Melissa van der Schyff

Melissa recently played the role of "Blanche Barrow" in the world premiere musical, "Bonnie and Clyde" at the La Jolla Playhouse. She received a 2009 Craig Noel Award (San Diego Theatre Critics Circle) for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.

"Bonnie and Clyde is lavished with talent....a piquant performance by van der Schyff, whose Blanche is perhaps even more helplessly in love with her man than Bonnie is with Clyde."
— Charles McNulty, LA TIMES

"...You wonder who'd ever want to shoot the irresistible Melissa van der Schyff's blithely pious Blanche... She leads the highly entertaining hair-salon rave-up "You're Goin' Back To Jail"
— SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

"As Blanche, Melissa van der Schyff looks, sounds and sings like a woman straight out of 1930s West Dallas and she's got pluck, humor and sass on top."
— NORTH COUNTY TIMES

"van der Schyff provides wonderful comic relief as Blanche, but she is never a caricature..."
—THEATERMANIA

" Personifying stand-by-your-man...Her musical exhortation "You're Goin' Back to Jail" is a comic highlight."
—CURTAIN UP

"Melissa van der Schyff is funny and rock solid, with plenty of growl in her voice, too."
—SAN DIEGO NEWS NETWORK

"....In a Dolly Parton-like voice, van der Schyff tells her woes quite convincingly through many songs and great acting conveying both the horror and bliss in loving Buck."
—DEL MAR TIMES

"One of the musical's most striking features: vocal authenticity...especially Melissa van der Schyff's wonderful Blanche, turn West Texas twang into a kind of music."
—SAN DIEGO READER

"Clyde's brother ...and iron fisted sister-in-law, Blanche (a superb Melissa van der Schyff), eventually join the gang...the story of their ill fated marriage is almost a play in itself."
—SAN DIEGO CITY BEAT

The world premiere musical "Bonnie & Clyde" comes from the the creative team of Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Civil War, Dracula), Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Dracula) and Ivan Menchell (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)— with a thrilling new score that combines rockabilly, blues and gospel music and is directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Big River, Pippin, Brooklyn).

Melissa starred as Catherine in the critically acclaimed Center Theatre Group/Deaf West Production of PIPPIN at The Mark Taper Forum.

"... an exceptionally eloquent, moving performance by Melissa van der Schyff." — HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Melissa van der Schyff finds the tentative yearning in Pippin's last love Catherine" — CURTAIN UP

Melissa starred on Broadway in the 2003 Tony Award Nominated Musical Revival of BIG RIVER in the role of Mary Jane Wilkes for which she received the prestigious Tony Honor for Special Achievement in Theatre along with her castmates. Her vocals were compared to Dolly Parton for her country number "You Oughta Be Here With Me" by the L.A.Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Daily Variety and a host of other reviews, confirming Melissa's ability to be a vocal chameleon.

"Melissa van der Schyff has a Dolly Parton-ish honeyed nasality that is ideally suited to the funeral lament 'You Oughta Be Here With Me,' a charming bluegrass pastiche..." — NEW YORK TIMES

"... singers such as Melissa Van Der Schyff (from the Broadway cast), ... have just the right country and gospel sounds to put it across..." — L.A. TIMES regarding the music of BIG RIVER

Other theatre credits include originating the role of Kayla in the World Premiere play BALLAD, for which she received a Dramalogue Award and an Ovation Nomination. Most recently Melissa appeared onstage at The South Coast Repertory, originating the role of Virginia and Clara in The World Premiere Musical AN ITALIAN STRAW HAT, at Center Theatre Group as Ginny in the new musical workshop of POST OFFICE by Michael Friedman and Melissa James Gibson and at The La Jolla Playhouse in the World Premiere musical ZHIVAGO by Tony Award Nominee Lucy Simon, as well as completing 13 episodes of the National Lampoon's Sketch Comedy series NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LEMMINGS in whcih she starred and wrote numerous comedy sketches and characters.