In addition to her work as lead singer of Velvet Chain,
Erika is also a successful professional actress. This page gives an overview
what Erika's doing currently, along with selected past news and reviews.



NOTE: for the most up-to-date information, please visit Erika's NEW WEBSITE:
www.erikaamato.com


To view photo archives of Erika's past productions, please CLICK HERE.


NEWS  
SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES
Erika was thrilled to be a part of the Deaf West/Center Theatre Group production, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, directed by Jeff Calhoun (Brooklyn,
Big River
, Grease). Erika provided the voice of the Bad Fairy/Clinic Director (also performed by deaf actress, Deanne Bray), and also played the roles of the Royal Servant and the Night Terror Patient.

Click here for more details.

(Show ran March 31 - May 13, 2007)


COME RAIN OR COME SHINE
Erika recently completed recording her first solo jazz CD, Come Rain Or Come Shine, featuring standards by Porter, Gershwin, Ellington, and more. The CD is currently available for purchase at www.erikaamato.com.
Click here to go directly to the music page.

 

ANYTHING GOES
Erika starred as curvaceous evangelist/nightclub singer Reno Sweeney
in the rollicking Cole Porter musical, Anything Goes! Featuring such classic songs
as "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "DeLovely," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," "Let's Misbehave" and the title tune, the show opened Sept 29th and ran through
Nov. 12th, 2006 at the Candlelight Pavilion in Claremont, CA.

 

SUNSET BOULEVARD
Erika was thrilled to be part of the ensemble in the all-star staged reading of
Sunset Boulevard
at the Hollywood Bowl on August 6th, 2006, directed by
Peter Hunt. The legendary cast included Betty Buckley, Len Cariou,
Douglas Sills, James Cromwell, and Charles Durning, among others.
The Billy Wilder film noir classic, in an adaptation by David Rambo,
was performed complete with Franz Waxman's Academy Award winning score. Maestro John Mauceri conducted the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

 

ENCHANTED
Erika had the pleasure of recording vocals for the new Disney feature,
Enchanted, slated for a November, 2007 release. The film stars Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, and Idina Menzel, and features songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

 

SNOW WHITE - AN ENCHANTING MUSICAL
Erika returned to play both the
Evil Queen
and the Hag in the big-budget spectacular
Snow White -An Enchanting Musical
at the Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland, Anaheim, CA, June - Sept, 2006.
(Erika had the pleasure of being in the original run
from May 2004 through Sept 2005.)

The show re-opened June 9th and ran through Sept. 4th, 2006

 

A COUPLE OF DAYS AND NIGHTS
This independent feature film - directed by Vaughn Verdi and starring David Lago (The Young and the Restless), Shonda Farr (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Allison Munn (What I Like About You), Joe Peracchio (Smack), and of course, Erika Amato is out on DVD and available nationwide! The film was in several film festivals and was a Finalist at the prestigious Hollywood Film Festival in 2005.

You can view the trailer here:
Days Trailer

More info available at http://www.amazon.com



42nd STREET
Two summers ago, Erika received rave reviews
for her portrayal of
stage diva
Dorothy Brock in the classic backstage musical,
42nd Street, at the Welk Resort Theatre in San Diego.
This multi-Tony Award winning show is filled with
show-stopping tap numbers and famous songs like,
“We’re In The Money,”
“Lullaby of Broadway,” “42nd Street,”
“You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,”
“About A Quarter To Nine,” and “Shuffle Off To Buffalo.”
The show ran 8 shows a week,
June 9th through August 28th, 2005.




PAINT YOUR WAGON

Erika had the pleasure of
playing the roles of Cherry Jourdel and Sarah Woodling
in the world-premiere revival of Lerner & Loewe's
Paint Your Wagon at the prestigious Geffen Playhouse in West LA.
This rousing musical about the California Gold Rush
was directed by the Geffen's own producing director, Gil Cates,
with a new book by award-winning playwright, David Rambo.
The extremely talented cast included Tom Wilson
(Back to the Future)
, Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue),
Alex Mendoza (Port Charles), and many other well-established
actors from the worlds of theater, television, and film.

The show previewed on November 23rd and ran
December 1st through January 9th.

