Hugh Jackman sang, bagpipers played, and Howard Stern made inappropriate jokes. Joan Rivers would have loved her funeral at Temple Emanu-El in New York City on Sunday. Countless celebrities attended and fans and well wishers waited on the sidelines to pay tribute to a fearless woman who loved to make us laugh. E! News has some details from Joan’s service, which sounds like it was bitter sweet.

Joan Rivers’ funeral, while away from Hollywood, was an honorable “showbiz affair” and included a final standing ovation for the comedy legend.

The comedienne, TV star and host of E!’s Fashion Police, who died last week at age 81, was mourned on Sunday by family and friends, including at least 40 celebrities, at a memorial at Temple Emanu-El, a Reform Jewish synagogue in New York City.

The tearful, emotional and often humorous service was conducted by Rabbi Joshua Davidson and included performances of Broadway show tunes by Tony winner Hugh Jackman, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and the New York City Police Department Emerald

Society bagpipers and drummers, E! News has learned. Joan had performed in Broadway plays in years past.

The funeral also included jokes by her friend, Sirius XM radio shock jock and America’s Got Talent judge Howard Stern, who had interviewed her several times on her show. Joan’s daughter Melissa Rivers read a sweet letter to her mother, while the comedienne’s other friends also delivered touching tributes to the late icon.

Joan had said in her 2012 book I Hate Everyone…Starting With Me that she wanted her funeral to be a “a huge showbiz affair.”
The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus performed first at her funeral, singing songs such as “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” from the 1949 musical South Pacific and “Hey, Big Spender” from the 1966 show Sweet Charity.

Broadway star Audra McDonald sang “Smile.” She was followed by Stern, who delivered a humorous, partially crass and moving eulogy. He called Joan his “good friend” and his “hero.”

Joan’s friends, including Inside Edition host Deborah Norville and Page Six columnist Cindy Adams, as well as the comedienne’s business manager, told stories about the comedienne, recalling her practical jokes, humor and class.

Melissa thanked the attendees and read a letter to her mother that she had recently written for a mother/daughter-themed article. She had read it to Joan not long ago and her mother loved it.

Jackman, who won a Tony in 2004 for his leading role in Peter Allen’s autobiographical Broadway musical The Boy From Oz, performed one of the show’s songs—”Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage.” In the musical, Allen, the first husband of Liza Minnelli, sings the tune to honor his late mother-in-law, Judy Garland.

Sample lyrics are: So put your hands together and help her along / All that’s left of the singer’s / All that’s left of the song / Stand for the ovation / And give her one last celebration” and “Quiet please, there’s a lady on stage / Conductor, turn the final page / And when it’s over we can all go home / But she lives on—on the stage alone.”

Jackman received a standing ovation. The last one for Joan.

[From E! Online]

The NY Times has more details, including a copy of the program from her memorial. CBS News has a slideshow with photos of some of the famous mourners at her funeral. I feel weird about publishing photos of people attending funerals, so I’m just including crowd shots here, but I doubt Joan would have minded. She wanted a showbiz funeral after all. I only wish it was televised. I still can’t believe Joan is gone. I feel like I knew her. She definitely blazed the way for my career. RIP Joan.

photo credit: WENN.com