A beloved sitcom, a room full of friends and a night built around John Ritter’s memory. Some TV shows feel like family, even decades after they end. If you grew up with Jack, Janet and Chrissy, the theme song alone can bring back an entire era. On November 2, that era came back to life in New York, for one very special evening.
At Joe’s Pub, Joyce DeWitt, 77, who played Janet Wood, co-hosted “Evening From the Heart” with Amy Yasbeck, John Ritter’s widow. The night was a live stage reading of Three’s Company in honor of Ritter, who played Jack Tripper. Tyler Ritter, John’s youngest son, was also set to attend.
A New Cast for a Classic
Jason Biggs read Ritter’s role of Jack Tripper, with Christine Taylor as Chrissy Snow and Bellamy Young as Janet Wood. Richard Kind and Susie Essman took on Stanley and Helen Roper, the famously bickering landlords. And original cast member Richard Kline, who played Larry Dallas, served as narrator.
The evening benefited The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health, which Yasbeck founded in her husband’s honor. It funds aortic health research, education and advocacy. Ritter died in 2003 from an aortic dissection that was initially misdiagnosed.
From New York to Dallas, Cleveland and Los Angeles
The New York night also launched “Three’s Company: Come and Knock on Our Door,” a tour celebrating the show’s upcoming 50th anniversary. After New York, it is set to travel to Dallas, Cleveland and Los Angeles in 2027. Three’s Company first aired on ABC in March 1977 and became one of the defining sitcoms of its time, built on Ritter’s gift for physical comedy and the easy chemistry of its three roommates.
For DeWitt, it is a full-circle moment. Nearly five decades after she and Ritter became TV’s favorite roommates, she is helping a new generation discover the show, and keeping her friend’s memory alive. Old friendships between stars can still move fans, as when Brad Pitt spoke about Jennifer Aniston.
How to Join the Celebration
If you are a fan, keep an eye on the tour dates for Dallas, Cleveland and Los Angeles, and book early, since these readings are intimate events. Rewatch a few classic episodes before you go; the physical comedy holds up remarkably well. And take a moment to learn the warning signs of aortic dissection, such as sudden, severe chest or back pain, which is the cause the foundation was created to fight. If you ever experience symptoms like these, call 911. Nostalgia hits hardest for those who remember the original broadcasts, the same generation described in 8 quiet signs your favorite Gen X or Boomer woman is now hard to impress. The lesson worth borrowing is that the best way to honor a friend is to keep sharing the joy they gave.
The Bottom Line
In 1977, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt became TV’s favorite roommates. Forty-nine years later, DeWitt brought Three’s Company back to New York with a live reading in Ritter’s honor, launching a tour ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary.