More info available at www.geffenplayhouse.com



REVIEWS

Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Kirk Douglas Theatre, Culver City, CA
March 31 - May 13, 2007

"...Adding to the charm, a sizable portion of the cast is deaf or hearing-impaired,
communicating with us in American Sign Language. So hearing actors voice and sing those roles in addition to portraying others... Director-choreographer Jeff Calhoun creates worlds we are, at evening's end, reluctant to leave.... Most mesmerizing is Deanne Bray, who plays the somewhat-stern clinic director and the rubber-faced Bad Fairy richly and enchantingly. So we are late in noticing that Bray never speaks. Her roles are voiced by Erika Amato, whose singing instrument is astonishingly, gloriously full-bodied and whose characterizations are crisp and witty; they are two fine actors, magnificently paired here. --DANY MARGOLIES, Backstage West (Critic's Pick)

"Numerous characters in "Sleeping Beauty Wakes," as per Deaf West Theatre's company style, are acted and signed by one thesp while being spoken and sung by another. The melding of performances is seamless… All the Charles Perrault ingredients are here: princess's christening; uninvited Bad Fairy (a sultry, understated turn by Faye Dunaway look-alike Deanne Bray and superb singing partner Erika Amato); cursed spindle; pricked finger; hundred-year snooze… Husband-and-wife composers [Brendan] Milburn and [Valerie] Vigoda, two-thirds of the performing trio "Groovelily," apply a fine, uncluttered lyric sense to their beguiling melodies. Their specialty is character songs: Bray and Amato out-wicked "Wicked" in just two menacing numbers, "Uninvited" and "Wheel Goes Round." --BOB VERINI, Variety


"In a production so relentlessly demanding of the highest levels of performing virtuosity and producing coordination, there can be no single star but only an entire galaxy. Alexandria Wailes plays Beauty with radiant, quicksilver perfection and seductive grace. As her royal parents, Clinton Derricks-Carroll and Christia Manztke provide the endearingly misguided love that drives the story. Performing in multiple roles, Russell Harvard brings a gangly Jimmy Stewart type of romantic charm to Beauty's suitor; Troy Kotsur brings a George Carlin sort of goofiness to his pair of amorous adventurers; and Deanne Bray is exceptionally sympathetic both as a hard-boiled sleep clinic director who keeps wanting to melt and as a bad fairy. As a pair of insomniacs, Kevin Earley is irrepressible and adorable, and Erika Amato beautiful and silvery-voiced. --LAURENCE VITTES, Hollywood Reporter


_____________________________________________________________

Anything Goes - Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont, CA
September 29 - November 12, 2006

"From the moment Erika Amato (playing the glamorous nightclub singer Reno Sweeney) belted out her first song, I knew we were in for a great show. Her commanding presence and angelically bold voice gripped the audience, leaving them begging for more, which she obliged numerous times throughout the two-hour performance... Amato sang like she was singing to a packed crowd at one of the top theaters on Broadway. Equally astonishing in his performance [was] newcomer Jason Webb (playing the charming Billy Crocker)... Amato and Webb shone brightly and definitely stole the show..."
-- LA RUE NOVICK, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

"The Candlelight Pavilion's production of “Anything Goes” is really well done. The Bollinger's do not skimp on the sets, which are well-crafted and stylish. Nor do the people who run this theater hire just anyone for their productions. In this current production, directed by Douglas Austin, the role of Reno Sweeney is played by Erika Amato, who performs her role superbly. Her singing is exceptionally strong..."
-- MICHAEL QUIGLEY, Yucaipa News Mirror


"[Director Douglas] Austin said he couldn't be happier and feels blessed working with such a supportive production company, with his friend and choreographer John Vaughan, and multitalented actors and crew. However, casting the part of Reno Sweeney took some searching. After an open audition and hunting through piles of resumes, Austin found his Reno in Erika Amato. 'We knew we needed someone with charisma and star presence and must have a strong voice,' he said, noting she would play a role previously filled by such respected thespians as Patti LuPone and Ethel Merman, who originated the part. 'From the resumes we invited back eight ladies, but as soon as Erika walked in and started to sing I thought, 'That's it.' "
-- DIANA SHOLLEY, San Bernardino Sun


_____________________________________________________________

Erika had the pleasure of playing stage diva "Dorothy Brock"
in 42nd Street at the Welk Resort Theatre in Escondido, CA.
The production ran from June 9 - August 28, 2005.


