Tootsie's Julie Halston on Her Big Wig, Finding Confidence Through Comedy & More

Julie Halston has been gracing Broadway stages for the past 20 years, and now she's playing quick-witted producer Rita Marshall in Tootsie. "I think what's phenomenal is I've been in so many musicals and I really can't sing and dance," Halston said to Ryan Lee Gilbert in a recent interview on Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive. "I'm thrilled to be in Tootsie, it is so much fun. It is laugh-out-loud funny and audiences literally stop the show. That's not a phenomenon that you come across easily, particularly in a musical, so I'm just thrilled."

Halston has been with the production since its pre-Broadway run in Chicago, and she didn't even need to audition. "When you get old enough, people go, 'Is Elaine Stritch still with us? No? OK, get Julie Halston'," she said. "[Director] Scott Ellis called me up and said, 'We don't even know what this character is going to be yet, but we want you to come in.' I'll do anything for Scott, so I went to the reading. I will never forget it; Scott [Ellis] pulled me aside and he said, 'Do you want to do this?' and it was an incredible walk home. I was so grateful and delighted because I knew this was going to be good."

Playing the witty producer of the musical within the musical gives Halston some fabulous on-stage moments thanks to William Ivey Long's Tony-nominated costumes. "Literally women have stopped me on the street and asked where that gold suit is from," she said. "I get to wear the most fantastic wig in the world. A friend of mine always says, 'Your wig appears five minutes before you do.' That's how big it is. I'm having the time of my life."

As someone who has such a rich history in musical comedies, it's no surprise that Halston found her love for laughter early in life. "I'm the middle-child and was very shy and a real stereotype for middle children so my mom enrolled me in a summer acting workshop," she said. "We did improv and these crazy exercises and I loved it. I was hooked. When I finally did get enough confidence I unfortunately became like a little dictator. I was like, 'Well now that I know what acting is all about, I'm gonna make the whole neighborhood see my bidding.' I was producing and directing and performing in my garage. Those poor neighborhood kids. I still remember the first time I made someone laugh and I felt this absolute power. I just love making people laugh."

Be sure to catch Halston in Tootsie, now playing at the Marquis Theatre.

Watch the full #LiveAtFive episode below!