BIO:

Television Credits | Performing Arts

Marilyn Michaels began her career as a child prodigy, performing at the age of 7
with her mother, trailblazing Cantoress Fraydele Oysher. She sang in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English. By the time she was 14, she was soloist in her father Harold Sternberg’s (Met Opera Basso) choir, and the Cantor was her Uncle, the world renowned Moishe Oysher.

A music major at The High School of Music and Art (LaGuardia) she switched mid-stream to become an Art major, and she also began auditioning for Broadway shows and record labels with her own songs.

After graduating from La Guardia, she was signed by Ray Rainwater, brother of Country singer Marvin Rainwater, and recorded several singles engineered by the iconic Phil Ramone, who overdubbed his violin several times—the first time a string section was so created.

When producers Hugo and Luigi (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”) were searching for a girl to sing the "answer" song to Ray Peterson’s hit, “Tell Laura I Love Her”... (Tell Tommy I Miss Him)--- Marilyn auditioned for them, accompanying herself at the piano, and was immediately signed to RCA Victor. Her single made the charts and has since become a staple of compilation “Answer” songs of the 60\\\'s.

Marilyn also began performing her act at every possible venue from clubs to the Catskills and Las Vegas showrooms. When she auditioned for George Schlatter (“Laugh In”) he chose her to guest on a tv pilot: “New Faces.”

Soon she was popping up on national television with frequency: The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and headlining at the world famous CopaCabana.

For a brief time, she signed with Warner Bros records, but quickly switched to the ABC Paramount label, where her first album, “Marilyn Michaels,” was produced and arranged by Sy Oliver, Bobby Scott, and Hal Wess.

It was during this time that she sang for Jule Styne and was chosen to star as Fanny Brice in the National Company of Funny Girl while Barbra Streisand was performing it on Broadway. Her meeting with Streisand is well documented in her book, How Not To Cook For the Rest of Your Life.

She toured for a year in the show, garnering personal raves, and selling out houses throughout the country. At this time, she signed with Jerry Weintraub, (Management 3) and did two major television shows: The Dean Martin and Red Skelton Shows.

At the start of the 60’s you could see her perform on Hullaballo with Sammy Davis Jr, and the Jackie Gleason - American Scene Magazine, as well as the Hollywood Palace-- and by the 70\\\'s, she was on the Name of the Game with Sammy again, and in full swing. She guested on most television variety and talk shows, like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Jonathan Winters Show, The Flip Wilson show, and many others. But it was her stint on the Gary Smith/Dwight Hemion series The Kopykats (ABC Comedy Hour) which brought her once again into national prominence.

The 80\\\'s brought more national exposure performing with Rich Little in the Look Who’s Turning Diet 7 UP campaign; along with star turns in Atlantic City Showrooms, she did a Playboy pictorial (August ’82), paying tribute to six iconic ladies: Dolly Parton, Bo Derek, Streisand, Julie Andrews Bette Midler, and Donna Summer.

In \\\'91 Marilyn starred on Broadway in the sleeper hit “Catskills on Broadway,” for which she won the Outer Critic Circle and Drama League Awards, and appeared on such shows as Regis and Kathie Lee, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, Howard Stern, The Name of the Game (with her mentor Sammy Davis, who wrote the liner notes for the Warner Bros Album: Fantastic Debut) and guest starred on The Love Boat (with Debbie Reynolds).

Following her stint on Broadway, Marilyn brought her own show to Harrahs hotel in the dazzling revue, Broadway Ballyhoo, and continued to guest on National television, as well as play host for Girls Night Out on Lifetime or dealt with topical social issues as the host of CNBC\\\'S Talk Live. She also guested on the PBS special Another Mitzvah and hosted the WLIW television\\\'s Awards in Excellence Gala.

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, and has narrated with multiple voices the Emmy winning Reading Rainbow for PBS (Gregory the Terrible Eater) and the audio book, Frankly Scarlett, I Do Give A Damn (Harper Collins)

Marilyn is an accomplished painter whose landscape paintings and celebrity artworks have shown in New York and Palm Beach’s finest galleries. They can be viewed on this website. Just click the ART icon.

Marilyn\\\'s CD\\\'s include Voices (30 characters and voices), An Oysher Heritage (timeless Yiddish and Hebrew duets with her Uncle, Cantor Moishe Oysher and Mother Fraydele Oysher), A Mother\\\'s Voice (by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman), singing with her son Mark, and Wonderful At Last—which includes songs penned by Marilyn and Mark for the musical “Alysha,” based on Alice Through the Looking Glass. The liner notes quote Broadway composer Jule Styne…

”Marilyn, you’re a thrilling talent.”

