gala 2003

Melissa Errico
Actress and Singer

Melissa was born in Manhattan where her family lived several years before moving to Manhasset, Long Island. In grammar school, actually kindergarten, she met her now-husband Patrick McEnroe who was her older brother's best friend.

Melissa became enchanted with the theater at a very young age. When she was 18, she was cast as Cosette in Les Miserables She performed in many shows at Yale, and landed the role of Kitty in the Broadway musical Anna Kazrenina. Melissa went on to star in two more Broadway musicals in the following years, playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Tracy Lord in Cole Porter's High Society, the musical adaptation of the classic play "The Philadelphia Story." While juggling work on TV and film, Melissa continued to work steadily on stage, becoming a member of the Irish Repertory Theatre where she has starred in such classic plays as Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara and at The Bay Street Theater in Make Someone Happy. She has gratefully received many awards and nominations for both singing and non-singing roles. She has appeared at Joe's Pub, the Cafe Carlyle, and major events in Washington DC. Her last Broadway musical was Michel Legrand's AMOUR, for which she received a Tony Award nomination.

With the release of "Blue Like That" on February 25, 2003, Melissa brings forward her true dream to sing her own music in her own style. Produced by Arif Mardin for Manhattan Records/ Capitol/ EMI, the cd is a collection of original pop and soft-rock (some written by her brother Mike Errico) and lesser-known covers by Randy Newman, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones, and Billy Joel. There are songs by Don Was, Amanda McBroom, Phil Galdston and Wendy Mardston. The title track "Blue Like That" was written for her by Jeff Franzal, Tom Kimmell, and Mark Luna. With touches of jazz and R&B stylings, strings and woodwinds, the cd tells stories that are personal to Melissa.

This fall, Melissa will be seen on Miss Match with Alicia Silverstone and Ryan O'Neal on NBC. Melissa and Patrick live in Manhattan.

Awards

Sunday In The Park With George - 2003 Helen Hayes nomination.

Amour - Tony Award 2003 and Outer Critics Circle Award 2003 nominations, New York Drama League Honoree 2003

High Society - New York Drama League Honoree1998, Drama Desk Award and Outer Circle Award nominations, Winner Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award "Best Actress in a Play or Musical" San Francisco 1997

My Fair Lady - Helen Hayes 1993 nomination, Drama Desk Award 1994 and Outer Critics Award 1994 nominations

The Importance of Being Earnest - Drama Desk Award 1996 nomination

One Touch of Venus - Winner 1996 Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress Off-Broadway"

Major Barbara - New York Drama League Honoree 1998