Judy Gold Will Play Eleanor Roosevelt in Clinton the Musical's Comeback Off-Broadway

We now know who will be reminding us that a woman is like a tea bag—you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water! Emmy Award-winning actress and comedian Judy Gold has been tapped to play Eleanor Roosevelt in the off-Broadway return of Clinton the Musical. The show stars the previously announced Kerry Butler as former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton, and will begin previews on March 25 at New World Stages, where it will open officially on April 9.

Gold’s off-Broadway credits include Love, Loss and What I Wore, Disaster!, The Judy Show—My Life As A Sitcom and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother. On screen she has been seen in 2 Broke Girls, Melissa & Joey, The Big C and 30 Rock; Gold won two Daytime Emmy Awards for writing and producing The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Dan Knechtges will direct the tuner, which features a book by Michael Hodge and Paul Hodge and a score by Paul Hodge. Clinton The Musical explores the two very different sides of the 42nd President of the United States: “WJ,” the wholesome, intelligent one, and “Billy,” the randy, charming one. With Hillary (Rodham) Clinton at their side, the two will handle issues from The White House to Whitewater, the sax to the sex, social security to social climbers, and in the process make history. Maybe.

The show premiered in 2012 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was nominated for Best Musical. It went on to transfer to London’s King’s Head Theatre in 2013. Clinton the Musical celebrated an acclaimed run at the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival.