Michael E. McKelvey
Michael E. McKelvey comes to CMU from Colorado where he recently created the musical theatre program for Fort Lewis College and founded Durango Theatreworks. This is his second turn in Pittsburgh having previously supervised the voice program for COPA at Point Park University as an Associate Professor of Musical Theatre.
He began his academic career as an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Music Department/Director of Musical Theatre at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. He also spent six years the Artistic Director of Summer Lyric Theatre in New Orleans, a professional theatre housed at Tulane University. While at Tulane, he also served as the interim director of the BFA musical theatre program.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael’s career as a teacher, performer, stage and music director, and producer has taken him across the U.S. As a performer, Michael began his vocal studies as an aspiring rock singer, but pivoted to opera at the urging of his first voice teacher. He has gone on to perform opera, operetta, oratorio, musical theatre, cabaret, plays, as well as returning to rock and blues on occasion. Some of the companies he has performed with include Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, Stage Right, Dallas Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Dallas Lyric Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, Shreveport Opera, Austin Playhouse, Austin Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Three, Deep Ellum Opera Theatre, and the San Antonio Symphony.
About twenty years ago, he transitioned out of performing to concentrate on pursuits as a stage director, music director, producer, and arts administrator. During this period, he started his own production company, Doctuh Mistuh Productions, which specializes in lesser-performed and fringe musical theatre. He also co-founded Summer Stock Austin, an award-winning theatre company/educational program, which provides tuition-free training and all around theatrical opportunities for high school and college students. In addition, he created The Story Road Project, a touring theatre troupe which brought live theatrical experiences to the young people in the at-need areas of New Orleans.
As a stage and music director, he has worked with companies such as Le Petit du Vieux Carre, Summer Lyric Theatre, The Storyville Collective, Penfold Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Playhouse-Conservatory and Playhouse Jr., Interlakes, Prime Stage, Durango Arts Repertory Theatre, Rivertown Performing Arts, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Austin Playhouse, Zilker Theatre Productions, Mary Moody Northern Theatre, and TexArts. Recent stage directing credits include: “Hand to God,” “Reefer Madness” (DART); “Lizzie The Musical” (B. Iden Payne Award, Outstanding Musical and Director), “Matilda” (ZPT); “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,” “Cabaret,” “Nevermore,” “The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe,” “Eurydice,” “Sweeney Todd” (FLC); “A Christmas Carol-A Radio Play,” “Heathers The Musical,” “Joseph and the…Dreamcoat” (Durango Theatreworks); “Hand to God” (Big Easy Awards, Outstanding Play and Director), “Reefer Madness” (DMP/Storyville); “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “My Fair Lady,” “Ragtime” (Big Easy Award, Outstanding Director), “Big River” (SLT); “Hunchback of Notre Dame” (Big Easy Award, Outstanding Musical, JPAS), “White Christmas,” “Something Rotten,” and “The Last Five Years” (LPT).
Dr. McKelvey earned his DMA from the University of Texas at Austin, M.M. from Southern Methodist University, and B.M. from Cal State University at Northridge. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance Journal Alliance Journal and Secretary of the MTEA Executive Committee, and a proud member of Stage Director & Choreographers Society.