Rivka Raz,  known in Israel and abroad as" The First Lady of  Israeli Musical Theatre", has played leading roles in the major Hebrew productions of such classical Broadway and West-End musicals as My Fair Lady (directed by the Broadway director Sam Liff), Oliver (at the Habimah National Theatre; directed by Peter Coe, who created the show at the London West End), The King and I (directed by J. Hammerstein II, son of the musical's librettist; at the Godik Theatre, and again at the Tel-Aviv Cameri Theatre) and Fiddler on the Roof (with Haim Topol, in Hebrew).

She also starred in large scale productions of Israeli musicals abroad, such as To Live another Summer (which played in English on Broadway for a year) and The King and the Cobbler (played in London). Her guest appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show preceded hundreds of recitals in Hebrew, English, French, and Spanish in cities all over the world for the Jewish Agency, Keren Hayessod and the UJA.

Born in Jerusalem to a Sephardi family, Rivka is also known as the leading songstress of Ladino lore: She starred in the extremely successful Hebrew-Ladino musical Bustan Sepharadi (The Sephardi Garden), written by Itzhak Navon the fifth president of Israel.

Rivka recorded many Ladino songs 30 of which are included in her best selling CD “Raz’s most beautiful ladino songs”. 

Among her many other performances in Israel are The Moroccan King (at the Habimah National Theatre); A Dress Rehearsal (a revue of songs from the musicals of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bernstein and Sondheim) and It All Began in a  Shtetl  (at the Bimmot Theatre).

Rivka, who served in the Israeli army as an officer, has received throughout her impressive career many trophies and awards.  These include three of the prestigious ‘David’s Harp' awards  for 'The Best Singer of the Year', 'The Best Actress of the Year' and 'The Best Musical Theatre Performer of the Year'.

Rivka has recently appeared in the award-winning Israeli movie, Three Mothers (directed by Dina Zvi-Riklis), which is currently playing in film festivals all over the world.

In March 2008   Bet- Zvi,  Israel's  leading drama school, has presened a homage to Rivka's life-time achievement  –   Rivka Raz: Then and Forever –  starring Rivka with 40  drama students singing and dancing  nightly with her-  and for her. Following two weeks of sold out performances at the Ramat-Gan Theatre; this show was renewed in June 2008 due to public demand.