Elizabeth Earley - Biography
I owe it all to a hula skirt, a story record called Tina the Ballerina, and the movie Annie. I put on the hula skirt whenever company came to our house, professed my undying devotion to becoming Tina (and to marry Night Rider, Elvis Presley, or my first cousin Mark—-eew! Mark, I love you, but not like that). SOMEONE finally put me in dance class (it wasn’t Mom or Dad, but my babysitter). Although I haven’t directed yet, I did direct an impromptu live production of Annie around the girl scout campfire at age 5. I gave many other embarrassing performances back then, but some stories are better left untold!Training
Dance: I began studying dance at age 4 eventually taking up classical ballet, lyrical, jazz, tap, modern and dance improvisation. Training programs include Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet NYC (Scholarship through Trinette Singleton), The Paul Taylor Studio, STEPS on Broadway (Full Scholarship), The Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware, Ballet Theatre Pennsylvania, Brandywine Ballet, The Dance Center in West Chester, PA (where I later taught a range of students in various disciplines), Harrisburg Dance Conservatory, and Harrison’s Dance Studios. Early performances spanned from TV episodes of The Al Alberts Showcase to ballet solo variations under the coaching of Lupe Serrano.
Voice: At 14 I trained with Cal Brackin at The Clydn Center in West Chester, PA with whom I studied till beginning college at New York University’s Tisch School of The Arts for Drama. Once in school I attended at The Collaborative Arts Project of the 21st Century/ “CAP21” (two years attendance). In junior year I was accepted into NYU’s Transfer Track of The Experimental Theatre Wing (ETW) which I followed with a year of Classical acting training under Louis Scheeder, Artistic Director of NYU’s The Classical Studio where we solely studied Classical Theater (Shakespeare primarily).
Early Pro Work
After getting my BFA in Drama, I went on to perform, choreograph, and direct cabarets at The Forestburgh Playhouse (two seasons), Shawnee Playhouse, Hersheypark, The Media Theatre, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse (performing and serving as Dance Captain for 9 shows!); overseas on two Holland America Cruiseships including performances at The Athens Summer Olympics of 2004 (MS Ryndam and MS Rotterdam: Cast Singer/Dancer Lead Singer & Manager).
Pavement-Pounding
In October 2005 I played Luisa in The Fantasticks for The Skyline Theatre under the director Kate Swan. Sam Scalamoni (Founder of The Skyline) offered me my Equity card in a Las Vegas and Baltimore production of Beauty and The Beast. Following this I returned to MGR for their 2006 season as well as acting as Dance Captain for The Music Man at The Fireside Theatre.
In the Fall 2006, I became involved with an emerging musical performing the role of Mrs. Robbins in the workshop and recording of Jonathon David Sloate’s The New Picasso (www.blackforestproductions.com: a brilliant new composer). In November I worked on a Procter & Gamble commercial as a pregnant mom (ask me about my haunted hotel story: “Clip-clop”). Somewhere along the way in Fall 2006, and somehow, I inherited 15 dance classes in NJ and CT: Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Ballroom, and…Irish Step—-say whaa?
2007 consisted of lots more teaching and taking classes to re-vamp my audition songbook with VP Boyle (www.maxtheatrix.com…an OUTSTANDING teacher!). I decided to try The 30 Days/ 30 Classes Challenge at Bikram Yoga NYC (that hot yoga stuff—110 degree heat) and actually completed it (that was crazy)! After freelancing with Champagne Showgirls(www.champagneshowgirls.com) and Incognito Artists (UK) (www.incognitoartists.com) I played Tiger Lily in Peter Pan at MGR Playhouse in upstate NY. Returning home to NYC I had planned to be teaching at The Professional Performing Arts High School and a dance school in CT while choreographing in upstate NY, but was steered in an alternate direction when I booked Andrew Lloyd Webber’s USA Premiere of ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ as Female Swing and Dance Captain. While on the road, I taught many cast members group and private lessons for fun. I have, since, had the giddy pleasure of seeing students book Broadway shows, national tours, and regional theater using their dance skills!
At the close of Whistle Down the Wind in 2008, I began studying voice with Carolann Page and coaching with VP Boyle, taught dance lessons, and was diagnosed and cured of Lyme Disease (no joke…watch out for ticks!). Performing-wise, I had the pleasure of joining The Broadway All-Stars onboard the MS Pride of America in Hawaii and also onstage at Sacramento Music Circus in Evita. 2009 included the enormous blessing of performing in Ragtime at The Kennedy Center, playing Cassie in A Chorus Line, and studying at The Jen Waldman Studio back in NYC.
As for 2010, I am thrilled to include a new adventure with the tour of Mary Poppins.
“I heart NY”…concrete, rats, fare hikes and all.
Elizabeth is a proud member of The Actor’s Equity Association and continues to train, audition, teach, and perform.
Agent Contact:
Judy Boals
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307 West 38th Street Ste. 812 NY, NY 10018
(212)500-1424
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