She was
born in the wagon of a travelin' show. Her mama used
to dance for the money they'd throw. Papa would do whatever
he could.
Actually,
Colleen is a singer, writer, actor and comic. Since leaving her
post at Second City's National Touring Company and moving to New
York in 2003, she has appeared on television's "The Colbert Report", and in several comedy sketches on "Late
Night with Conan O'Brien." She has also made her Carnegie Hall debut
as a Special Guest Artist in Michael Feinstein's "Now and Then"
concert series, and made her Lincoln Center debut at Rose Hall/Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Colleen has been performing award-winning solo cabaret shows since
January 2000. Her debut at Davenport's Cabaret in Chicago, "Keeping
Up Appearances" was described by AfterDark's Jeff Rossen as
"as absolute joy to behold." Colleen's next solo outing
was "Tales of Revenge & Regret," selected by CabaretHotline
as Chicago's Best Cabaret Show of 2001. She received the 2001 AfterDark
Award as "Outstanding Cabaret Artist." In 2002, Colleen
introduced "Songs of Self-Delusion," which the Chicago
Tribune's Howard Reich described as "a bittersweet cabaret
show, as original as it is meaningful." 2002 marked the beginning
of Colleen's several collaborations with famed vocal group Foiled
Again, as well as the introduction of her tribute to "The Harold
Arlen Songbook" at the Chicago
Cultural Center. In 2003, she tackled the notorious Randy Newman
songbook (with background vocals by Foiled Again) in "Feeling
Randy: Colleen McHugh Sings Randy Newman," which Chicago Sun
Times reporter Misha Davenport called "a sterling performance,
dwelling on and around the fine line between tragedy and comedy."
When Colleen made her New York debut at Helen's Hideaway in May
2004 with an updated version of "Revenge & Regret,"
she was described by Backstage as "a serious singer, whose
ballads are made even more effective due to her show's light moments
and her buoyant personality." 2005 marked another milestone
for McHugh with the release of her debut CD, a live recording of
"Songs of Self-Delusion" once again featuring Foiled Again
vocals and musical direction by Chicago composer Chuck Larkin. The
CD was recorded live at Chicago's Sparrow Studios. Accompanying
the CD release is Colleen's first appearance at Danny's Skylight
Cabaret in New York, with acclaimed musical director Jeffrey Harris.
Along with her cabaret partner-in-crime Miriam Plotkin, McHugh has
created perennial favorites "Bastille Magnolias," a summer
send-up of all things French, and the hilarious holiday extravaganza
"There's Noel in Chanukah." These shows, performed in
Chicago every July and December since 2000 and directed by Rob Lindley,
have been performed to sold-out houses and critical acclaim, incorporating
improvisation, popular standards, original comedy and many, many
props.
Colleen spent several years writing and performing with Chicago's
legendary Second City National Touring Company. She was selected
as a Fellow in the prestigious Cabaret Symposium at the Eugene O'Neill
Theater Center in 2000, as well as for famed Broadway musical director
Paul Gemignani's summer Musical Theater Workshop at the Manhattan
School of Music in 2004. She has been a featured performer in the
Mabel Mercer Foundation's Cabaret Conventions every year since 2001,
performing at New York's Town Hall, Chicago's Palmer House Empire
Room and Park West, Philadelphia's Harold Prince Theater and East
Hampton's Guild Hall. She has performed the national anthem for,
among others, the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. She made her
mark in high school performing in the Utah All-State Choir (at the
Mormon Tabernacle) and brought down the house performing "Happy
Days Are Here Again" in the talent category of the Utah Junior
Miss Pageant. Seriously.
Her improv and acting career has included such classic stage shows as
"Sitcom," "Riverboat Lawyer," "Commedia
dell'High School," and the Royal George Theater's smash hit
"MUSICAL! The Musical," where the Chicago Tribune's Chris
Jones reported that Colleen "deserves special mention for her
tuneful emotional intensity that will have you rolling with laughter."
In 2002 she became a member of Chicago's leading musical improv
group Baby Wants Candy and continues to perform original musicals
around the U.S. She made her operetta debut as The Bride in Gilbert
& Sullivan's "Trial by Jury," and was featured in
the Equity Workshop production of Mark Hollmann (Urinetown) and
Jack Helbig's new musical "The Grouch" at The Acorn Theater.
She has taught writing and improvisation at Chicago's Second City
Training Center, as well as at the Chicago Center for Performing
Arts. She continues to write original material for theater and cabaret
performers in Chicago and New York along with her director and writing
partner Rob Lindley. She received her improvisation training at
the Second City Training Center, Victory Gardens Theater, ImprovOlympic,
the Annoyance Theater, and New York's Upright Citizen's Brigade
Theater. She studied voice and song interpretation in Chicago with
Kathryn Hartgrove as well as at the Old Town School of Folk Music,
and in New York with Broadway legend Betty Buckley at the T. Schreiber
Studio. She has a degree in History and Architecture from the University
of Illinois and resides in New York City. She is a member of AFTRA
and Actors' Equity Association.
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