Jill Abramovitz Jumps in the Line With Robe for Beetlejuice!

“The robe symbolizes a connection to people who have made theatre their life. People from the past, the future, in theaters down the street, actors waiting for their next job or just thinking about moving to NY. I’m so honored. Can’t believe I’ve been around long enough to get it! I never imagined myself receiving it - I figured, 'Oh, that’s for like REAL Broadway people.' I still always feel like I’m in my first show and I’m giddy just to be included! During the ceremony I was unexpectedly emotional - seeing how many past honorees were there made me feel like a tributary that just joined up with a much larger river.”

Name: Jill Abramovitz

Show: Beetlejuice 

Hometown: Morristown, NJ

Broadway Debut: Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, 2006 (Life-changing and thrilling and thank you forever to Martin Short, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.)

Professional Training: University of Pennsylvania (Go Quakers!), and many individual teachers and classes along the way. Alan Langdon, Andrea Green, Deric Rosenblatt, my dreamy coach Brad Garside. I got a great head start at Worth Tyrell Studios in Morristown, New Jersey and from Jane Wintz, who directed my high school musicals. 

Year Joined: I joined Actors’ Equity in 1996.

How I Got My Equity Card: I actually got my SAG card first and was able to join Equity from that. Not the usual way but I will say that I did a million jobs for TheatreworksUSA (how so many get their card) and that organization proved to be the foundation for so much in my career and personal life, as well as my life as a writer. 

Broadway Chorus Credits: Four: 9 to 5, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Fiddler on the Roof and Beetlejuice.

Fun Fact: I’ve had a ton of survival jobs but the one that probably is the most…colorful…is when I was a “massage girl” at a topless bar. I wasn’t topless but I did wear a very silly (think Little Mermaid) skimpy outfit as I walked around offering shoulder massages to everyone watching the actual topless people. Too much? Something less racy - I love hiking and I’ve spent a lot of time in Jackson, Wyoming, which is the greatest place on earth. (Shoutout to my wonderful Jackson friends.)