Ep245 - Tovah Feldshuh: Bringing Real Mom Love to to Lea Michele and Julie Benko

With a Broadway career spanning over 50 years, Tovah Feldshuh takes us through her journey as she shares her life as an actress, wife, and mother. While she loves politics, it's her love of people that motivates her to fight for what she believes in and help in every way that she can. Initially determined to go to Harvard Law School to stay close to her father, her brother encouraged her to apply for the McKnight Fellowship in acting and was eventually chosen as one of the four to attend the fellowship. This trajectory change was the beginning of Tovah's pursuit of becoming an actor, which to her is "so much cheaper than therapy". Tovah talks about her role as Mrs. Brice in "Funny Girl" and bringing a level of humanity and relatability to her character, and her memoir, “Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I've Played” which explores mother-daughter relationships, and her complex relationship with her mother. Married for 46 years, she shares what makes their marriage work. Tovah intends to keep acting for as long as she can, mainly motivated by her love of people and making connections.

Tovah Feldshuh is an actress, singer, and playwright who's been a Broadway star for more than four decades now, which earned her Tony Award nominations and two Emmy Award nominations. She made her Broadway debut in the 1973 musical "Cyrrano". Her other stage credits include "Saravá", "Lend Me a Tenor", "Golda's Balcony", “Dreyfus in Rehearsal”, “Lend Me a Tenor”, “Golda’s Balcony”, "Irena's Vow", "Pippin", and "Yentl". She made her cabaret debut with her act, "Tovah: Crossovah! From Broadway to Cabaret", followed by "Tovah: Out of Her Mind!" and was selected as Best Cabaret Artist of 2000 by the Boston Globe. Tovah has also appeared in numerous tv shows, including "Ryan's Hope", "Holocaust", "Mariah", "As the World Turns", "Law & Order", "Flesh and Bone", "The Walking Dead", "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend", and "Star Wars Resistance". Her film credits include "Kissing Jessica Stein", "Just My Luck", "She's Funny That Way", and "Armageddon Time". Tovah is currently playing Mrs. Brice in the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl", and is the author of the memoir, “Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I've Played”.

Connect with Tovah:

• Instagram: @tovahfeld
• Website: www.tovahfeldshuh.com

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