Her humorous autobiography, written with Mark, HOW NOT TO COOK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, is available on Amazon, or personally autographed through this site, and the most reccent critically acclaimed CD is available on this site thru CD/Shop icon.

LET THERE BE NIGHT.

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TELEVISION CREDITS

1964-65
New Faces
The Jackie Gleason Show
On Broadway Tonight
The Mike Douglas Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
Hullabaloo
The Hollywood Palace
Joe Franklin Show 60’70’s
1967
The Dean Martin Show
The Red Skelton Show
Snap Judgment
The Joey Bishop Show
The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson
The Singers
1968-69
The Jonathan Winters Show
The Dating Game
Operation Entertainment
Mike Douglas Show
1970-71
The Name of the Game
The Engelbert Humperdinck Show
Musular Dystrophy Telethon
Burlington Mills Campaign
1972
The David Frost Show
The Hollywood Squares
The Flip Wilson Show
1973
The Kopykats
Ed Sullivan On Broadway
The Jack Paar Show
1974
The George Kirby Show
Stand Up and Cheer
What\\\'s A Nice Country Like You...
Wide World of Entertainment
1975
Saturday Night Live
The Dinah Shore Show
The Bobby Vinton Show
1976
Sammy & Co. in Acapulco
The George Kirby Show
Dinah!
1977
The Mike Douglas Xmas Special
The Mike Douglas Show
1979-80
Fantasy Island "Rock Stars"
Cricket Lighter Campaign
1980
Macy\\\'s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Today Show
The Diet 7UP Campaign
w/Rich Little
The Alan Thicke Show
AM Los Angeles (spots)
1981
The Tomorrow Show
The Breakfast Connection
Regis Morning Show
The John Davidson Show
TV Guide Salute to the 80\\\'s
Live at Five
Good Morning New York
1982
The Love Boat
The Merv Griffin Show
US Magazine Awards
Tribute to the 30\\\'s
4th Annual Cheerleading
PM Magazine
Hollywood Squares
1983
The Norm Crosby Show
Tattletales
Win Lose or Draw
Tribute to the Olympics
Nightwatch
The Joan Lunden Show
Regis and Kathie Lee (1983/2000)
NBC News at Five with Tom Snyder
1984
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
On Stage America
People\\\'s Choice Awards
Match Game/Hollywood Squares
1985
The Robert Morley Show
The Ruth Westheimer Show
Another Mitzvah
1987
The New Hollywood Squares
The Steve Allen Show
Word Play
The Robert Klein Show
The Tomorrow Show
1988
One Life to Live
People Are Talking
Reading Rainbow-
1990
CNBC Talk Live/Beverly Sills
Comedy Central/Jon Stewart
The Howard Stern Show (1990/1991/1996)
1991
The Maury Povich Show
ABC Morning News
The Clint Holmes Show
1992-1998
The Paul Provenza Show
WLIW Award in Excellence
New York At Night
America’s Talking, Roger Ailes
Women in Comedy
2000’S
E Channel Celebrity Homes
Sally Jesse Raphael
Regis and Kathie Lee
The Joan Rivers Show
Ticket (2001/2005)
Fox and Friends
The John Stewart Show
MSNBC Talk w/ Beverly Sills
Profiles
NY Times Portrait
2018-19
Profiles
Good Day New York
WPIX News Profile
Build Series


NBC George Shlatter productions
CBS
NBC
Fox
CBS 2 guest spots
NBC Smith Hemion Productions
ABC Bill Harbach Productions
WPIX

NBC Greg Garrison Productions
CBS
NBC
ABC
NBC 5 guest appearances
NBC Mel Torme Productions

NBC
Chuck Barris Productions
Chuck Barris Productions
FOX -repeat guest thru 70’s

CBS Barry Shear, Sammy Davis producers
ABC, Elstree England
WOR yearly appearances
National

FOX
NBC 2 guest appearances
NBC

ABC series and special: Smith/ Hemion
CBS Special
NBC

ABC
CBS
NBC Pilot
ABC Alan King Producer

NBC Jean Doumanian Producer
NBC
ABC



NBC

FOX
FOX repeat guest 70’s-80’s

ABC Spelling Goldberg
National

NBC
NBC
Annheuser Busch, National

Alan Thicke Producer


NBC w/ Tom Snyder
PBS Various Characters Emmy Winner
ABC
NBC
NBC
NBC
FOX

ABC Spelling Goldberg Productions
FOX repeat guest 70’-80’s

HBO Special
ABC Special
FOX
NBC


NBC
ABC 5 spots
NBC Burt and Burt Productions
NBC Special
CBS
FOX
repeat guest spots
NBC

