Friedman cancels Broadway Woman in White dates for cancer op

Published Monday 7 November 2005 at 10:35 by Judd Hollander

Maria Friedman, currently starring on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White, has pulled out of the show temporarily for medical treatment. Friedman, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, was scheduled to undergo surgery on November 3 and is expected to return to the show in the next week or so, once she recovers from the procedure.

A three-time Olivier winner, Friedman is making her Broadway debut in The Woman in White. She previously appeared with the show in London and received her seventh career Olivier nomination for her role in the musical. The Woman in White is set to open at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre on November 17. The show began previews in New York on October 28.

“Maria is our star, our friend and the beloved anchor of this company,” the show’s producer Bob Boyett said in a statement. “We wish her and her family well over the next several weeks and we look forward to welcoming her back for her first Broadway opening night.”