Katherine McLellan
SINGER - ACTOR - MOVER
Green is my favorite color
The Full Story:
Originally from a small town in Hartford County, CT - Kate's first introduction to the performing arts was through The Classic Arts Showcase channel on PBS. Enchanted by beautiful ballerinas and classical music, she begged to start dance class. Eventually Mom obliged and enrolled her in the local studio (thanks Mom). She joined the school chorus and band, and discovered musical theatre with a little help from her friends.
Wanting to further develop her talent and interests, she started singing lessons with Dr. Susan Mardinly at the Hartt School Community Division and performed with the Plainville Choral Society Youth Theatre and Wethersfield Teen Theatre Company as well as the Hartt Summer Vocal Institute: Musical Theatre Intensive.
She is a winner of the Connecticut Chapter's National Association of Teacher Singing competition, and placed multiple times in the Hartt Community Division Honors Competition.
Kate attended The Hartt School for undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Sigma Alpha Pi honors societies as well as the National Society of Leadership and Success.
While studying she performed in "Les Miserables" directed by Terrence Mann at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Ryan Scott Oliver's new musical "We Foxes" at Goodspeed's Festival of New Musicals, and sang in The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Goodspeed Musicals' "Best of Broadway" concert.
With funding provided by The Women's Advancement Initiative of Hartford, CT as a Dorothy Goodwin Scholar, Kate was granted the opportunity to create, direct and perform a lecture-recital detailing the history of Women Composers in Music Theatre. The program has been performed at both The Hartt School and The Women Composers Festival of Hartford.
In 2016 she received the Lotte Lenya Emerging Talent Award from the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music.
In the years since you may have seen her: as the female swing in Hartford Stage's world premiere of "Anastasia", caroling with The New York Holiday Choristers, as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, performing in summer repertory with The Peterborough Players, or participating in various readings and showcases of New Musicals in NYC.
She currently lives on the UWS and is now a member of The Actors' Equity Association. She continues to audition, sing, write and enjoy time with her rescue dog Finley.
Check out the Cool News Tab for most recent updates and where she'll be headed next.
Friendly Quotes:
"This young actress unleashes her lovely singing voice and for 3 minutes or so all is right with the universe; there is no unrest in the world; there is no fear and hatred in the neighborhood; there is only sweet music"
- Berkshire Bright Focus
"Katherine McLellan’s take on “By My Side” was heartbreaking...
The ensemble’s work together on the finale was absolutely beautiful;
their harmonies through their tears brought more than one audience member to tears themselves"
- The Alt.com
"The purity of McLellan's voice, as Olive turns a small, poignant moment into something truly beautiful."
-Steve Gifford of The Onstage Critics Circle