chrisse roccaro
AEA/AFTRA/SAG
actor • singer • teacher • stage • radio • television • film
Chrisse Roccaro’s career as a character actress, singer and teacher, performing for stage,
radio, television, and film, has spanned more than 25 years in Portland and New York.
Recent appearances have included Fr. Schneider in Cabaret; Grandmother in Women &
Wallace; Saulina/Sally in Old Money at Profile Theatre; Monica Murray in By the Bog of Cats;
Mother in Da; Judy/Ginger in Ruthless; and Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, for which she won
a 2003 Drammy Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Actress in a Supporting Role and a 2003 OTAS Award for Best Actress in a Play. She created the role of
Aunt Concetta in La Famiglia:Who Stole My Dead Husband?
Recent directorial credits include No Way To Treat A Lady, Quilters, Cabaret and Donizetti’s
one-act opera, Rita. She musical directed the premier of “Can’t Say I Do” for Key Productions
(January 07) and was vocal director for Urinetown:The Musical at Portland Community
College (March 06).
curriculum vitae
Chrisse Roccaro
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Marylhurst University, 1973
Vocal Study in Salzburg, Austria with Elizabeth Peter-Schoenauer, 1971–72
Other teachers include Sr. Claudia Foltz (OR), Mary Saunders (NY), Bill Shuman (NY),
Susan McBerry (OR)
Master Classes — Gibner King; Wesley Balk; Martha Schlamme
Piano Study — More than 10 years, most recently 1969-73 with Sr. Lucie Hutchinson
(Marylhurst College)
Acting Study — HB Studios (NY), Martha Schlamme (NY), Lyn Tyrrell (OR)
Dance Study — (Ballet; Jazz; Tap; Middle Eastern with various instructors), 1968–Present
Tae Kwon Do — Janet Galen (NY), 1981–84 Improvisation, Puppeteer — Kay Lee’s
Playbox Players, 1969–1979
TEACHING/ARTS EMPLOYMENT
Choir Director, Vox Angelis (women’s chorus), Lewis and Clark College — 2002
Music Teacher (sub), St. Mary’s Academy — 2001
Teacher of Singing (private studio) — 1994–Present
Adjunct Voice Teacher, Portland Community College — 1994
Teacher — Children’s Theatre, The Walden School, NY — 1985
Teacher/Co-Director, Children’s Summer Program, Trinity E. L. C., NY — 1979
Teacher (Pre-school; Children’s Theatre), Actor, Puppeteer, Administrator — Kay Lee’s
Playbox Players, 1969–1979
Classical/Contemporary Singer — 1973–Present
Member of Veriditas, Women’s chorus conducted by Joan Szymko — 2001
Choir Director, Organist, Trinity Ev. Luth. Church, NY, total two years in 1980’s
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TEACHING/ARTS EMPLOYMENT continued
Choir Director, Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1973–74
Musical Director, St. Mary’s Academy Theatre Department — 1995–2001
Musical Director, Central Catholic High School Theatre Department — 1996/7
Musical Director, North Clackamas Community Theatre – 1997
Musical Director, Clackamas Community College Theatre Department — 1993
Musical Director/Co-owner/Producer – Slabtown Theatre Co. — 1975-78
Consultant to the Theatre Department, Overlake School, Redmond, WA — 1998
Choreographer, Fiddler On the Roof; South Pacific – Portland Area High Schools
Director, Dames At Sea — The Production Co., Portland — 1979
Freelance Voice Actor, Stage, TV, Screen Actor, 1973 — Present
Bookkeeping/administrative posts in business and the arts
MUSICAL/VOCAL DIRECTOR
Assemble, prepare, conduct orchestra; prepare soloists and chorus; provide additional chorus
arrangements as needed.
NW Children’s Theatre — “The Little Mermaid” (Prescott Elementary School Play Lab)
Key Productions — “Can’t Say I Do” — 2007
Portland Community College — Urinetown: The Musical — 2006
Classical Greek Theatre at Reed College (Medea, Prometheus Bound) — 2003, 2004
St. Mary’s Academy — The Mystery of Edwin Drood; West Side Story; Theatre Tonight!;
Anything Goes; My Fair Lady; The Sound of Music; Annie!; Into the Woods
Central Catholic High School — Into the Woods, The Lorax
North Clackamas Community Theatre — Bye Bye Birdie
Clackamas Community College — Into the Woods
The Production Company — Dames At Sea (also director)
Slabtown Theatre — Slabtown Follies; John Brown’s Body (arranger; composer)
University of Salzburg English Club — Gallows Humor (director)
DIRECTOR
Same Time Next Year — Portland Civic Theatre Guild
Rita; Scenes From Mozart — Lewis & Clark College Opera Theatre — 2006–07
Where In The World Is Santa? Vivace Voices/Fireside Carolers
Cabaret — River Theatre
Quilters — Coaster Theatre
No Way To Treat A Lady — Coaster Theatre
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
St. Mary’s Academy — Audition Workshop; 1996 Career Day
Lewis & Clark College — Guest Lecturer, Musical Theatre Workshop
chrisse roccaro
PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES
Musical – Lyric Soprano Legit/Belt
Cabaret — Fr. Schneider — Geva Theatre Center; Rochester, NY
Cabaret — Standby for Fr. Schneider — Portland Center Stage
Vivaldi’s Gloria — Alto Soloist — Cannon Beach Chorus
Haydn’s Paukenmesse — Alto Soloist — Cannon Beach Chorus
La Famiglia: Who Stole My Dead Husband? — Concetta
Fireside Carolers — Co. Member since 2002
The Promise - Mother — (created role in new chamber opera by Theresa Koon)
Ruthless — Judy/Ginger — River Theatre
Spitfire Grill — Hannah — Lakewood Theatre Co.
