Marcia Mitzman Gaven (born February 28, 1959) 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 The Who's Tommy at La Jolla Playhouse. The musical
was a success, resulting in its move to Broadway in 1993. Gaven was
praised by critics for her performance and received a Tony Award
nomination in the "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" category. She
eventually had to leave The Who's Tommy before its Broadway run ended
because of an allergic reaction to a smoke effect used in the show. In
1995, she won an Ovation Award and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle
Award for her portrayal of Florence Vassy in Chess at Hudson Theatre.
She was also awarded an Ovation Award for the role of Mother in the
staging of the musical Ragtime at Shubert Theatre in 1997. Gaven's
latest role in a musical was in a 2001 production of 1776 by 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.
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 The Who's Tommy at La Jolla Playhouse. The musical
was a success, resulting in its move to Broadway in 1993. Gaven was
praised by critics for her performance and received a Tony Award
nomination in the "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" category. She
eventually had to leave The Who's Tommy before its Broadway run ended
because of an allergic reaction to a smoke effect used in the show. In
1995, she won an Ovation Award and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle
Award for her portrayal of Florence Vassy in Chess at Hudson Theatre.
She was also awarded an Ovation Award for the role of Mother in the
staging of the musical Ragtime at Shubert Theatre in 1997. Gaven's
latest role in a musical was in a 2001 production of 1776 by 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.
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