2 Episodes
FOX Smith Hemion Productions
NBC
NBC



PBS Special







Recurring guest role. Digest Award

PBS "Gregory the Terrible Eater"





NBC

WOR

Comedy Central
Host
WOR
MSNBC America’s Talking Channel
Comedy Central Host

E Channel
NBC
ABC
NBC
WLIW

Comedy Central
Guest and Host
WNYE
WEB

WNYE
FOX

WEB

 

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THEATRE and APPEARANCES (Partial List)

1963



1964




1965-
1966
1967








1968







1969

1970

1972



1973








1974




1975

1976






1977







1978



1979





1980
1981



1982



1983
1984







1985







1987

1988

1989






1991

1992

1993


1994



1995


1996



1997




1999

2000

2001


2004
2005

2006-13









2015--


 

1963 Ben Maksik’s Town and Country
(w/ Jackie Mason)
(2nd w/Allan and Rossi)
Carl Hoppl’s
Harrahs (Ed Sullivan Show)
Café Society Downstairs
Sahara Hotel ( Phil Silvers)
Leonard Sillman’s New Faces
(Huntington Hartford Museum)
Funny Girl National Company

El San Juan Hotel
Westbury Music Fair
(Funny Girl)
The Latin Quarter
Shoreham Hotel 2x’s
St. Louis Muni Opera
(Funny Girl)
Kansas City Starlight Theatre
(Funny Girl)
Phoenix Star Theatre
(Funny Girl)
Sutmiller’s
The Rainbow Room New York
(Tribute to HRH Princess Margaret)
Pepsicola Event
(Joan Crawford, Host)
Mr. Kelly’s
Puerto Rico Sheraton
Shoreham Hotel
Sahara Hotel
(w/Don Rickles)
The Playboy Club
Sahara Hotel
El San Juan Hotel
(2 Engagements)
Mr. Kellys
The Palmer House
The Eden Rock Hotel
The Thunderbird Hotel
Harrah’s
(w/Mickey Rooney Bobby Van)
Caribe Hilton
Hyatt Regency
The Scot’s Inn
Fountainbleau Hotel
Diamond Jim’s
Harrahs
(w/Jerry Lewis)
Madison Sq. Garden Event
The Latin Casino
The Fontainbleau Hotel
Smithville Theatre
(w/Milton Berle)
Walt Disney World
(Top O The World)
Kenley Players, GREASE
Shamrock Hilton Emerald Room
People Magazine Honoring Liz Taylor
Town Hall (Interludes)
Walt Disney World
(Top O The World)
Hotel Toronto
Sheraton Park Hotel
The Rainbow Grill
Whitehouse Press
Photographer’s Ball
The Grand Finale
Walt Disney World
(Top O The World)
Talk of The Town
Caesars Boardwalk Regency
Hyatt Regency
Studio One
Talk of the Town
Westbury Music Fair
Valley Forge Theatre
The Improv
Les Mouches
Caesar’s Boardwalk Rgency
Philadelphia Pops
( w/Peter Nero)
Caesar’s Boardwalk Regency
Resorts International
Playboy Hotel and Casino
(w/Eddie Fisher)
The Red Parrot
Resorts International
Playboy Hotel and Casino
(w/ Jerry Lewi)
Brooklyn College
Waldorf Astoria Tribute To
Chita w/Jerry Herman
Tribute to David Merrick
Jerry Herman, Carol Channing
Grand Ol Opry-
Lincoln Mercury Show, Fred Travalena
Resorts International
(w/Alan King)
Funny Female and Jewish
(Jewish Museum w/ Fraydele Oysher
Geraldine Ferraro Roast
(w/Gloria Steinem)
Resorts International
State Theatre
Royal York Hotel
Raritan Valley College
Westbury Music Fair
(w/Shecky Green)
Tropworld Casino
(w/Alan King)
Lehman Center Performing Arts
Westbury Music Fair
(Milton Berle)
Lunt Fontanne Theatre
Catskills On Broadway run
The Broadway Hour Radio Show
Host: 13 Episodes
Hudson Theatre
Weight Watchers Event
(w/ Mandy Patinkin, Rockettes)
Emelin Theatre
Jupiter Theatre
(w/ Phyllis Diller 2 engagements)
Centre East Theatre
South Florida Tour
Michael’s Pub
Brooklyn College
Queens Theatre On The Park Queens, NY
Mother’s Day Concert
Danny Kaye Playhouse
w/Mark Wilk, Fraydele Oysher
Westhampton Beach Pac
Maxim’s NY
State Theatre
Emelin theatre
So. Florida Tour
Harrahs
Broadway Ballyhoo Revue
Queens Theatre n The Park
Helen Hayes Theatre (Pac)
Westhampton Beach (Pac)
Tilles Center (Symphony)
Lehman Center (Pac)
Queens Theatre on The Park
Brooklyn College
Westchester Premier Theatre
Westhampton Pac
Cerritos Pac
w/Jack Jones
Rainbow Room
(Drama League Event)
National Arts Club
(w/Marvin Hamlisch)
Actor’s Temple
The Town Hall
Dix Hills Pac (2 Engagements)
54 Below
(w/Mark Wilk)
Friars Club
(Jerry Lewis’ 90th Party, w/ Mark Wilk)