Music Man — Mrs. Paroo — Oregon Symphony Pops
Carousel — Nettie Fowler — Lakewood Theatre Co.
Guys and Dolls — General Cartwright — Oregon Symphony Pops
Cabaret By Chrisse — The Old Church, Portland – 1995–96
What Isn’t There — Marta — New Music Visions NW (World Premier)
My Fair Lady — Mrs. Pearce — Oregon Symphony Pops
Sticky Trouble — Tanya the Spider — The Haven Project, Portland
We’re Throwing A Ball Tonight! — Don’t Tell Mama Cabaret Club, NYC
Daniel Boone! — Rebecca Boone — Theaterworks USA, NYC
Suffragette! — Flora Drummond — Trinity Theatre, NYC
Mr. Scrooge! — Mrs. Dilber — Trinity Theatre, NYC
When the Stars Begin To Fall – Miss Polly Mizell — Emmanuel Theatre, NYC
Robin and Marion — Marion — ASCAP Songwriters’ Workshop, NYC
Song Recital — New York City Public Library
No Way To Treat A Lady — 5 roles — Portland Repertory Theatre
A…My Name Is Alice — 5th Actress — Oregon Stage Company
I’m A Stranger Here Myself — Company — Oregon Stage Company
Blue Plate Special — Della — Triangle Productions
Same Boat Brother! — Company, Assistant Director –— Artists Repertory Theatre
Dames At Sea — Joan — SRO Portland
Company — Marta — SRO Portland
110° In the Shade — Lizzie — Portland Civic Theatre
Jacques Brel — Company — Portland Civic Theatre
How To Succeed — Smitty — Portland Civic Theatre
A Little Night Music — Desiree, Madam Armfeldt, Charlotte, Liebeslieder — PCT Guild;
Lakewood Theatre
Feiffer’s People — Company — Lakewood Theatre
Guys and Dolls — Miss Adelaide — Portland
Oliver! — Nancy — Portland
Kay Lee’s Playbox Players — Actress, Puppeteer, Teacher — Portland
Non-Musical
Women & Wallace — Grandmother — Readers Theatre Rep
Actor — What I Heard About Iraq
Old Money — Saulina/Sally — Profile Theatre Company
By the Bog of Cats — Monica Murray — CoHo Productions
Da — Mother — Lakewood Theatre Co.
Blithe Spirit — Madam Arcati — Lakewood Theatre Co.
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PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES continued
Non-Musical continued
Holiday Kids Concerts — Mrs. Santa (1997–00) — Oregon Symphony
Beau Jest — Miriam — Portland Repertory Theatre
Young Playwrights Festival — various — Portland Repertory Theatre
Everyman — Strength — Emmanuel Theatre, NYC
The Diviners — Norma — Trinity Theatre, NYC
The Knack — Nancy — Slabtown Theatre, Portland
The Importance of Being Ernest — Miss Prism — Slabtown Theatre, Portland
John Brown’s Body — Marylou Wingate — Slabtown Theatre
Falling Apart — Marilyn — Slabtown Theatre
Three Sisters — Anfisa — SRO Portland
The Skin of Our Teeth — Sabina— Portland
The Crucible — Mary Warren — Portland
Trojan Women — Andromache — Portland
TELEVISION
Love Is Strange (with Kate Nelligan) Lifetime/Hearst Entertainment
Nowhere Man (with Bruce Greenwood) UPN
Medicine Ball FOX
Movin’ On NBC Commercial, Industrial, Voice-over, Interactive — list available upon request
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, National Board Member for Portland;
former President of Local (10+ years)
Screen Actors Guild, Portland Branch Council Member Actors Equity Association
Mu Phi Epsilon (Music Sorority — voluntary withdrawal)
ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL HONORS
2003 — Drammy Award/Supporting Actress — Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit
2003 — OTAS Award/Best Actress — Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit
1973 — Marylhurst College, Cum Laude
1972 — Mu Phi Epsilon Solo Contest
1972 — NATS Solo Contest
1969 — State Solo Contest 1968 — All Northwest Choir
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Dougy Center For Grieving Children — Volunteer Facilitator since 1997
Bump In the Road Theatre Co. — Grief Project 2002 — Actor
President, Portland Civic Theatre Guild 2006–2007
Chair, Advisory Board — Sabin-Schellenberg Center Media Communications Program