75-year-old actress Valerie Harper, most famous for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (and spin-off Rhoda), was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night after passing out prior to her performance in the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine.
A source close to the situation initially told Entertainment Tonight, “It doesn’t look good.” But, the Ogunquit Playhouse has since issued a statement providing an update on Valerie’s condition that sounds much more positive:
Valerie Harper was taken to a local hospital as a precaution before her July 29 evening performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It, at the Ogunquit Playhouse, after reporting that she was not feeling well. She is resting comfortably and will remain in the hospital for observation for the time being.
Valerie has been performing in the Ogunquit production as Millicent Winter along with Sally Struthers as Duchess Estonia Dulworth. “The audiences and all of us here at the Playhouse are greatly enjoying our time with Valerie here in Ogunquit, and we are encouraged that she is feeling better,” Bradford T. Kenney, Executive Artistic Director.
Here is a recent photo of Valerie attending an Ogunquit Playhouse event:
Valerie Harper and John Hatcher
Posted by Ogunquit Playhouse on Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Valerie is a two-time cancer survivor having beaten lung cancer in 2009 and “terminal” brain cancer in 2013. She was only given three months to live after her brain cancer diagnosis, but she not only overcame the odds, she went on to appear on Dancing With the Stars and has continued to perform in the current production of Nice Work If You Can Get It.
Get well soon Valerie! Hopefully we will see you back on stage soon!
