Highlands Little Theatre - Melanie Boulay

P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525

Melanie Boulay - 18 years of HLT involvement: 25 roles, 11 Zenons, 7 time director, a consistent toppler of records, most recently honored with both The Janelou Buck Significant Achievement Award and the rare Life Member Award
By: Roy Riedy

Melanie Boulay started her career at HLT when she was a 7th grader in the March, 1987 presentation of Fiddler on the Roof as one of the younger villagers of Anatevka. By November of that year, she had transmogrified into Fraulein Fritzie, a headliner at Berlin's Kit Kat Klub in Kander and Ebb's Cabaret. In April, 1992, Melanie, now a senior in high school, played the role of Fanny Brice in HLT's April musical Funny Girl, a role that brought her the first of her eleven Zenons, a Zenon for Best Actress. Between playing "Fritzie" and "Fanny" she played Louise in Carousel, a horse in Man of La Mancha, a songful Siamese in The King and I, a panhandler in Sweet Charity, Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a servant in My Fair Lady, Ermengarde in Hello Dolly, Gurtie Cummings in Oklahoma!, Claire Booth Luce in Little Shop of Horrors, Pat in The Seven Year Itch, Gloria Upson in Mame, and one of the voices of Sonia in They're Playing Our Song, besides also having solo appearances in the three intervening Zenon Ceremonies. In November, 1994 she played the part of Louise in the Sondheim musical Gypsy, and the following October collected her second Zenon for Best Supporting Actress for that role.

Melanie's directing experience started as Frank Oberhausen's assistant in the historical musical 1776 presented in April of 1995 and in 1996 she again assisted Frank Oberhausen in his presentation of Fiddler On The Roof. In October of 1996 she assisted Jet Hansen in the nostalgic musical Forever Plaid which won a third Zenon for her direction and choreography; in January, 1997 Melanie directed her first show, To Kill A Mockingbird. She followed this success ("Mockingbird" won four Zenons) with her direction of The Wizard of Oz in November, 1998 which swept away nine Zenons at the following Awards Ceremony and tied her with Frank Oberhausen's 1996 edition of Fiddler on the Roof which until then held the record for the most decorated play. Frank Oberhausen made this honor a three way tie in 2001 when his celebrated production of The King and I also amassed nine Zenons.

Mel was Jet Hansen's assistant director again for Noises Off, in August, 1999, and the following August she directed the Dickensian musical Oliver! which won a Zenon for her assistant director, Jennifer Westergom, for her directing and choreography. Once again Ms. Boulay assisted Director Jet Hansen with On Golden Pond in November, 2000, which awarded her with her fourth Zenon as Assistant Director. At the 17 Annual Zenon Ceremonies in August of 2002, Melanie won her fifth Zenon for Best Direction of Peter Pan which won a total of eight awards and put the play in second place for winning the most awards presented to a show, second to her first place tie with Frank Oberhausen's shows.

Since her great success as Louise in Gypsy, Melanie has charmed HLT audiences with her portraits of Gigi in the musical of the same name, Paula in The Goodbye Girl, Tzeitel in HLT's third edition of Fiddler on the Roof, Grace in Annie II, and Maria in the second presentation of The Sound of Music.

Somehow Melanie has been able to be the Treasurer and Vice President of HLT for one term each and sung solos at Zenon Ceremonies eight more times. At the Fourteenth Zenon Ceremonies she was proposed to, on stage, by her future husband, Tim; and for the past four years they have been the proud parents of a superior baby boy Patrick who now has a brother Riley who was born in November, 2003.

During 2002 Melanie's name was associated with Anthony's Lounge. Melanie and Beverly Padgett also directed the fifth edition of the Unity In The Community Productions Sounds Of the Season - A Holiday Music Review, which was presented at South Florida Community College Auditorium in December 2002.

At the Nineteenth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremony, Melanie was awarded two more Zenons, the first for the Best Set Design which she shared with Jennifer Westergom, director of the play that won the award, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and a second Production/Technical Zenon for her work as assistant director, sound assistant and technician, and set coordinator of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This talented lady is not only a winner, she's also inexhaustible.

In June, 2005, Melanie appeared in her Twenty-fifth role as Agnes in Jet Hansen's revival of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones' unique two person musical, I Do! I Do!. The day before the opening of the play at the June, 2005, HLT General Membership Meeting, she was awarded, by unanimous vote, the enviable distinction of an HLT "Life Member." This recognition was just a prelude to the many more honors that were showered on her at the 20th Annual Zenon Ceremonies in early October.

Melanie left the October, 2005 Zenons with four more awards. She was awarded, with her co-director Jennifer Westergom, Zenons for the Best Director, Best Play, and Best Set Design of the 31st Season for their revival of the musical Cabaret. That musical now holds the honor of winning the most Zenons of any play presented at the Lakeside Playhouse, 14 out of a possible 15. Melanie's fourth Zenon at the October ceremonies was the prestigious Janelou Buck Significant Achievement Award for her years of outstanding service to Highlands Little Theatre. Ms. Boulay now possesses 11 Zenons and is in seventh place in the ranks of the members who have been awarded multiple Zenon Awards.

Congratulations Melanie, you have truly earned each and every one of your eminent honors for the multiple contributions you have made to the vitality and fortunes of Highlands Little Theatre. I'm not alone in thinking that there are many more tributes to come. You've proved that you are "Unsinkable" but I also have the distinct impression that you are "Unstoppable."

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