The Bobbed-Haired Bandit, a new musical comedy from composer Brittany Bonney and bookwriter-lyricist Anna Marquardt, will be presented at the 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), beginning Aug. 12 at The Bleecker Theater. Directed and choreographed by Deborah Wolfson, The Bobbed-Haired Bandit runs through Aug. 28.
The cast includes Katlyn Carlson, Chase Burnett, Jen Eden, Tracie Franklin, Stephanie Holser, Ariana Shore, Jennifer Wren and Melissa Zimmerman.
Set in 1920s Brooklyn, the musical, according to press notes, "follows the story of Celia and Ed Cooney, who just wanted a few bucks to raise their new baby in a nice home. Their solution? Rob a grocery store. And another. And another. They never meant to go on a crime spree, but once they’re in, it’s hard to get out. An all-female ensemble plays everyone else, from their victims to the cops to the press."
The Bleecker Theater is located at 45 Bleecker Street (at Lafayette Street). For more information, visit www.thebobbedhairedbanditmusical.com. For tickets, call (866) 468-7619 or visit www.FringeNYC.org.
Saturday, August 13 @ 6:30pm
Tuesday, August 16 @ 9:30pm
Saturday, August 20 @ 9:30pm
Tuesday, August 23 @ 3:45pm
Saturday, August 27 @ 5:15pm
Don't miss Melissa in her NY Fringe Festival debut!
June 23, 2011Lots of news to share!
First, Melissa recently performed as a backup vocalist in Gravity Radio at the Luminato Festival in Toronto. Conceived, directed and performed by Mikel Rouse, Gravity Radio is a song cycle interspersed with actual radio reports taken from the AP Newswire and is inspired by physicist Raymond Chiao’s experiments with superconductors and gravity waves—which exist in theory but have eluded detection. The songs meld Rouse’s affecting vocals and guitar with his band, a string quartet, shortwave radio frequencies, and spoken radio reports. For more information on this piece and Mikel Rouse, visit his website.
Melissa is going to be performing in the New York International Fringe Festival this summer! She was cast in the ensemble of The Bobbed-Haired Bandit. Stay tuned for ticket information!
Lastly, Melissa is getting new headshots! She is very excited to be photographed by Matt Murphy. Be on the lookout for new photos and a revamped website!
February 5, 2011This past week, Melissa and her sister Meryl were the musical entertainment at the National Down Syndrome Society's 25th Annual Gala at Gotham Hall. They sang a combination of jazz, musical theatre, standard, and pop songs during the cocktail hour and dinner for the hundreds of attendees.
January 5, 2011Melissa is making her debut at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in The Spiegel & Wolpow Musical Comedy Hour (& A Half)! on Saturday, January 15 at 7PM. Call 212.695.6909 to make a reservation.
Featuring a (self-proclaimed) stunning selection of songs by Adam Spiegel, songs by Dan Wolpow, and songs written together by Adam Spiegel and Dan Wolpow, this will be the Spiegel & Wolpow event of the day! Don't miss it!
To learn more about Dan and Adam, visit DanWolpow.com and AdamSpiegelMusic.com.
Melissa modeled for Jones New York. You can see her in the How To Wear It Perfect Party Looks video.
October 6, 2010Melissa will be performing in Keepers, a theatrical event at Studio 54, on November 1! From the website:
KEEPERS: A Broadway Benefit, is a dynamic exploration of how lives are affected by adoption. This original musical theatre event is based on true testimonials collected from all around the world! There will also be an art exhibition, complimentary drinks, hors d'œuvre and a celebrity-hosted auction to raise funds for our beneficiary SPENCE-CHAPIN ADOPTION SERVICES! Please join us for a truly unforgettable evening!
For tickets and more info, view the What's The Benefit website.
September 13, 2010Melissa was chosen to be the musical entertainment for an episode of The Crew, a new online sketch comedy and variety show. Watch her sing "See I'm Smiling" on YouTube. For more info on The Crew, visit their website.
April 25, 2010Check out Melissa singing "Don't Rain On My Parade" for her audition for Glee! Click here.
November 19, 2009Melissa is performing in the 2009 revival of Christmas Rappings at the Theater at Judson. She is featured in an a cappella septet.
Christmas Rappings will deck the sanctuary halls of the acclaimed historic West Village church from Friday, December 4, through Saturday, December 19.
A high-spirited, often hilarious take on the traditional Christmas story, the beloved, family-friendly musical is based on the birth narratives in four gospels. An exuberant cast of 119 includes solo vocalists, a chorus, dancers, and a pianist, who perform a joyous oratorio that offers a colorful and contemporary look at these cherished texts.
Christmas meets camp in a jubilant score by the late Al Carmines which serves up every imaginable musical genre, from country to classical to blues to gospel, and even a rousing tango. Presented frequently though intermittently since its premiere in 1969, Christmas Rappings has become a Greenwich Village holiday tradition in and of itself, with packed houses of devoted audiences who eagerly await the show every season.
For tickets, see the information below (click to enlarge).
Melissa is now a member of AFTRA. This past July, she did background work for The Good Wife, a new TV show on CBS starring Julianna Margulies. Look for her in the second episode, airing Tuesday September 29 at 10PM EST.
In August, Melissa was on the set of Going the Distance, an upcoming film starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. She did three days of background work at JFK Airport. Look for this film in the fall of 2010.
Her most recent live performance was in a new 10-minute musical, A Lunchtime Story, at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. She played and puppeteered Stephanie, a bologna and swiss sandwich. You can watch this on the media page.
March 22nd, 2009
Melissa is now singing in an a cappella quartet! She is the alto in Absolute Broadway, a quartet that specializes in singing a cappella arrangements of your favorite showtunes! Absolute Broadway made its debut this past weekend at Salons for a Cause, a wonderful organization that puts together benefit performances for various charities. For more information, visit Party Singers.
January 13th, 2009
Melissa is taking a voiceover/on-camera commercial class with Katherine Ryan of Don Buchwald and Associates.
October 28th, 2008
Melissa is going on tour! She will be performing in If You Give a Pig a Pancake and Other Story Books produced by Theatreworks USA.
She leaves Nov. 1 for a tour of the southeastern and northeastern United States. She is back in NYC mid-December. For more information and to find out if she will be performing in a city near you, visit TheatreworksUSA or contact Melissa!
Melissa is now a proud member of Actors' Equity!