North County Times
June 15, 2005
Welk's "42nd Street" Has Broadway Polish
by Charlene Baldridge

...The spirit of [director/choreographer] Champion ---- wistful, can-do and energized ---- hovers over the dynamite "
42nd Street" currently playing at Welk Resort Theatre. The dancing, singing "kids" are super, leggy and adorable, and they sound "swell" ---- a term frequently used in the period piece set in the Depression era.

...Other leading roles are played and sung so well that they are bound to satisfy even the most experienced musical theater fan. If this were a world-premiere musical bound for Broadway, one might even say there are some performances worthy of a Tony Award...

...Among the female show-stoppers is Erika Amato as the aging ingenue, Dorothy, who carries the torch for a guy named Pat (Jesse MacKinnon) while consorting with her sugar daddy (Ralph Johnson, very funny fuddy-duddy), who's financing the show. Amato's rich, low voice throbs with feeling...


-- CHARLENE BALDRIDGE, North County Times

Full review available here: NCTimes.com

********************************************

Backstage West
June 23, 2005

REVIEWS

42nd STREET
the Welk Resort Theatre (Critic's Pick)
By Rob Stevens

The Welk Resort Theatre...is doing a big-cast musical, albeit with a much smaller cast than normally seen in this show. When the curtain rises on those tapping feet—one of the most exciting openings for a Broadway musical—instead of dozens of hoofers, the Welk offers just an even dozen. But these talented kids tap their hearts and soles full out, and the result is still exhilarating.

Director-choreographer Jon Engstrom is very familiar with this show, having started as a featured dancer in the original Broadway production (1980). He has since directed countless award-winning productions of the show in the United States and Europe. He knows how to fill a stage and how to get the most out of his dancers. Kathryn Venverloh, Kelly Felthous, Laura Dickinson, Melissa WolfKlain, Erinn Selkis, Annette Desrosiers, Cory Bretsch, Brian Crum, Aaron Pomeroy, Brandon Davidson, and Travis Davidson give their all time after time in the big production numbers... A few characters have been compacted here to fit the cast of 19, most notably Jamie Torcellini doing terrific triple duty as dance captain, book writer, and chorus boy Andy Lee.

Erika Amato's big smoky voice makes her haughty diva Dorothy Brock a standout in such songs as "Shadow Waltz." Katie Wilson delivers the laughs as Maggie Jones and possesses a great big belting voice. Nicole Werner dazzles as Peggy Sawyer, the unknown from Allentown who goes on to save the show; Jacob ben Widmar sparkles brightly as Broadway's leading juvenile Billy Lawlor. These two make a great romantic duo, as well as great dance partners... Music director Justin Gray leads the four-piece band from the pit, and the score sounds simply great.

--Rob Stevens, Backstage West (Critic's Pick!)

Full review available here: Backstage.com


********************************************


San Diego Theatre Scene
"Curtain Calls"
June 23, 2005

LULLABY OF BROADWAY
by Pat Launer


As the director tells the wannabe star, “the two most glorious words in the English language [are] musical theater.” “
42nd Street
” makes you believe it...

The production is simply terrific. The choreography is inventive and unpredictable, and extremely well executed by a bevy of serious hoofers and tappers. It’s a delight to watch them effortlessly enliven tuneful tunes like the title song, as well as “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Go Into Your Dance,” “We’re in the Money,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” and “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me.” Great stuff. Wonderfully sung, too. The cast of nearly two dozen is outstanding.

Rich- and full-voiced Erika Amato is excellent as the egocentric diva du jour, the star of the Broadway musical who falls, breaks her ankle and is incapacitated just before the opening...

If you haven’t been to the Welk in some time, this is the one to watch. A delicious treat from start to finish. Toe-tapping optional, but unavoidable.

Full review available here: sdtheatrescene.com

*********************************************

San Diego Weekly Reader
June 23, 2005
Theater Review: 42nd Street
by Jeff Smith

'Julian Marsh is doing a SHOW!"

