Tovah Feldshuh to Take Golda to London

Golda Meir will be brought back to life on the London stage next season. Tovah Feldshuh confirmed on the Tony Awards red carpet that she will star in a London engagement of William Gibson's Golda's Balcony, the one-person play she is currently appearing in on Broadway.

Golda's Balcony is a portrait of Israel's fourth Prime Minister who reigned from 1969 through 1973. From the pogroms of Russia to the halls of the Knesset, the story of Golda Meir is the story of the Jewish experience of the 20th century.

After a run off-Broadway at Manhattan Ensemble Theater, Golda's Balcony transferred to the Helen Hayes Theatre where it opened on October 15, 2003. In her Broadway.com Review of the play, Jessica Branch wrote: "It's Feldshuh herself who imbues the play with a magic that makes a character from all the contradictions. Director Scott Schwartz wisely uses Anna Louizos' simple, suggestive set, with Feldshuh alone--aided by black-and-white slides flashing behind her--moving effortlessly from Golda to the hyperbolic Moshe Dayan, her caustic attaché, or even a refugee child with a bouquet of paper, creating a rich historical panoply without ever losing sight of the heroine who is its conscience and its heart."

Feldshuh was up for a Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Tony Award but lost out to A Raisin in the Sun's Phylicia Rashad. In addition to the London stint, Feldshuh is also expected to star in part of the Golda's Balcony tour, which is scheduled to begin in September 2005.