Felicia Montealegre Biography

Felicia Cohn Montealegre was a Chilean stage and TV actor and the wife of world-renowned American composer, conductor, music lecturer, author, and pianist Leonard Bernstein. Felicia became skilled in playing the piano after taking lessons from noted Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau. She lent her voice to a couple of works conducted by Bernstein, including his own symphony, ‘Kaddish.’ She worked in some notable TV series, such as the American drama/anthology TV series ‘Kraft Television Theatre’ and ‘Studio One.’ She also performed in ‘Broadway’ plays such as ‘Poor Murderer’ and ‘The Merchant of Venice’ but did not appear in any feature films. She helped in establishing the anti-war organization ‘Another Mother for Peace.’ Although she loved her husband, Felicia did not have a happy married life as Bernstein was a homosexual. Felicia, however, acknowledged Bernstein’s homosexuality. This was revealed in a letter she wrote to him mentioning “I am willing to accept you as you are.” The couple had three children. Felicia succumbed to lung cancer at 56. She remained the main focus of the essay ‘Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's’ by Tom Wolfe.