MARISSA JARET WINOKUR - WINOKUR HEADING BACK TO BROADWAY

WINOKUR HEADING BACK TO BROADWAY

Actress MARISSA JARET WINOKUR is returning to Broadway to reprise her role in hit musical HAIRSPRAY - five months after becoming a mother.
The cancer survivor and her comedy writer husband Judah Miller became first-time parents in July (08) when their son, Zev Isaac Miller, was delivered by a surrogate mother.
And now Winokur is heading back to the New York stage to star once again as teenager Tracy Turnblad in the show as the musical prepares for its final curtain call on 4 January (09).
She says, "To go back to the show that gave me a career, gave me a life and now I can share this with my child - how do you say no? Besides, when does a 35-year-old get to play 16?"
But Winokur, who won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 2003, admits she had her reservations before agreeing to return to the Big Apple.
She adds, "The idea of going back to New York City with a newborn was ridiculously scary, and I was like, there's no way I'm going to do it.
"But then there's the idea of standing in midtown with my billboard and my son and taking a picture of that. How cool would that be?"
The star will tread the boards at the Neil Simon Theatre, joining original co-star Harvey Fierstein, from 9 December (08).