Broadway's backstage charmer actually began as a 1933 movie. Forty-seven years later, Gower Champion directed and choreographed the dancefest to the hilt and beyond -- and died on opening night, August 25, 1980. Among other virtues, 42nd Street may be the only American musical that can close Act One with a bona fide show-stopper -- "We're in the Money," tap-danced, à la Busby Berkeley, on dimes the size of bass drums -- followed by a bigger one: the title song. And then open Act Two with "Lullaby of Broadway." Now that's a hat trick!

No matter where Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics) rank in the composer-teams pantheon, which exists on some great scorecard in the sky, these songs advocate a higher plateau. They adore their subject with energy unleashed like few others.

...The first test of any "42nd Street" production comes right off the bat. The show opens with a splashy tap-dance "Audition," and if the chorus isn't clacking the floor as one, forget it. The Welk Theatre passes the test, and the others as well. Director/choreographer Jon Engstrom -- a featured dancer, and later dance captain, in the 1980 original -- has staged the musical many times. His expertise (you can feel a direct link to Champion) and some fine casting make for one of the Welk's better efforts in some time.

Young Nicole Werner, from the MFA program at SDSU, brightens the stage as Peggy Sawyer. Erika Amato makes Dorothy Brock a dour diva adept at torchy laments. Andrew Husmann, who starred last year in the Welk's Desert Song, does the impossible: he brings nuance, even some tongue-in-cheek humor, to musical theater's most one-note role: Julian Marsh. The strong-voiced Husmann even turns the producer's famous Gipper speech into a kind of music: "Sawyer. You're going out there a youngster. But you've GOT to come back a star!"

--Jeff Smith, San Diego Weekly Reader


____________________________________________________________________________

Here's what the critics had to say about
Paint Your Wagon
at the Geffen Playhouse:

Hollywood Reporter
December 06, 2004

Theater Review: Paint Your Wagon
By Ed Kaufman

With book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe,
"Paint Your Wagon" debuted on Broadway in 1951. And despite American
playwright David Rambo's updated version for the current production at
the Brentwood Theatre, the show is still old-fashioned -- in the very
best sense of the word.

Lerner and Loewe's score for "Paint Your Wagon" is one of their best,
and certainly ranks up there alongside their scores for "My Fair Lady,"
"Brigadoon," "Camelot" and "Gigi." When the story seems to falter and
lag, the words and music take over and all is redeemed. The trick is to
fill the stage with actors who can sing as well as act.

And savvy director Gilbert Cates has done just that. Aided and abetted
by the choreography of Kay Cole, the simple (and effective) painted sets
of Daniel Ionazzi, the lush and lovely costumes of David Kay Mickelsen,
"Paint Your Wagon" is awash with lots of onstage vitality -- all of
which underscores the words and music of Lerner and Lowe.

All is set in a makeshift gold mining camp near Sacramento and other
places in the West in 1852 -- the midst of the California Gold Rush.
"Paint Your Wagon" tells the story of widowed prospector Ben Rumson (the
talented Tom Wilson), his 16-year-old hoyden of a daughter Jennifer (the
delightful Jessica Rush) and a stage full of colorful gold prospectors,
saloonkeepers and shady ladies in a boomtown that is created when they
find gold.

When Jennifer falls in love with outcast Mexican Julio (Alex Mendoza is
first-rate) and runs off with him, Ben, the eternal wanderer, must
decide between searching for more gold or waiting for his daughter to
return -- and satisfying a deeper human need.

Stitching all this together is the glorious score of Lerner and Lowe
including "Wand'rin Star," "What's Goin' on Here?" "I Talk to the
Trees," "How Can I Wait?" "I Still See Elisa," "There's a Coach Comin'
In," "Another Autumn" and "They Call the Wind Maria." All sung
wonderfully well.

Outstanding support is offered by David Jennings (as Ben's sidekick
Ulysses), Rob Kahn (as angry Bull), Steven Hack (as merchant Salem),
Robert Alan Clink (as saloonkeeper Jake), Erika Amato (as Madame
Cherry), and Sharon Lawrence as once actress Lily Smith.

*****************************************

Variety
Dec. 2, 2004

Paint Your Wagon
By JOEL HIRSCHHORN

A world premiere adaptation of Lerner and Loewe's 1951 musical about the
California gold rush, this fresh conception by playwright David Rambo
("God's Man in Texas") improves considerably on Lerner's original book
and is infinitely superior to the labored, overblown 1969 film version. ...Gil Cates mines every bit of drama from the story and elicits several portrayals that are solid gold.

