Career
Marilyn Sternberg was born in Manhattan and attended the High School of Music and Art as a music major, but in her sophomore year she switched to art. Michaels began her career singing with her mother, Fraydele Oysher, when she was seven. At the age of 15 she was a soloist in her father's choir, the late Metropolitan Opera basso, Harold Sternberg. The cantor was her uncle, Moishe Oysher. In 1961 she changed her name to Toni Michaels.
She began singing in Catskills Resorts and clubs, starring at the world famous Copa, and made her first television appearances on such shows as The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
She caught the eye of composer Jule Styne and was chosen to play the role of Fannie Brice in the national touring company of Funny Girl, while Barbra Streisand was still playing it on Broadway. She was later a repertory player in ABC televisions' The Kopycats. Her character portrayals, impressions and singing have been on The Love Boat, Regis and Kathie Lee, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, The Today Show, 'The Dean Martin Show, The Red Skelton Show, The Jonathan Winters Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, Sullivan On Broadway Special, Name of the Game (with Sammy Davis Jr.), The Flip Wilson Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Howard Stern Show, and The Hollywood Squares.
She has appeared with Don Rickles in Las Vegas and at the Westbury Music Fair, and starred with Rich Little in the National Campaign for Diet 7UP. That was followed with a Playboy pictorial, Prime Mime, in August 1982. It featured Marilyn as six different characters, Dolly Parton, Bo Derek, Barbra Streisand, Lily Tomlin, Julie Andrews and Bette Midler.
In 1991, Marilyn starred in the hit show, Catskills On Broadway. She followed with her own Radio Show, The Broadway Hour and her own musical show at Harrah's in Atlantic City, Broadway Ballyhoo. Known as a "triple threat performer" she has hosted the comedy stand up, Girls Night Out for Lifetime, CNBC's Talk Live and the WLIW Awards in Excellence Gala.
She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for her guest appearance on the soaper, One Life to Live. Her rendition of Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand singing via split screen on an NBC Award show has become a cult favorite. She has appeared with the Philadelphia and Long Island Symphonies, as well narrator with multiple personalities in the Emmy winning Reading Rainbow for PBS (Gregory the Terrible Eater) and the audio book, Frankly Scarlett, I Do Give A Damn (Harper Collins)
She sings in six languages and has guest starred on the PBS special Another Mitzvah, as well as performed in concert at Town Hall, The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, and theaters throughout the US and England.
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Famous quotes containing the word career:
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