Barbara Minkus

Barbara Minkus (born 1943) is an American actress, singer, and psychotherapist whose career has included work in theater, television, cabaret, and counseling. She appeared on television programs including The Danny Kaye Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show, and Love, American Style, and performed on stage in productions including Funny Girl, The Education of Hyman Kaplan, Picon Pie, and Saturday Night at Grossinger's.

She later developed autobiographical one-woman shows, including I'm Not Famous and 18 Minutes of Fame: A Musical Journey with Barbara Minkus, based on her career and personal life. Minkus also earned a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy and worked as a psychotherapist.

Early life and education Barbara Minkus was born on August 15, 1943 in Chicago, the daughter of Leslie David Minkus and Bernice (Hyman) Minkus. She grew up in the Chicago area in a Jewish family that owned Leslie's Department Store, which had been founded in Chicago by her grandfather, Lewis Minkus. As a child, Minkus experienced problems with her weight and later described having an eating disorder as well as dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

In 1979 Minkus earned her B.A. from Immaculate Heart College, and in 1981 she received her master's degree in marriage and family therapy from California Family Study Center.

Career Minkus began her professional performing career in New York in the early 1960s in Julius Monk's revue Bits and Pieces. She later toured as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. She also played Gittel the Witch on the ABC children's series Curiosity Shop and provided the voice of Ms. Pac-Man in the animated series Pac-Man.

Minkus returned to the stage at the Santa Monica Playhouse in Funny, You Don't Look Like a Grandmother. She later portrayed Yiddish theater performer Molly Picon in Picon Pie at the Santa Monica Playhouse and in an Off-Broadway production. She also portrayed Jennie Grossinger in the musical Saturday Night at Grossinger's. 18 Minutes of Fame was presented in Los Angeles and New York, including performances at the Pico Playhouse, the Triad Theater, and The Braid. In August 2023, Minkus performed the show at the York Theatre in Manhattan in a two-performance engagement directed by Morgenstern, with Ron Barnett as musical director. The production incorporated songs, photographs, recordings, film and stories from Minkus's career.

Personal life Minkus married Arnold Barron, an eye surgeon, in 1972. She has two children.