Marcia Mitzman Gaven

Marcia Mitzman Gaven is an awardwinning 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 mezzosoprano 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.

Gaven was born as Marcia Mitzman on February 28, 1959 in New York City, New York. She was raised with her two siblings in the village of HastingsonHudson, 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. 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. 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. 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. While at Purchase, Gaven

Source: Wikipedia