West Windsor resident Colleen McMahon Skillman will play Sheila Bryant, a sexy, aging dancer who tells of her unhappy childhood, in Kelsey Theater’s upcoming production of “A Chorus Line.” The musical opens Friday, April 27, followed by a reception with the cast and crew.
“A Chorus Line” is the musical for anyone who has ever had a dream and put it all on the line to make it happen. Seventeen dancers audition for a Broadway musical that could be the chance of a lifetime. The show provides a poignant glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
The original 1975 Broadway production of “A Chorus Line” was an unprecedented box office and critical hit, receiving 12 Tony Award nominations and winning nine of them, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for drama. It became the longest-running production in Broadway history until it was surpassed by “Cats” in 1997.
Born in Trenton, Skillman was raised in Hamilton. She began her dancing career at Stewart Johnson Dance Academy when she was four. Her dance teacher, Isobel Johnson, encouraged her to go to New York City often and Skillman was enrolled in the American Ballet Theater School when she was seven. She also danced with Princeton Ballet and appeared in “The Nutcracker” at McCarter Theater.
Her first professional experience was in the ballet of “Sleeping Beauty” that was televised live from Lincoln Center. She then appeared in Metropolitan Opera’s “Falstaff.” She performed as a singer and dancer in Atlantic City’s “Hollywood to Broadway” and “Salute to Swing,” and was the featured performer in “The Follies Bergere” at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. Skillman opened for Shirley Maclain, Harry Belafonte, Donna Summer, and the Manhattan Transfer on Monte Carlo’s Sporting Club stage. In 1993 she appeared as one of the Minsky Girls in the film, “Gypsy” starring Bette Midler as Mama Rose. She later starred in “Rhythm and Rhyme” on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager cruise ship.
Skillman has studied vocals with coaches in New York City, Los Angeles, and with Richard Loatman of Trenton. “My voice also got better with experience,” she says.
Her parents, Marty and Loretta McMahon, have always been her biggest fans. “They sacrificed so much to run me into New York as a child and have been in the audience for every show I have ever done,” says Skillman. “My husband’s parents, Bob and Susan Skillman, are a wonderful help by babysitting my little ones so I could go to rehearsals.” Skillman has already reserved close to 30 seats on opening night for her friends and family.
She and her husband, Bob Skillman, attended Steinert High School. They did not date in high school but met up years later in New York City. She was working as a lounge singer at the Trump Plaza and he was with clients. “I was singing on the piano when he came in,” she says. He is a sales director with FXALL, a provider of institutional electronic foreign exchange trading solutions in New York City. They married in 2005 and moved to West Windsor. “We were both working in New York City but it was close to the train and we loved the school system,” she says.
Their daughter, 6, attends WW-P schools, dances at Stewart Johnson Dance Academy, and is on the gymnastic team at Discover Gymnastics Academy. Their son, 4, is in preschool and has just begun to study martial arts.
Members of the cast also include Rachel Tovar of Plainsboro as Vicki, and Kyrus Keenan Westcott of Plainsboro as Richie. Frank Ferrara of West Windsor, the director of the show, also portrays Zach. His wife, Shannon Ferrara, a music teacher at Village School, is the vocal director.
Skillman is also a licensed Zumba instructor who teaches classes at Mercer County College and the Hamilton YMCA. “I haven’t done this much dancing in years,” Skillman says. “This is my first community theater experience and the staff and cast are wonderful.”
— Lynn Miller
A Chorus Line, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Friday, April 27, to Sunday, May 6. Musical about 17 dancers who have a dream to dance on Broadway presented by Playful Theater Productions. For mature audiences. $18. 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.net.
