Finian's Rainbow Showstopper Terri White Reveals Homeless Past

Finian's Rainbow star Terri White, who sings the showstopper "Necessity" as wise old Dottie in the Broadway revival which opens October 29, revealed to The New York Times today that just a year ago, she was homeless.

White, 61, a Broadway veteran who made a name for herself in the original cast of Barnum and as a popular performer in the cabaret scene, was spending nights sleeping in Washington Square Park in the summer of 2008 after being evicted from her apartment, according to the article.

Unwilling to get assistance from social services or to reveal the full extend of her problems to friends, White slept on a bench many nights until a police officer who knew her as a performer lent a hand, reaching out to a friend who owned a vacant apartment in New Jersey. White lived in the apartment rent-free while she got herself on her feet.

White wound up moving to Florida for a singing job, where she met girlfriend Donna Barnett, a jewelry designer. When news of the Finian's Rainbow production at Encores! was announced (White had previously played the role of Dottie off-Broadway at the Irish Repertory Theatre), Barnett paid to fly White back to New York for the ultimately successful audition.

This week, White will celebrate the opening of Finian's Rainbow on Thursday and then participate in a commitment ceremony with Barnett onstage at the St. James Theatre on Sunday.

White played Joice Heth, the world's oldest woman in Barnum, delivering the song "Thank God I'm Old." Her other Broadway credits include Ain't Misbehavin' and Welcome to the Club. Off-Broadway, she was also seen in Nunsense 2: The Sequel at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre. For many years, she was an unforgettable presence at a variety of New York City piano bars, including 88's, Rose's Turn and The Duplex.