...High musical moments include "I'm on My Way," switching to different
people and pointing up their aspirations. "There's a Coach Comin' In"
demonstrates Frederick Loewe's flair for melodies that fasten firmly in
the mind even without benefit of reprises...every number is given its full rhythmic and harmonic due by Steve Orich's seven-man band and flavorful orchestrations.

...Kay Cole's musical choreography gives walloping impetus to
"Whoop-Ti-Ay," a spirited dance featuring the whole company. Cole
contributes seductive moves for the town prostitutes, cleverly
illustrating what they are... Lighting and scenery by Daniel Ionazzi are impressive, with constantly changing photos of miners that stress the bleakness of their struggle
and their environment. These photos furnish a documentary authenticity
that adds depth to the more lighthearted antics enacted onstage. By
inserting such realistic historical touches and sprinkling the tale with
humorous contemporary asides, Cates and Rambo have rescued the show from
obscurity and given it a lilting new lease on life.

***********************************

Backstage West:

December 08, 2004

Review: Paint Your Wagon
By Les Spindle

There are great expectations when a seldom-revived Broadway musical from the golden age gets a major facelift. This 1951 Gold Rush tuner boasts a lovely score from Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics), yet the property is seldom revived, due to Lerner's problematic book. Director Gil Cates and adapter David Rambo attempt to buck the odds by fashioning an intimately staged revival that fulfills the promise of the original concept. There's much to admire in this handsome and tuneful production...

The singing and orchestrations are boffo under Steve Orich's music direction, and Kay Cole stages the few remaining dance segments with zest. Spirited performances add to the pleasures. As the burly miner Ben, Tom Wilson gives a warmhearted portrayal, and his crooning of such ballads as "I Still See Elisa" is resplendent. Sharon Lawrence in the newly penned role of his boisterous new bride, a stage diva, is delightful. As Jennifer, Jessica Rush has the requisite pluckiness, and her segue to a more refined lady—a Lerner/Loewe tradition: Remember My Fair Lady and Gigi—is credible and captivating. Alex Mendoza, as the ambitious Mexican prospector Julio, is a charming leading man. The ensemble is exemplary, the choral numbers particularly vibrant. Cates elicits a breathtaking visual style, courtesy of Daniel Ionazzi's wonderfully textured scenic and lighting elements, highlighted by magnificent projected images, and Donald Kay Mickelsen's colorful costumes. Those with a pioneer spirit will concur that this promising revisionist effort can still be shaped into a Broadway bonanza!

____________________________________________________________________________

Erika played the aristocratic "Hippolyte"
in Moliere's The Bungler at West Coast Ensemble.
The production ran from May 28th through July 25th, 2004.

Some representative reviews:

Theater Pick of the Week - The Bungler

“In all the world was there ever a brain so dim?” asks Mascarille (Steven Einspahr), the conniving valet in Molière’s The Bungler, about his employer, the earnest Lélie (Joey Borgogna). Because Lélie pines for the lovely Gypsy Célie (C.B. Spencer), but cannot afford to buy her from her master, Trufaldin (Larry Lederman), Mascarille invents all sorts of schemes to obtain her on Lélie’s behalf, including robbing his friends, having rival suitors arrested and falsely reporting the death of Lélie’s father, Pandolfe (Pablo Marz). Lélie, however, fouls every plot. If it sounds simplistic, it is: The Bungler — L’Étourdi — is by a long shot Molière’s thinnest play. Not that it matters here. Under Jules Aaron’s crisply choreographed and imaginative direction, this company makes you believe the playwright wrote the script just to let actors practice their comic timing without distraction from his typical lessons about conscience and tolerance. It’s a gift this cast deserves: Spencer’s Célie is sweet but never cloying; her adversary, Hippolyte (Erika Amato), is biting but not shrewish; and the standard effete old men, Anselme (Dan Alemshah), Lederman’s Trufaldin and Marz’s Pandolfe, are the kind of perfectly tuned caricatures of the pre-Revolutionary French elite that would thrill the playwright himself. Borgogna’s unaffected credulousness makes you understand that Lélie’s bungling was not, to Molière, a fault: In a culture rife with deception, Lélie is too good to game his friends. Best of all is Einspahr, who sweats his urbane way through a hilariously physical performance and yet never mangles a syllable of genius translator-poet Richard Wilbur’s verse. It’s an absolute delight from start to finish, performed by a cast that works together as harmoniously as an orchestra: In true ensemble fashion, no actor ever completely leaves the stage. West Coast Ensemble, 522 N. La Brea Ave., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru July 25. (323) 525-0022.

