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Klea Blackhurst is an American actress. She is best known forEverything the Traffic Will Allow, her tribute toEthel Merman that debuted in New York in 2001. Among many accolades, this production earned her the inaugural Special Achievement Award fromTime Out New York magazine. The recording ofEverything the Traffic Will Allow was named one of the top ten show albums of 2002 by Talkin' Broadway.com.
Klea next turned her passion for musical-theatre history toward the Broadway career of composer Vernon Duke and debuted Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke’s Broadway at New York’s Café Carlyle which subsequently played a sold-out engagement at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater.
In the Fall of 2007 Klea teamed withBilly Stritch to create Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael which they debuted at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Room. This performance received a Backstage Bistro Award. The recording ofDreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael was released in October 28, 2008.[1]
Klea’s many concert appearances include the recent London Palladium presentation of “Jerry Herman’s Broadway.” She made herCarnegie Hall debut starring with Michael Feinstein in an evening devoted to the work of composer, Jule Styne. In 2002, Klea made her London debut (stage, radio and television) at Royal Albert Hall. As part of the BBC Proms, she sang the role of Ado Annie in a special concert version ofOklahoma! celebrating composer Richard Rodgers centenary. She returned to London the following spring to debut Everything the Traffic Will Allow at the Greenwich Theatre. Other notable appearances include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s tribute to Leonard Bernstein; The Paley Center for Media’s tribute to Kay Swift; Jazz at Lincoln Center; 92nd Street Y Lyrics & Lyricist Series (Leo Robin & Cole Porter); TheOak Room in theAlgonquin Hotel; San Francisco’s Plush Room; New Jersey Performing Arts Center; Guild Hall in East Hampton; and multiple appearances at the Chicago Humanities Festival.
Klea's theatre credits include Mama Morton inPioneer Theatre Company’s production ofChicago; the dual roles of Bernice/Marilyn in the Off Broadway production ofBingo; Nails O’Reilly Duquesne inRed, Hot and Blue at San Francisco’s42nd Street Moon; Sally Adams inCall Me Madam, also at 42nd Street Moon; Reno Sweeney inAnything Goes at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven; Debbie in the original Off Broadway production ofOil City Symphony; Rennabelle inRadio Gals Off Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre; and the role of Hippolyta inBy Jupiter in the York Theatre’s Musicals in Mufti series.
Klea made her screen debut in the award-winning short film,Andy Across the Water, written and directed by Leo Geter.
Klea’s television and radio appearances includeThe Caroline Rhea Show,The Rosie O'Donnell Show,Sesame Street,Law and Order: SVU, andA Prairie Home Companion. She currently has a recurring role as derangedNancy Grace parody "Shelby Cross" onThe Onion News Network onIFC.
Klea’s recordings ofDreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael,Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke’s Broadway, andEverything the Traffic Will Allow are on the Ghostlight Records label are available at www.ghostlightrecords.com. Other recordings on which she is featured includeJule Styne in Hollywood on the PS Classics label; the original cast recordings ofBingo andRadio Gals;Lost in Boston IV,Unsung Irving Berlin, andThe Best of Off Broadway.[2]
Blackhurst was born and raised inSalt Lake City, Utah.[3]