From Broadway Curtain Calls To Community Causes, Singer And Actress Melissa Errico Moves Hearts And Minds
Whether she’s captivating audiences on Broadway or lending her time and talent to a good cause, Melissa Errico has always believed in the power of using her voice.
The Tony-nominated actress, singer and author has been performing for as long as she can remember. At just 5 years old, she was taking gymnastics and dance lessons, and by 8, she was already on stage, appearing in her first show with her Brownie troop on Long Island.
“I’ve always wanted to make people happy,” says Errico, 55. “I remember putting on shows in my parents’ basement when I was still in elementary school.”
That early spark soon became a lifelong calling. On her 12th birthday, a trip to see “On Your Toes” sealed her love for acting and musical theater.
“My mother jumped me from gymnastics training to the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts theater camp in Hancock, N.Y.,” Errico recalls. “That same year, I was cast in my first professional role on the syndicated TV show, ‘The Great Space Coaster.’”
Her early training paid off. While earning a bachelor’s degree in art history and philosophy at Yale University, Errico was invited to audition for the role of Cosette in “Les Misérables.” After landing the part, she joined the national tour while she continued her classes at Yale by correspondence, marking the start of her journey from student to stage star.
ollowing graduation, Errico lit up Broadway, taking on iconic roles such as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Venus in “One Touch of Venus” and Clare in “Passion.” From there, her career soared. She became a concert favorite, from Lincoln Center to London’s West End, known for her silky voice and deeply emotional interpretations of the Great American Songbook. (She has also appeared on television shows including “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife,” among others.)
Her discography reflects that same elegance and depth. Errico has released several acclaimed albums, including “Legrand Affair,” a collaboration with the late composer Michel Legrand, and “Sondheim Sublime,” hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “the best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.”