--Judith Lewis, LA Weekly

***********************************

Now in its twenty-second year, an artistic gem of a theater, the West Coast Ensemble, consistently produces small but vibrantly genuine productions of the best quality. Their latest effort is no exception. Set in Messina, Italy of 1740, this version of "The Bungler" is an excellently appropriate translation from Moliere by Richard Wilbur.

The play revolves around Mascarille (wonderfully charismatic Steven Einspahr), the rascally clever servant to Lelie (portrayed with wide-eyed youthfulness by Joey Borgogna)...

...Along the way we are entertained by the delightful cast, including the likeable and effervescent Dan Alemshah as the foppish Anselme, beautifully charming CB Spencer as Celie, the inspired comedic performance of Erika Amato as the desperately lonely Hippolyte and a solid performance by Alex Kaufman as the dashing young Leandre, in what otherwise might have been a throwaway role. (In case you were worried, Hippolyte does end up with a true love of her own, Leandre.) Character actors Larry Lederman, Pablo Marz, Matt J. Popham and Gil Bernardi round out the ensemble quite nicely. From beginning to end, the acting is engaging, the direction impressively clever and the entertainment boundless. Everyone involved obviously enjoys doing the play…

Scenic Designer Tom Buderwitz and Costume Designer Shon LeBlanc do their usual magnificently professional work, creating a simple, versatile revolving set and beautiful period costumes. The whole spirit of the show is profoundly sincere and light-hearted, while maintaining an acute standard of refreshing professionalism. A guaranteed crowd pleaser, this production is highly recommended. If you want become a Los Angeles theater subscriber, this is absolutely the theater to join.

--Kate West, bluntreview.com


____________________________________________________________________________

Erika also played "Fay Templeton" in Fullerton Civic Light Opera's
hugely successful production of George M!, directed by Rob Barron.
The production ran from Feb. 19 through Mar. 7, 2004.

Some representative reviews:

"…a collage of vintage Cohan songs from the 1930s and '40s-exuberant paeans to showbiz pizzazz and national pride that have become beloved American standards. …Fullerton Civic Light Opera's mounting of this rarely revived property shapes up as a crowd pleaser.

…there are some fine song-and-dance efforts, most notably from the production's director, Rob Barron, as George's father; Cynthia Ferrer as George's mother; and Mara Davi as his sister. Erika Amato makes the most of her amusing role as a haughty prima donna, and Tracy Warren lends some welcome warmth to the shallow text as George's supportive second wife.

…When the cast members sang "I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune," the thunderous applause confirmed the crowd's wholehearted agreement."

--Les Spindle, Backstage West


"Glossy…colorful…grandly entertaining!

…Under Rob Barron's direction, the show has everything it needs, and then some. Barron himself portrays Cohan patriarch Jerry, but he obviously invested his energies into making every scene crackle with the excitement felt by the headliners of musical theater - both vaudeville and Broadway - of the late 19th and early 20th centuries…

Barron has gotten veteran triple-threat Randy Rogel in the title role and, from a musical standpoint, he can't be topped. A veteran of the Plummer Auditorium stage, Rogel's a sensational hoofer who can sing, clown and act up a storm. He's got the energy of Gene Kelly, the good cheer of Donald O'Connor and the natural charm of Dudley Moore. As the focus of the story (and nearly every musical number), he's an unforgettable presence.

…Rogel is surrounded by many talented women: Mara Davi as devoted sister Josie; Cynthia Ferrer as loving mom Nellie; Leslie Trayer-Harvey, reminiscent of Angela Lansbury as Cohan's first wife, Ethel; Tracy Warren, beaming with Irish-American warmth as Cohan's second wife, Agnes; and Erika Amato, using florid speech and overblown mannerisms for comic relief as temperamental Broadway diva Fay Templeton. And while it may not score points for accuracy, "George M!" is ultimately as triumphant as Cohan was in life.

