Pre-Glee Lea Michele Was 'Darling, Determined and Driven' Remembers Ragtime Co-Star Marin Mazzie

Next to Normal star Marin Mazzie remembers Glee headliner Lea Michele as “darling, determined and driven” during the 1998 Broadway run of Ragtime, when Michele was 11 years old. Mazzie, a Tony nominee for creating the role of Mother in the beloved musical, was asked to share memories of Michele and Ragtime during her joint Broadway.com Ask a Star video shoot with Jason Danieley.

“Lea Michele was a darling—very determined and driven even as a young little girl,” Mazzie said. “I think we all knew where she was heading and that she was going to be incredibly successful. She was wonderfully talented.” Speaking of Michele’s role as the immigrant daughter of Tateh, played by Tony nominee Peter Friedman, Mazzie added, “Even for that role as the Little Girl, where she hardly said anything, she was Peter Friedman’s partner. She was there with him throughout the show.”

Mazzie’s husband and co-star Jason Danieley also weighed in on Michele in Ragtime, recalling, “She could make you cry because she was so sweet with Peter Friedman. They were a great father/daughter team.”

Michele returned the compliment during a 2008 Q&A interview with Broadway.com, saying, “Going to Canada [for the pre-Broadway run of Ragtime] and working with Peter Friedman, Marin Mazzie, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald was a master class. I owe so much to those four people.” Michele remained close with Friedman after Ragtime closed, noting that “he was the only person I let come and see the workshop of Spring Awakening when I was 14. I did not let my parents come and see it until we did the last workshop at Lincoln Center.”