Jason Danieley Reveals Wife Marin Mazzie's Battle with Ovarian Cancer; Assures She Will Be 'Back in Action'

In his September 27th entry of his blog, The Danieley Digest, titled "I Am Woman Hear Me Roar!", Broadway veteran Jason Danieley revealed the news that his wife, three-time Tony Award nominee Marin Mazzie, has been battling ovarian cancer.

Danieley writes that in April, as Marin was rehearsing for Kander & Ebb's Zorba!, at Encores! at City Center, she began feeling discomfort in her stomach and abdomen area. After a visit to the doctor and further testing, the couple learned the devastating news. "The tests came back and they found a growth on one of her ovaries which we would later find out were on both ovaries and extended on to her peritoneal wall. Not the news you want to hear," shares Danieley.

Despite the diagnosis and the way she was feeling, Mazzie looked to late Broadway actor Roger Rees, who performed opposite her in Broadway's THE VISIT while battling brain cancer himself, for inspiration. "She used Rog ... as her inspiration as she somehow willed herself on to that stage for each performance, feeling such extreme discomfort and pain, not knowing how she would move around and give a performance."

He goes on to share, "People who didn't know what she was dealing with, which was basically everyone, thought she was giving an incredible, career defining performance. Marin is a chameleon of an actress and people are always wowed by her transformations but this seemed to be a particularly potent part. I think it was a role she was meant to be playing as she got the news, literally on her first performance of Zorba!, that she had ovarian cancer."

Regarding her treatment and prognosis, Danieley writes that Marin is being treated at New York City's Memorial Sloan-Kettering hospital and underwent surgery and a complete hysterectomy and bowel resection this summer. Following surgery, Danieley reports, "She was doing laps around the 10th floor at MSK and by that weekend she was ready to go home but not before she was visited by 15 to 20 friends in small groups of 5-7. Marin held court in the library/conference room regaling her audience with her experience on York Ave. and 67th St."

Currently, Marin is undergoing four more rounds of Healing Therapy. Writes Danieley, "It's another 12 weeks and by the end of this Marin's team of doctors are quite confident that this will be in remission."

Mazzie is currently recovering in the couple's upstate home in the Berkshires. Says her husband, "She loves watching the nut hatches, black capped chickadees and tufted tit mouses flit around from tree to tree. We are a part of nature and nature is a part of us. If we embrace the beauty and strength of what is around us it can sustain us and even give us life."

He later writes, "I hope she can help buoy someone up or give strength to a person who is just starting their journey with cancer. The science is out there. The surgeons and oncologists have incredible technology to help us, BUT even as Dr. Abu-Rustum said there is a lot that rides on your personal outlook and positive attitude that will help you beat this.

Marin will be back in action as early as November doing concerts. We will be in San Francisco in December with our new show from Barrington Stage Co. Life is different. Life is new.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, meditations, white light... anything and everything you are capable of mustering that is positive and good and sending it to Marin."

Read the blog entry in full here

BWW sends our best wishes to Marin Mazzie for a speedy and full recovery!

Three-time Tony Award Nominee Marin Mazzie's credits include her recent show-stopping turn in Bullets Over Broadway, her corseted characters in Ragtime and Passion and her scene-chewing screwballs of Kiss Me Kate and Spamalot, as well as starring roles in Next to Normal and Carrie. This May, she released her album "Marin Mazzie: Make Your Own Kind of Music - LIVE at 54 BELOW."

This October, Jason Danieley will take over the role of Billy Flynn in Broadway's CHICAGO. The actor last appeared on Broadway in THE VISIT. His other Broadway credits include NEXT TO NORMAL, CURTAINS (Outer Critics Circle nomination), THE FULL MONTY (also London's West End) and CANDIDE (Drama Desk nomination). His off-Broadway credits include FLOYD COLLINS, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, DREAM TRUE, STRIKE UP THE BAND and TROJAN WOMEN. Regional credits include CAN-CAN (Papermill), SECONDHAND LIONS (5th Avenue), SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Chicago Shakes, Jeff nom.), THE HIGHEST YELLOW (Hayes Award winner), PBS Concerts: SOUTH PACIFIC (Carnegie), CAROUSEL (NYPhil), RING THEM BELLS: THE MUSIC OF KANDER & EBB, SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT (NYPhil), as well as extensive symphonic, cabaret and concert hall appearances around the world plus many albums.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

Photos courtesy of Jason Danieley

Photo credit: Stephen Sorokoff