations for a Drama Desk Award and Daytime Emmy Award for her performances in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and All My Children, respectively.

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