Amy McKenzie (born August 2, 1959) is an American producer, director, and actress. She is one of the founders of the
New Age Vaudeville theatre company and the Third Avenue Playhouse.
Biography
Career
McKenzie has worked and lived in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, where she has produced and performed for the stage and television. She co-founded the
New Age Vaudeville theater company as well as co-producing and directing their biggest cult hits, ''
An Evening With Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts, The Neighbors Next Door'' and ''
The TV Dinner Hour'', both written by
Richard O’Donnell and featuring herself, O’Donnell,
Megan Cavanagh, Todd Erickson, Bobby McGuire, Peter Neville, Michael Dempsey, Lisa Keefe, Caroline Schless,
Tom Purcell (writer for ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
'') and
Del Close.
Rick Kogan of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' hailed both productions as "Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive shows that won over critics and audiences alike."
McKenzie has directed and acted in numerous productions at the
Peninsula Players, America's oldest residential summer theater, as well as founding and producing their fall season in the early 1980s.
She was on the board of directors for the Peninsula Players (before, during, and after its restoration) for over a decade, and was Artistic Founding Director of the Third Avenue Playhouse
Third Avenue Playhouse
/ref> in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay is a city in Door County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the bay of Sturgeon Bay for which it is named, it is the most populous city o ...
, whereby she helped to convert an old movie house into a state-of-the-art performing arts theater.
In 1998, McKenzie produced and directed the new musical comedy ''Wish Wisconsin'', written by Richard O’Donnell to celebrate the state's 150th birthday. It opened on January 2, in the Fish Creek Town Hall Auditorium in Door County, Wisconsin
Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,066. Its seat of government is Sturgeon Bay.
It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. ...
. Songs included "Wish", "So Blessed", and the show-stopper "Oh!, Wisconsin".
Notable works
All credits are as producer/director, unless otherwise specified.
* '' An Evening With Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts, The Neighbors Next Door''
* '' The TV Dinner Hour ''
* ''Dr. FunnyBones’ Carnival of Life''
* ''Just Visiting'' (also co-writer)
* ''Wish Wisconsin''
Personal life
McKenzie is the daughter of Broadway theatrical producer James B. McKenzie.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Amy
1959 births
American theatre managers and producers
American stage actresses
American theatre directors
American women theatre directors
Living people
21st-century American women