Marcia Mitzman Gaven

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Marcia Mitzman Gaven
Born
Marcia Mitzman

New York City, U.S.
EducationState University of New York at Purchase
Occupation(s)Actress, voice artist
Years active1979–2020
Spouse
Seth Gaven
​
(m. 1996)​
Children2

Marcia Mitzman Gaven is an American actress from New York. Since studying at the High School of Performing Arts and the State University of New York at Purchase, she has appeared in many musicals during her career singing in both mezzo-soprano and soprano roles. Her Broadway debut came in 1979 when she played Betty Rizzo in Grease, serving as the replacement for the original actress of the role. In the 1980s she appeared in the musicals The Rocky Horror Show, Oliver!, Zorba, Nine, Anything Goes, Chess, and Welcome to the Club, and in the operas Brigadoon, South Pacific, and Sweeney Todd.

In 1992, Gaven played the character Mrs. Walker in a new production called

UCLA
's Freud Playhouse. Since then she has appeared in concerts and fundraisers.

Gaven has also made guest star appearances in numerous television shows and films, playing both live-action and animated roles. She voiced several characters in the animated series The Simpsons from 1999 until 2002, including Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover, and others. She was hired after Maggie Roswell departed from the show, due to a pay dispute. She has not been heard on the show since Roswell's return in 2002. Gaven has also lent her voice to television and radio advertisements. She is currently married to Seth Gaven owner of AV Squad, a film marketing company. They have two children, Michael and Katherine.

Early life

Gaven was born as Marcia Mitzman on February 28, 1959, in New York City.[1] She was raised with her two siblings in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, by their mother Patricia Mitzman, who had previously had a career in art. Newt Mitzman, their father, directed television specials and commercials for a living.[2] Gaven went to Hackley Elementary School in Tarrytown, New York, when she was young. At that time she was certain that she wanted to work in show business.[3] As the result of a lie, she was able to study at the High School of Performing Arts even though the school was only open to inhabitants of New York City.[2] She then became a drama major at the State University of New York at Purchase, though she did not get a degree. She said in a 1987 interview with The New York Times that "they kicked me out because I missed a major rehearsal", and she never applied for readmission since she had already made her first appearance on Broadway in Grease by then.[3] While at Purchase, Gaven performed in student productions such as The Taming of the Shrew and Trumpets and Drums.[3]

Career in theatre

Gaven has had a prominent career in musical theatre and has appeared in many

belting.[2][8] According to Alvin Klein, theatre critic for The New York Times, she "is categorically a mezzo soprano."[3] Gaven has also been noted for her strong voice, and was once told by a sound technician at An Evening Dinner Theater in Elmsford, New York, that "We always turn off the mikes when you sing" because she did not need amplification.[3]

1979–1989

In 1980, Gaven starred in one of her first big productions: The Rocky Horror Show at Warner Theatre

In March 1979, when Gaven was twenty years old, she served as the replacement actress for the character Betty Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease.[1][3][9] This was her Broadway debut.[2] In late 1980, she was cast in the lead role of Janet in the musical The Rocky Horror Show that ran for six nights at Warner Theatre.[10] It tells the story of a couple, Brad and Janet, who find themselves lost one night and end up in the laboratory of an alien doctor.[10] The cast, including Gaven, was praised by critics.[10] In 1984, she played a Londoner in the revival of Oliver! at Broadway and was the understudy to Patti LuPone's Nancy.[9] That same year, in the Broadway revival of Zorba, Gaven played the role of The Widow who is eventually stoned to death by the townspeople after being held responsible for the suicide of a young boy who fell in love with her.[11] She then portrayed the character Luisa, the wife of an Italian film director, in a production of Nine at An Evening Dinner Theater in 1985.[12]

Gaven starred in the

The World & I, Gaven was "a huge crowd pleaser" in the role.[14] She was also cast in the New York City Opera's spring 1987 revival of South Pacific as the female lead character Nellie Forbush, a U.S. Navy nurse who works on a South Pacific island during World War II.[15] This nine-week run of South Pacific had an alternating cast and Nellie was also portrayed by Susan Bigelow.[16] Later that year in July during the New York City Opera's regular season, she appeared in the opera company's Sweeney Todd as Mrs. Lovett, who makes and sells meat pies made from the victims of serial killer Sweeney Todd.[3]

In

Theatre Under The Stars production in Houston, starring as Nancy.[18] A critic for the Houston Chronicle commended her performance, writing that she "acts the compassionate Nancy with warmth and spirit, and sings in a strong voice full of character."[18]

Also in 1988, Gaven played the part of the Russian chess player's wife Svetlana in the short-lived Broadway production of the musical