--Eric Marchese, Orange County Regsiter

____________________________________________________________________________

Erika had another starring role playing "Wallis Simpson"
in the world premiere of Madly In Love,
a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre directed by David Galligan.
The production ran from Oct. 16 through Nov. 23, 2003.

Here's what the critics said:

"Amy Fritsche as Juliet, Mark W. Smith as Lancelot, and Erika Amato as Mrs. Simpson bring wonderful life to their roles..."

"The majority of the performances are winning and beautifully voiced, and David Galligan's direction is a visual delectation bursting with a droll sense of humor... worthwhile entertainment."

--Travis Michael Holder, Backstage West

"Walters and Amato both bring style and charm to the endeavor, not to mention lovely voices. Hall and Smith are similarly fine..."

--Terry Morgan, LA Weekly

"Of this motley crew only the Windsors ring true. Modeled on real characters, as opposed to fictional ones, Erika Amato and Bubba Dean Rambo bring flesh and blood to these world-weary spirits. As Wallis Simpson, Amato does a manic Charleston and bemoans the fact that she "gave up freedom and youth" for "a present to grow stale in." As her impeccably tailored consort, Rambo waits for "something to happen." In the meantime, they dance, very well indeed…"

"The players sing and dance with verve and talent. The gorgeous Guinevere has an exceptionally beautiful voice. The smirking Duchess of Windsor (Amato) is especially adroit, and her befuddled Duke is a likeable and believable partner…"

-- Cynthia Citron, Beverly Hills Outlook



Erika's Upcoming & Current Film Performances

Erika Amato is starring in a new independent film, A Couple of Days and Nights, by Los Angeles-based writer/director Vaughn Verdi. The film has just completed final editing, with an anticipated release in mid-2007.

For info, please visit www.acoupleofdaysandnights.com

Erika recently recorded vocals for the upcoming Disney feature, Enchanted, starring Susan Sarandon, Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. The film was directed by Kevin Lima and features music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. It is slated for a summer, 2007 release.

 



Archived news...

 

"Sunday in the Park with George" nominated for Ovation Award
The musical stage play, Sunday in the Park with George, which co-starred Erika Amato, was nominated for the prestigious Ovation Award for Best Musical, Smaller Theatre, 2003.
http://www.theatrela.org/ovation_awards.html

Erika goes on "Jeopardy" television show
After going on the TV show, "Win Ben Stein's Money," in 2002, and winning it all, Erika Amato qualified for "Jeopardy," and went on this brainiac game show in 2003. Although Erika did not win, she made a great appearance, and had a lot of fun. She, in fact, ALMOST won at the end. The show aired on July 10, 2003.

Erika Amato signs with Kazarian/Spencer & Associates.
In May, 2003, Erika signed with Kazarian/Spencer & Associates (KSA), a major bi-coastal theatrical agency. Their website is www.ksawest.com

Erika Joins West Coast Ensemble
In early 2003, Erika joined the West Coast Ensemble theater company in Los Angeles, and was promptly cast in their production of the the Pulitzer Prize-winning Stephen Sondheim work, "Sunday in the Park with George." The production ran from March through June, and has been nominated for a prestigious Ovation Award (for Best Musical - Smaller Theatre). For more info on West Coast Ensemble, please see: www.wcensemble.org

Erika Amato Nominated For O.C. Weekly Theater Award
Erika has been nominated for Best Performance in a Musical for her role in Nine. She is nominated alongside Misty Cotton for Laguna Playhouse's Spitfire Grill, Frederica Von Stade for Opera Pacific's Dead Man Walking, and Frank Tryon for The King at the Maverick. This catagory blends both men and women.

These annual theater awards are organized by Orange County Weekly magazine.

Click Here for article on these awards

Click Here to see the Program for the event

Orange County Register names its Best Performances of 2002
Erika was named one of the Best Performances of 2002 by the Orange County Register for her role as "Luisa" in Nine. Her production of The Sound of Music was also named one of the Top Ten Best Productions, due in part to its "first-rate Maria."
Click Here for article

 


To view photo archives of Erika's past productions, please CLICK HERE

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