Y.
Making
Choices
Tovah Feldshuh's
Detroit program topic
mirrors her personal
and professional life.
FA V:
m ak
SUZANNE CHESSLER
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
wo of Tovah Feld-
' shuh's most impor-
tant life choices grew
out of her experiences
at Michigan's Inter-
lochen Arts Academy.
As a young, New York
teen-ager spending a
summer at Interlochen,
*%.7,1 near Traverse City, she
chose to change her career
direction from concert pianist to
actress. At the same time, she
met and became enduring best
friends with the sister of the man
she eventually chose to marry.
"Choices," the topic set by the
Women's Division of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan De-
troit for its March 14 luncheon
program at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, will be explored
musically by Ms. Feldshuh.
"Michigan is dear to my heart
because of Interlochen, and I re-
ally look forward to visiting the
Detroit area," said the actress/
singer, who has recurring TV
roles as attorney Danielle Mel-
nick in "Law and Order" and Dr.
Bethany Rose in "As the World
Turns."
"I think that 'Choices' is a very
worthy subject, particularly for
women. I hope my presentation
will engage the minds and the
hearts of those who see it to
make their own choices as they
wish them for their own lives."
Ms. Feldshuh's performance
features excerpts from her one-
woman, cabaret show—"Tovah:
Cross Ovah!"— that she intro-
duced at the Algonquin Oak
Room in New York City.
"I do characters that sing, and
I will weave the theme of choic-
es into the selections for that af-
ternoon," she said. "I will start
with a piece entitled 'Call Me To-
vah, Not Tuna,' which deals with
the choice of taking a Hebrew
name."
The performer used her Eng-
lish name, Terri Sue, until a col-
lege boyfriend suggested she
change to something more dis-
tinctive.
"I deal with the choice of cross-
ing over from Broadway to
cabaret and do some songs about
crossing over to the other side of
the street to try something new
in life," she said.
"I deal with the choices of char-
acters who have been in my
heart and in my mind and in my
imagination all my life, people
who have songs to sing and
things to say and dreams to
dream but who are unable to
speak out through a movie or a
play . "
Ms. Feldshuh has written her
show with Jim Luigs, Tovah Feldshuh: Dreyfus in Rehearsal, Sar-
Rick Mitz and Larry Coming to town. ava andLerui Me a Tenor.
"Pm just another Jew-
Arnoros. While the lyrics
ish woman and another
are original, the music is
taken from standards and well- Jewish mother who wants to do
a good job. It just happens that
known tunes.
Among the characters she por- performers choose a path where
trays, accompanied by the pianist the media covers some of our
who regularly appears with her, movements so it's easy to raise
Don Rebic, are a New York street money around what is supposed
kid, a beautician, a grandmoth- to be Tovah Feldshuh.
"I show up at fund-raisers
er and a little boy on his way to
when they need me, and I speak.
his first Torah lesson.
"When I'm playing to an all- If that's the way I can serve,
female audience, I confide in that's OK. All I do is say, 'Yes.'
them," revealed Ms. Feldshuh, If I can possibly help, I do."
Ms. Feldshuh often wonders
who has been recognized for her
strong commitment to Jewish or- if she would have been as popu-
lar in Jewish circles if she used
ganizations and causes.
She received the Israel Friend- the name Terri Fairchild instead
ship Award and the Israel Peace of Tovah Feldshuh.
"I love being Jewish, and I'm
Medal for her performance as the
proud
of my religion; but I don't
Czech freedom fighter Helena in
NBC's mini-series "Holocaust" walk around declaring it," she
and was named Woman of the said. "There are many people in
Year by Hadassah and Mother this country who are real assim-
ilationists, and I'm not saying
of the Year by Amit Women.
"I'm no heroine," insisted the that's bad, although I do believe
versatile entertainer, who first that if a plant cuts off its roots, it
appeared on Broadway in the cannot flower and it cannot
musical Cyrano starring Christo- bloom."
Ms. Feldshuh and her hus-
pher Plummer and went on to
Yentl,
Rodgers
and
Hart,
play in
CHOICES page 90