New York Magazine review but praised Gaven's performance, writing: "The cast ranges from the charmless to the hopeless [...] in this mess. Only Marcia Mitzman manages to stand out from the crowd, and when she gets the right part in the right show, she'll do just fine."[22] Associated Press drama critic Michael Kuchwara also wrote negatively about Welcome to the Club while giving praise to Gaven for projecting "a sympathy [to her character] that isn't apparent in the book."[21]

1990–1995

In December 1990, Gaven once again appeared as Nancy in a revival of Oliver!—this time in a production at

Los Angeles, California.[24] Gaven worked at 5th Avenue Theatre again in December 1991 in the musical Here's Love. She portrayed the divorced Doris Walker, a single-working mother of a girl who doubts the existence of Santa Claus.[25][26] During spring 1992, she played the love interest of a male songwriter and his best friend in the musical The Tin Pan Man (set in 1905) at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.[27]

Starting at the beginning of July 1992, Gaven appeared in a new musical called The Who's Tommy at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. It was based on the rock opera album Tommy by The Who.[28] Gaven starred as Mrs. Walker, the mother of the boy Tommy who is traumatized when he sees his father murder Mrs. Walker's new boyfriend. Tommy ultimately becomes non-responsive, leading people to believe that he is deaf, mute, and blind, and his parents try to find a cure for his condition.[28][29] Gaven later told TheaterWeek that she initially did not want to do the musical, since she "had no idea how this could be staged as a theatrical piece. I hoped my agents wouldn't call me and ask me to audition."[4] However, they did, and she was cast as Mrs. Walker after an audition in which she sang the song "Heaven Help My Heart" that she performed in Chess, also a rock musical.[4] The Who's Tommy was La Jolla Playhouse's biggest success yet and as a result its run was lengthened by several weeks.[4][30] Later that year, Gaven once again played Doris in Here's Love—this time in a Theatre Under The Stars production.[26]

In late 1992 it was announced that because of the success of The Who's Tommy, it would be produced for Broadway and open in April 1993.

The Miami Herald writing that her "alluring alto voice makes you wish Tommy's mother had even more to sing."[5]

It was announced on May 10, 1993, that The Who's Tommy had received eleven

Tony Award nominations, tying with Kiss of the Spider Woman for the most nominations that year. Gaven received a nomination in the "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" category.[41][42] However, as the result of an allergic reaction, she could not perform in the musical some nights.[2] When Daryl Miller interviewed Gaven in the Los Angeles Times in 1997, he noted that "this was one of the biggest disappointments of her life, and clouds cross her face for the first time in the conversation. She glances across the room at the Tony citation—recognizing her nomination for best featured actress in a musical—as she describes how her throat became infected due to a reaction to the oil in a haze-making compound that designers pump onstage to enhance lighting effects. She missed a lot of performances, and an untold number of Tony voters missed her performance. She can't help but wonder how that affected the outcome."[2] At one point, Gaven's understudy Alice Ripley took her place for eight consecutive weeks while Gaven recovered.[43] Gaven eventually had to leave The Who's Tommy some months after it opened because of her allergy.[2] She also disliked the idea of performing in one musical for more than a year.[4]

Gaven won awards for her 1995 role in Chess at Hudson Theatre

In late 1993, she was cast in

Music Circus' adaptation of Show Boat in California.[46] In the spring of the following year, she reprised her part as the Countess in a production of A Little Night Music, also by Music Circus.[47] Gaven returned to Chess in the summer of 1995 in small-scale production at Hudson Theatre, this time as the lead character Florence Vassy.[48] The story involves a romantic triangle between the two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and the woman Florence who manages one and falls in love with the other.[49] Gaven received an Ovation Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical) and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (Best Lead Performance) for her work in the musical.[2][50]

1996

On May 21, 1996, Gaven and seventeen other well-known musical theatre artists appeared in the show Say It With Music at

White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, African-Americans in Harlem, and European immigrants. Gaven played the mother and matriarch of the Protestant family.[52] Ragtime director Frank Galati praised her in the Los Angeles Times for her "grace and beauty and magnificent voice" and her "extraordinarily keen intelligence—she's a very deep reader of text," and commented that "she seizes the stage with energy."[2] Many critics praised Gaven as well,[53][54][55][56][57][58] though Laurie Winer of the Los Angeles Times wrote that she played Mother "valiantly but with a shade too much effort."[59] David Littlejohn of The Wall Street Journal cited her as "the best single performance in this production."[60]

In May of the following year, she appeared in

UCLA's Freud Playhouse.[63]

