BIO
Amy Coleman is a singer, actress, writer, director, teacher, producer, and psychotherapist. She is co-founder of The Drama Desk-nominated New Yiddish Rep. Coleman has acted in the company’s productions of Death of a Salesman, Awake and Sing, God of Vengence, and Di Froyen.
The Early Years
Amy’s career began at open mikes in cabarets and clubs in NYC. There, she met and collaborated with the late Brian Lasser, the renowned cabaret musical arranger, on Face to the Wall, a cabaret piece set to the words and music of Lennon and McCartney. Face to the Wall played to sold-out audiences at Don’t Tell Mama in NYC and won Amy two Best Vocalist of the Year awards in Backstage Magazine. Amy then opened for The late Jackie Mason at Dangerfields in NYC.
Amy’s regional theater credits include the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Audrey 2 (the Voice of the Plant ) in Little Shop of Horrors, and the Gypsy Queen in Tommy. She played Janis Joplin in the original Off-Broadway production of Beehive at The Village Gate.
Downtown Theater
Amy has worked in the NYC downtown scene at such internationally renowned theaters as La Mama, etc., where Tony Award winner Andre DeShields directed her in a production of Kiss Me When it’s Over. Coleman also performed at Theater for the New City and toured Europe with the satirical political troupe the Hot Peaches, featuring Marsha P. Johnson.
Italy
While touring with the Hot Peaches in Italy, Amy met and collaborated with Italian composer Enzo Fillipelli. The Italian Impresario Adriana Toman produced a tour for them, and they performed in opera houses, stadiums, open-air concerts, and on radio and TV throughout southern Italy. Coleman and Fillipelli recorded a CD of Enzo’s compositions entitled Only Sleep Brings Dreams. Years later, Amy and the Italian band Texaco Jive created a Christmas concert that toured the spectacular churches of Southern Italy. The band also played numerous gigs and outdoor festivals in Rome.
The Blues Years
In the late 90s and into the 2000s, Amy was the lead singer for The Flamin’ Amy Blues Band. She and her bandmates were staples at the Dan Lynch Blues Bar, a mecca for local and national blues acts. Later, she and her husband David Mandelbaum, a producer, actor, and artistic director of The New Yiddish Rep, founded the all-women’s blues band, Sweet Potata. The band recorded Soul Kiss, a CD of original songs. Sweet Potata toured throughout the East Coast, opening for Richie Havens and Buster Poindexter. They appeared on the CNBC TV variety show America’s Talking. The band performed in Austria at international Blues Festivals and toured throughout Austria.
The last Session
After Sweet Potata broke up (don’t ask), Amy returned to the theater. She spent the next three years originating the character of Vickie in the Off-Broadway hit The Last Session, which began its run in NYC and ended at the prestigious Tiffany Theater in LA. Amy and her cast mates received a Glad Award for Best Ensemble Performance. Amy is featured on the Last Session cast album.
Albums
Coleman has recorded two solo albums, Flame On and Goodbye New York, featuring her original songs. Her albums have been streamed on independent and internet radio stations worldwide and have garnered rave reviews.
Directing and Teaching
Amy’s directing credits include Yosl Rokover Speaks to God, Savage in Limbo, The Vagina monologues and many Cabaret acts. She has been a singing and acting coach for many years and has worked as a visiting theater artist in the New York public school system.
Playwright
As a playwright, Amy’s play, Crazy Meshugge Hurricane Earthquake, was produced by New Yiddish Rep at the iconic Theater for the New City. Coleman is currently working on several projects and hopes to have them produced in the near future. In 20023, Amy was invited to participate in the prestigious Sewanee Writers Conference, wherenshe was mentored by the playwright David Adjmi, whose play, the Tony-nominated Stereophonic, is currently on Broadway.
Therapist
Amy is a psychotherapist licensed in New Jersey.