CHRYSSIE WHITEHEAD - PERFORMING ARTS - MASTERCLASSES
PASSING IT ON!
CHILDHOOD
Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Chryssie grew up dancing with the Columbia City Ballet and Southern Strutt dance studio competing nationally. Her love for musical theatre began at the age of 10 years old when she got cast as an orphan in ANNIE. Her training would continue in the summers' in Los Angeles and in New York at the Edge dance studio and Broadway Dance Center. During adolescence she also performed in A Chorus Line at Workshop Theatre. She pursued more theatre in her high school drama program at Richland Northeast, as well as modeled with Millie Lewis Modeling & Talent agency.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN..
Her career of 20 years started as a Rockette and got her first start in film as a dance double in Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles. Chryssie then went on to schooling in New York at The American Musical Dramatic Academy (AMDA) where she majored in musical theatre. After school, Chryssie went on to work in Los Angeles in theatre, television, film and in New York on Broadway as an actress, dancer and singer sharing the stage with stars such as Neal Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone, Stephen Colbert and Mel B.
CAREER
After the Rockettes, Chryssie began her first touring job in the 1st National tour of Fosse. Chryssie can be seen in the hit documentary, Every Little Step, where she was featured landing her Broadway Debut in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line as Kristine, heard also on the cast album in "Sing" with Tony nominated actor, Tony Yazbeck (On the Town). Her last role on Broadway was Kitty in CHICAGO where she went on to perform the lead role of Velma as an understudy. One of her favorite New York theatre role's included Kathy in Company opposite Neal Patrick Harris, as Bobby, at Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic Orchestra (Now on DVD in PBS's Great Performances).
ACTRESS
FEATURED CREDITS
A career for over 20 years...
BROADWAY & NEW YORK THEATRE
CHICAGO - Kitty, US Velma (Performed the role)
COMPANY - Kathy filmed live at Lincoln Center
A CHORUS LINE - Kristine on Revival Soundtrack
The Radio City Rockettes - New York
REGIONAL THEATRE/TOURS:
Damn Yankees - Lola
A Chorus Line - Cassie
CATS - Bombalurina
Gigi - Liane
The Will Rogers Follies - Z's Favorite
The Producers - 1st National Tour
FOSSE - 1st National Tour
TELEVISION:
Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, Castle, The Mentalist, Warehouse 13, Man up, Switched at Birth , Melissa & Joey, In Plain Sight, The Tony Awards, Ellen, Jay Leno
FILM:
WEST SIDE STORY (2020)
Directed by: Stephen Spielberg
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
(ABC Family TV Movie with Raven Simone
Every Little Step (Documentary on casting of A CHORUS LINE, Broadway Revival) The Producers, Save the Last Dance, Farm Girl in New York
Lucky Stiff .
COMMERCIALS:
Schweppe's, Sears, Kraft, Subway, Apple, Country Inn & Suites, Sleep to Live & Alltel.
MASTERCLASS TEACHER
Chryssie has worked as a proud faculty member and adjudicator for AMDA College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, www.amda.edu, since 2005, where she is also a graduate. There she crosses over divisions teaching in musical theatre performance, acting on camera, audition technique and all styles of dance, including directing/choreographing for final showcases and dance workshops.
She is a former adjunct lecturer at UCLA teaching theatre dance for two years, as well as a faculty member at the California Dance Institute and National Dance Institute teaching in public elementary schools. Chryssie can also be seen on the dance convention, VERVE, where she will be returning for her 3rd season this summer In Dallas, Texas with Marcea Lane & Caroline Lewis Jones. She has also taught at the acclaimed Edge Dance Studio in Los Angeles for many years.
Chryssie co-founded a musical theatre arts education company with her best friend of 20 years in the business, Broadway Arts Community. She travels all over the globe teaching masterclasses in dancing and musical theatre. Contact Chryssie here for masterclasses at your studio.
From January 2018 - May 2019, Chryssie Whitehead-Disbrow stepped into the role of a full time performing arts school teacher on the Cherokee Reservation, grades 6 -12th where she directed SHREK, ALADDIN, JR. and INTO THE WOODS. It was an honor and a privilege to shine a light on all the students' gifts to help build their performing arts program with their director, Michael Yannette. In 2020, she will return to direct and choreograph their production of HAIRSPRAY.
DIRECTOR/ CHOREOGRAPHER
GREASE (Choreographer)-
5th Avenue Theatre
Seattle, WA
JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS (Ass. Director)
ACT Theatre
Directed by: David Armstrong
Seattle, WA
BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Choreographer)
Western Carolina University
Directed by: Hunter Foster
NC
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (Director)
5th Avenue Theatre's "Rising Star" Project
Re-staging Bill Berry's Main Stage
Seattle, WA
NOW WHAT?! (Director)
AMDA Graduation Showcase
New York
INTO THE WOODS (Director) -
Cherokee HighSchool, NC
ALLADIN, Jr. (Director/Choreographer) Cherokee Middle School, NC
CAMELOT (Choreographer)-
Biola University, CA
SHREK (Director/Choreographer) -
Cherokee High School , NC
Represented by: Darlene Kaplan Entertainment
818-448-2879
currently and coming up!
BAC SUMMER INTENSIVE: AUGUST 1ST - 9TH, LOS ANGELES, 2020
She loves being Co-Founder/Director of The Broadway Arts Community with long time best friend after meeting on the national tour of FOSSE in 2001, Alexis Carra. This training based intensive occurs for 8 days in Los Angeles every summer, as well as now venturing out to more cities in 2019 for IN-STUDIO INTENSIVES and ONE DAY WORKSHOPS. Register on our site below. Ages 7-11 for BAC, JR. and 12 - 15 and 16 + for our SUMMER ROOTS EXPERIENCE in LA.
ART GALLERY OWNERS
Chryssie married her best friend and favorite person to laugh and hang out with, Mr. Craig Disbrow at the end of 2017. They live in New York City, as well as have a home in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains where they first met in North Carolina. They joined their admiration for visual arts and started a new business together, C&C ARTHOUSE, as the sole art dealer for the artist, Sven.
DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER
Director/Choreographer
* CHICAGO - Portsmouth Academy of Performing Arts
Opens January 9th!
*HAIRSPRAY - Cherokee High School
Opens May 7th - 10th