Gaven performed in a cabaret, called The Girly Show, at a fundraising gala for the Blank Theatre Company on August 15, 2005. It consisted of an all-female cast singing songs by Michael John LaChiusa, with LaChiusa playing the piano.[64] On December 15, 2008, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of The Who's Tommy, Gaven and the rest of the original Broadway cast reunited for a concert at August Wilson Theatre in New York City. This performance was a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Broadway Dreams Foundation, and the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation.[65]

Career in television and film

Gaven has done much voice acting in her career, lending her voice to television and radio advertisements

The Pink Panther (1993), Red Planet (1994), and Small Soldiers (1998).[66] Working with advertisements earned Gaven more money than playing theatre. "I can make in an hour what I make in a week doing theater," she said in 1997.[2] Gaven has also made guest star appearances in live-action television series such as The George Carlin Show (1994), Ellen (1995), Get Smart (1995), The Drew Carey Show (1996),[67] Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1997), Frasier (1998),[68] and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1998).[67] In addition, she had a minor role in the 2002 film Moonlight Mile.[68]

When Maggie Roswell left the animated series The Simpsons in spring 1999 after a pay dispute with Fox Broadcasting Company,[69][70] Gaven was hired to fill in for Roswell's characters.[71] These characters included Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover, and others.[66] However, Maude Flanders was killed off in the 2000 episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" to open up new storylines for the show.[72][73][74][69][75][76] Maggie Roswell returned to The Simpsons in 2002[66] after reaching a deal with Fox to record her lines from her home,[77] and Gaven has not worked for the show since that year.[67]

Personal life

Gaven resided in Los Angeles from 1991 to 1993, when she had to move to New York City to act in The Who's Tommy.[2] However, her stay in the city was short because of the allergic reaction and she moved back to Los Angeles.[2] While performing in musicals, Gaven had to be protective of her vocal cords and this affected her personal life. She told Miller in 1997 that "you have to give up so much of your life", and gave the example that when "somebody coughs behind me [at the cinema] I immediately say to my husband, 'We may have to move.'"[2] She also had to avoid shouting.[2] Gaven is currently married to Seth Gaven who owns AV Squad, a film marketing company.[2]

Acting credits

Theatre

Year Title Role(s) Ref.
1979 Grease Betty Rizzo (replacement) [2]
1980 The Rocky Horror Show Janet [10]
1984 Oliver! Londoner, Nancy (understudy) [9]
1984 Zorba The Widow [11]
1985 Nine Luisa [12]
1986 Brigadoon Meg Brockie [1]
1987 South Pacific Nellie Forbush [15]
1987 Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett [3]
1988 Anything Goes Reno Sweeney [17]
1988 Oliver! Nancy [18]
1988 Chess Svetlana [19]
1989 Welcome to the Club Carol Bates [9]
1990 Oliver! Nancy [23]
1991 A Little Night Music Countess Charlotte Malcolm [24]
1991 Here's Love Doris Walker [26]
1992 The Tin Pan Man Margie [27]
1992 The Who's Tommy Mrs. Walker [28]
1992 Here's Love Doris Walker [26]
1993 The Who's Tommy Mrs. Walker [34]
1993 Sweet, Smart, Rodgers & Hart Lead singer [44]
1994 Show Boat Julie Dozier [46]
1995 A Little Night Music Countess Charlotte Malcolm [47]
1995 Chess Florence Vassy [48]
1997 Ragtime Mother [52]
2000 Triumph of Love Hesione [61]
2001 Show Boat Julie Dozier [62]
2001 1776 Abigail Adams [63]

Television

Year(s) Title Role(s) Notes Ref.
1993
The Pink Panther
 		Additional voices Several episodes [66]
1994 Red Planet Voice of Dr. Jane Marlowe Miniseries [66]
1994 The George Carlin Show Ellen Episode: "George Really Does It This Time" [67]
1995 Ellen Debby Episode: "
The Apartment Hunt
" 		[67]
1995 Get Smart KAOS chairwoman Several episodes [67]
1996 The Drew Carey Show Kim Episode: "Drew's New Assistant" [67]
1997 Babylon 5 Commander Sandra Levitt Episode: "
No Surrender, No Retreat
"
1997 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Clerk Episode: "The Ring" [68]
1998 Frasier Allison Episode: "
Party, Party
" 		[68]
1998 Beverly Hills, 90210 Judge Episode: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" [67]
1999–2002 The Simpsons Voice of Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy,
Miss Hoover, and others 		Several episodes [67]

Film

Year Title Role(s) Ref.
1998 Small Soldiers Voice of Globotech Announcer [66]
2002 Moonlight Mile Fashion Plate [68]

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  67. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Marcia Mitzman Gaven". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
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External links

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