Rebecca C. Hall, a multi-talented local singer, actress and music teacher, passed away on January 22 at Saint John’s Health Center. She was 64. Hall was born on December 10, 1946 in Galesburg, Illinois, where she lived until she was 14. The family moved to Chicago, where she attended Mt. Prospect High School and Northwestern University. As a music major, she sang for two years with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Rebecca then moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and performed for two years with the Brown University Opera Workshop. Her next move was to New York City, where she sang three seasons with the American Opera Center at Juilliard. In 1972, Rebecca’s husband Tom was transferred to a banking position in Rio de Janeiro and then to S’o Paulo. She continued with her music career in Brazil, appearing in many productions, including leads in ‘Kiss Me Kate,’ ‘Little Mary Sunshine’ and ‘1776.’ Upon returning to the U.S. in 1977, Rebecca performed as a professional actress and singer in Chicago, Fairfield, New York City and Los Angeles. For several years in New York she performed every Monday night at Sardi’s restaurant with an improv group in a show call Murder on Broadway, while also developing her own one-woman musical presentation for such well-known supper clubs as Sweetwater’s. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Rebecca began appearing regularly with Keith and Margo’s Mystery Event Theater, and from 1996 to 2003 was co-owner, director, producer, writer and performer with the Santa Monica-based dinner theater company Mystery Event Theatre. Rebecca and her good friend Muriel Minot created a rich tapestry of wit and humor for guests at the mystery dinners, utilizing a strong troupe of professionals, many of whom had worked together on various projects. In addition, Rebecca’s son Ben joined the troupe during the summer, along with her daughter-in-law Sabrina Thompson. In addition to her ambitious theatrical forays, Rebecca was active in PTA work at Canyon School, Paul Revere and Palisades High. ‘Miss Becky’ also began working with the children at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, teaching music at the nursery school, the Church Mice afternoon program, Sunday school, and vacation Bible school. In 2005 she was overall coordinator of the annual Westside Children’s Choir Festival, and she earlier performed in and helped produce the Palisadian-Post ‘Citizen of the Year’ programs for awardees Kurt Toppel (1998) and Carol Leacock (2000). Also in 2005, Rebecca moved to First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica as director of children’s ministry, assuming the mantel ‘Miss Rebecca.’ She inherited a program of fewer than 10 kids and built it up dramatically to involve more than 100 kids throughout the year in a series of programs. In addition to her husband Tom, Rebecca is survived by six children: Gillette Hall Balshaw of McLean, Virginia; Thomas Hall of Oxford, England; Kira Yannetta of Truckee; Hope Hall of New York City; and Peter Thompson and Ben Hall, both of the L.A. area. She was also the proud grandmother of three little boys and, finally, a baby girl. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 12, at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1220 Second St., in Santa Monica. Donations may be made the ‘Rebecca Hall Children’s Ministry Fund’ at the church (zip code 90401).
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