BWW Previews: From Bocelli To Broadway! An Evening With CHAD HILLIGUS Is An Exciting Addition For The New Year At McCallum Theatre

The only American ever invited to join Australia's The TEN Tenors, Chad Hilligus makes his McCallum Theatre solo debut on Friday, January 20, at 8:00pm. "An Evening with Chad Hilligus" features a powerful program highlighting his international career with charming stories and standards from Bocelli to Bennett to Broadway. Chad will be joined by Musical Director Christopher Marlowe, along with international soprano Lauren Jelencovich and other featured guests.

Growing up in Kansas City, Chad discovered his love of music at an early age through school choirs, musicals, local theatre productions, and statewide vocal competitions. After high school, Chad moved to Chicago to study music at Olivet Nazarene University. He also holds a Master's degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Utah and completed additional operatic studies in France and Italy.

As a 2009 Pierson Fellow with San Diego Opera, Chad appeared as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte and recreated the title role in a new opera, Rumpelstiltskin. His other operatic credits include A Waltz Dream (Lyric Opera of San Diego), Madame Butterfly (Sarasota Opera), Faust (Tulsa Opera), The Merry Widow (Lyric Opera of Kansas City), Gianni Schicchi (Chelsea Opera), Il Trovatore (Nashville Opera) and La Bohème (Ash Lawn Opera). Equally at home on the musical theatre stage, Chad has performed leading roles in Show Boat, Bye, Bye Birdie, Hello, Dolly!, Oklahoma, State Fair, Godspell, Sound of Music, Street Scene, and the national tour of Scrooge: The Musical.

Chad gained international recognition starring as Tony in the 50th Anniversary World Tour of West Side Story. His performance as Tony with the Tokyo NHK Symphony was televised nationally throughout Japan.

In 2011, a fortuitous phone call changed everything. Due to Australian union regulations, the producers of West Side Story were forced to recast for the upcoming six-month run in Australia. The Aussie actor hired to replace Chad in the role of Tony was handpicked from Australia's chart-topping crossover group The TEN Tenors. With an opening in The TEN Tenors' lineup, Chad's manager seized the opportunity. Two weeks later, Chad became the only American to ever be invited to join the multi-Platinum group.

During his three years with The TEN Tenors, Chad performed an average of 250 shows a year and appeared on many of the world's great stages, including the McCallum Theatre alongside Chris Mann and Katherine Jenkins.

Chad Hilligus has performed in over twenty different countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Chad left The TEN Tenors in 2014 to pursue a career in performing arts management and returned, once again, to the McCallum Theatre. As a producer, Chad has directed and collaborated with icons such as Lucie Arnaz, Alan Cumming, Florence Henderson, Gavin MacLeod and Lily Tomlin, among others.

Last McCallum season, Chad wrote, produced and directed Carol Channing's 95th Birthday: In Celebration of a Broadway Legend. This stellar star-studded tribute concert received national acclaim and included performances by many of the industry's top artists and Broadway's brightest stars.

Chad frequently appears as a solo artist at concert venues across the country and recently released his latest recording project - a full-length solo album entitled Take Cover, which is currently available on iTunes.

Lauren Jelencovich (featured vocalist) is currently on tour with Yanni as his featured vocalist and can be seen and heard on his DVDs, CDs, and PBS Specials, including Yanni: Live at El Morro! Lauren is featured on his album Inspirato, singing Usignolo" (Nightingale) alongside artists Plácido Domingo and Renèe Fleming. She made her Off-Broadway debut in The Music Teacher and appeared in Opera Theatre of St. Louis' production of A Little Night Music, directed by Isaac Mizrahi. She has performed at venues including Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the Santa Barbara Bowl. Lauren was the winner of Ed McMahon's "Star Search"and Andrea Bocelli's World Scholarship. She has been featured in People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" and Teen Magazine. Lauren is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and her solo album, Wildest Dreams, is available on iTunes.

Christopher Marlowe (Music Director) was the recipient of the 1996 Manhattan Association of Cabaret's award for Music Director of the Year. He has music directed, arranged and co-produced over fifty albums for more than thirty different vocalists. Christopher has conducted, arranged and recorded with Kathie Lee Gifford, worked on a pre-Broadway one-woman show with Bernadette Peters, music directed David Zippel's "All Girl Band" at Joe's Pub and "It's Better With a Band" at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia.

In 2013, he music directed and played for Elaine Paige's first U.S. concert tour and music directed "Marvin Hamlisch: They're Playing His Songs" at the Cape Playhouse in Massachusetts and at the McCallum Theatre. Christopher returns to the McCallum this season to music direct "One Night Only: Hello, Jerry!" in April. He has performed on "Good Morning America," "The TODAY Show," " Live with Regis and Kathie Lee," "The View," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," "Late Night with David Letterman," "American Idol," at Carnegie Hall, and twice at the Clinton White House.

Ticket prices for this performance are $67, $47, $37 and $27. Tickets are available at the Theatre's website at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-ARTS.

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