Brooklyn, NY


Baldwin, NY
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Chicago
Las Vegas
New York

United States

Puerto Rico
Westbury, NY

New York
Washingon, DC
St. Louis MO

Kansas City

Phoenix, AZ

Dayton, OH
New York

Washington, DC

Chicago, ILL
Puerto Rico
Washinton, DC
Las Vegas NV

Great George NY
Las Vegas NV
Puerto Rico

Chicago, ILL
Chicago, ILL
Miami, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Lake Tahoe, NV

Puerto Rico
Chicago, ILL
Columbus, OH
Miami, FL
Minneapolis, MN
Lake Tahoe, NV

New York
Cherry Hill, NJ
Miami, FL
New Jersey

Orlando, FL

Ohio Theatres
Houston, TX

New York
Orlando, FL

Canada
Washington, DC
New York
Washington, DC

New York
Orlando, FL

London, England
Atlantic City, NJ
Atlanta, GA
Los Angeles, CA
London, England
Westbury, NY
New Jersey
Los Angeles ,CA
New York
Atlantic City, NJ
Philadelphia, PA

Atlantic City, NJ’
Atlantic City, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ

New York
Atlantic City, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ

Brooklyn, NYv
New York

New York

Nashville, TN

Atlantic City, NJ

New York

New York

Atlantic City, NJ
New Jersey
Toronto, Canada
New Jersey
Westbury, NY

Atlantic City NJ

Bronx, NY
Westbury. NY

New York

Americana Hotel- NY

New York


Westchester NY
Jupiter, FL

Skokie, ILL

New York
Brooklyn, NY
Queens, NY
New York


Westhampton, NY
New York
New Brunswick, NJ
Westchester, NY

Atlantic City

Queens, NY
Nyack, NY
Westhampton, NY
Long Island
Bronx, NY
Queens, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Westchester, NY
Westhampton, NY
Los Angeles, CA

New York

New York

New York
New York
Dix Hills, NY
New York

New York


 

 

RECORDINGS 

The Moishe Oysher Chanukah Party (Guest, 1957)

Fraydele Oysher and Her Daughter Marilyn/

Songs My Brother Moishe Sang         (Tikva)

Yiddish Soul                                        (Tikva)

Johnny Where Are You                       ( Single, Debbie Records  Phil Ramone, Producer)

Let It Rain                                           (Single, Debbie Records)

Tell Tommy I Miss Him                      (Single, RCA Victor-Hugo & Luigi Producers)

Don\'t Count The Days                         ( Single, Bachrach/Davis ABC/ Charlie Collelo Prod)

Macarthur Park                                    (Single, ABC Charlie Collelo Producer)

My Red Riding Hood                           ( Single, ABC)

I\'m Naive                                              (Single ABC)

The Times They Are A Changing          ( ABC)

I Wonder Who\'s Kissing Her Now     ( Single, ABC)

Sex Symbol/Superstar                          (Single/Great Ears Music)

A Mother\'s Voice                                 (Mew Records)

The Oysher Heritage                           ( Mew Records)

Wonderful At Last                               ( Mew Records)

Alysha    (Cast Demo)                         ( Marilyn Michaels Productions)

Let There Be Night                              ( Marilyn Michaels Productions)