Maybe you know her as “Golda,” if you were lucky enough to catch Scarsdale native Tovah Feldshuh in her award-winning performance as Golda Meir in “Golda”™s Balcony,” which played at Sara Lawrence College”™s Reisinger Hall recently.
Possibly, you were luckier still to have seen this Tony nominee when she played the role on Broadway in the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history. (Her other Tony nominations were for “Yentl,” “Sarava” and “Lend Me a Tenor.”) Or perhaps you caught her cabaret act at Feinstein”™s at New York”™s Regency Hotel a few months ago where she sang and  impersonated an assortment of amusing characters, including Sophie Tucker. Her big-screen roles include a recent turn as the Jewish mother in “Kissing Jessica Stein.”
Maybe you caught one of her numerous appearances on TV. She portrayed Czech freedom fighter Helena in 1978”™s “Holocaust,” for which she received  her first Emmy nomination. (“Holocaust” won six Emmys, including one for Meryl Streep.) Or you perhaps caught her in “Law and Order” as defense attorney Danielle Melnick, for which she received her second Emmy nomination.
Born Terry Sue Feldshuh, the actor changed her name to Tovah when she was an undergraduate at Sara Lawrence College. “In Hebrew, Tovah means good,” says Feldshuh. She adds laughing, “I never realized that changing my name would change my entire life, but it did. It brought me good luck. It brought me great luck!”
As far back as she can remember, she has always enjoyed acting. She was voted best actress in Scarsdale High School. “My picture is right on the wall of the high school, next to one of the astronauts,” she says proudly.
Felshuh”™s original intention was to become a lawyer like her father. She applied to Harvard Law School, but she could not suppress the acting bug and simultaneously applied for a scholarship at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Her career conflict was decided when she won the McKnight Fellowship in Acting at the Guthrie Theater. Speaking of the Guthrie, she says with her customary intensity, “I played everything. What an experience!”
Yet for all her obvious success in the world of spotlights and greasepaint, Feldshuh says her biggest passion is for adventure and travel.
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“I got into travel when I began to sing all over the world,” says Feldshuh. “Sydney, Australia; Hong Kong; Johannesburg, South Africa ”¦ I would accompany each engagement with a side trip to an exotic destination located near the concert date.”
Together wither husband of 31 years, attorney Andrew Harris Levy, she has embraced the world with the enthusiasm possessed by only the truly adventurous: the Australian Outback, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Antarctica, Israel, Europe, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, India, Nepal, China and Japan are but a partial list of her stops.
The actor recently returned from her third Safari. “We went to Uganda and Rwanda,” she says. “It was in celebration of my son Brandon”™s 25th birthday.
She describes Uganda as Ireland-like in its lush greenness. She spent two days visiting with the Abayudaya tribe, an African tribe that has converted to Judaism. The tribe of 500 black Ugandans has been practicing Judaism in their mud huts since 1920. While heretofore isolated, in recent years the Abayudaya have expressed a desire to have more interaction with the outside Judaic world.
Enter Tovah Feldshuh bearing 15 gifts in celebration of the Jewish holidays throughout the year including a Menorah, Seder Haggadah and Shabbos candles. She says, “They were very well received and I was grateful. The singing of the Abayudaya is something to behold. They are akin to the best Harlem Church Choirs, but they are singing in Hebrew ”“ Jewish Hymns.”
Her take on Uganda? “It”™s clean; its food is good; and its people kind and incredibly musical.”
She reflects, “It”™s wonderful to have the time to talk for hours for no reason ”¦ all sorts of things emerge”¦ all good. On Rwanda, where she spent four days tracking Gorillas, “I can only say it”™s life changing. When gorillas have a disagreement, unlike man, they solve it in seconds and go back to hanging out.” In her diary from Rwanda she wrote, “Today was the capper ”¦ a family of 13 great apes from one clan, romping, feeding, breast feeding, preening, cleaning each other”™s nits for an hour”¦10 to 15 feet from us.”
She calls her Africa sojourn, “a worthy journey to an exquisite land”
Back home, the passionate traveler prepared to take “Golda”™s Balcony” to London for performances beginning this month. “They made me an offer I couldn”™t refuse,” she says. “Scott Schwartz is directing. We”™ll travel light and bright with costume, props, wig and computer.”
It takes her 90 minutes to get into Golda”™s makeup, including wig and false nose. On preparing for the role she says, “It demands tremendous diligence but you do it. I can”™t wait to take her to England.”
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