Susan Henley
“Mabel Mercer is considered the greatest of all cabaret singers. Her greatest gift: every time she sang, she told us the piercing truth — good and bad — about love. Susan possesses the same kind of instinct for how to “sell” a song as Mabel Mercer did.” David Ferry, actor, director, dramaturge, AD Appledore Productions
Susan brings to the stage decades of experience as an actor at Soulpepper (Spoon River), Stratford (Irma La Douce), the Charlottetown Festival (Anne of Green Gables), Mirvish (Hairspray), and YPT (The Princess and the Handmaiden) to name but a few.
Education
- Music, Bachelor of Independent Studies, Dickenson State College, North Dakota
- Drama, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), University of Alberta
Special Skills
- Jazz/Tap/Ballet
- Horseback Riding
- Figure Skating
- Fencing
- Stage Combat
- Dialects (Proper, Cockney, Irish, North Country, Southern States, French, Italian, Slav)
- Yodeling
Theatre
| ANNE OF GREEN GABLES | Marilla | Charlottetown / Adam Brazier |
|---|---|---|
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Mrs. Fezziwig | Soulpepper / Michael Shamata |
| SPOON RIVER | Elsa | Charlottetown,Soulpepper, Albert Schultz |
| EVANGELINE | Isabella, Kate | Charlottetown, Citadel, Edmonton/Bob Baker |
| LAST CHANCE ROMANCE | Mother, Gloria | Drayton Festival Theatre |
| CANADA ROCKS | Susan | Charlotte Town / Annie Allen |
| EVANGELINE | Isabella, Kate | Charlotte Town / Annie Allen/Ted Dykstra |
| ANNE OF GREEN GABLES | Mrs. Lynde | Charlottetown / M. Kash |
| GUYS AND DOLLS | Adelaide | Segal Centre / Diana Leblanc |
| THE SOUND OF MUSIC | Mother Abbess | Citadel Theatre / Bob Baker |
| CINDERELLA | The Stepmother | The Grand Theatre / Heather Davies |
| NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY | Lead | Talk Is Free Theatre / Adam Brazier |
| CALENDAR GIRLS | Chris / Marie u/s | M.T.C / Royal Alex / Marti Maraden |
| LET THE LIGHT IN | Susan | Magnus Theatre / Bryden MacDonald |
| THE PRINCESS AND THE HANDMAIDEN | Maggie | YPT / A. MacInnis |
| LAKE NORA ARMS | Lead | Factory Theatre / L. Balkan |
| BOEING, BOEING | Bertha | Stage West / J. Warren |
| BROADWAY TREASURES | Susan | The Red Barn Theatre / J. Merkur |
| HAIRSPRAY | Velma | First USA National Tour / Jack O’Brien |
| HAIRSPRAY | Velma | Princess of Wales / Mirvish Productions |
| BLYTH SPIRIT | Mrs Bradman | Atlantic Theatre Festival / Marcia Kash |
| INTO THE WOODS | The Witch | Atlantic Theatre Festival / Jerry Etienne |
| THE JONI MITCHELL PROJECT | Featured | GCTC Ottawa / B MacDonald |
| HARVEST MOON RISING | Olive | Theatre Orangeville / David Nairn |
| JACQUES BREL … | Woman | NAC / Winter Garden / Elly Stone |
| DORIAN | Rhonda | Dir. – T. Dykstra |
| COMPANY | Sarah | Jane Mallet / Anne Wooten |
| HOT FLASHES | Janet | Blythe Festival / David Ferry |
| THE HOUSE OF MARTIN GUERRE | Wisewoman / S.Bernarde | Canadian Stage Co. / D. Petrarca |
| THE GREATEST GIFT “A Fairy’s Tale” | Queen / Lillith | Theatre Orangeville / Diana Leblanc |
| ROUGH CROSSING | Natasha | Centaur Theatre / John Bourgois |
| CLOSER THAN EVER | Woman #1 | Y.P.T. / Marcia Milgron-Dodge-’91-’92 |
| IRMA LA DOUCE | Irma LaDouce | Stratford Festival / Jeff Hyslop |
| SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL | Ensemble | Stratford Festival / Robin Phillips |
| THE COMEDY OF ERRORS | The Courtesan | Stratford Festival / Richard Monette |
| ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL | Diana | Stratford Festival / Peter Moss |
| KISS ME KATE | Lois Lane | Stratford Festival / Donald Saddler |
| OTHELLO | Amelia (U/S) | Stratford Festival / John Neville |
| CABARET | Helga / Sally Bowes (U/S) | Stratford Festival / Brian MacDonald |
Film & Television (selected)
| CRAWFORD | Mrs. Langille | CBC / Mike Clattenburg |
|---|---|---|
| SAVING HOPE | Julie Stone / Principal | CTV / Ion / James Genn |
| CHANNELED LIVES | Clara / Principal | Nick Butler |
| HAIRSPRAY (THE MOVIE) | Ensemble | New Line Cinema / Adam Shankman |
| RELIC HUNTER | Marj / Principal | Pebblehut Productions / Jeff King |
| SNAP JUDGEMENT | Myra / Principal | Hearst Entertainment / Alan Metzger |
| GUILTY HEARTS | Dr. Imber / Principal | Dan Wigutow Prod. / Dan Wigutow |
| D.C. | Maria Deluca / Principal | Dick Wolf Films / Scott Paulin |
| THE SANDY BOTTOM ORCHESTRA | Marion Sykes / Principal | Showtime / Brad Wigor |
| THE THIRD MIRACLE | Sister Margaret | Franchise Pictures / A.Holland |
| MORE TEARS | Hooker | CBC / K.Finkleman |
| REAL KIDS, REAL ADVENTURES | Debbie | All American / D.Williams |
| GOOSEBUMPS | Andrew’s Mom | Fox / Brian Hebb |
| LONG KISS GOODNIGHT | Church Lady | Newline Cinema / Renny Harlin |
| DANGEROUS OFFENDERS | Police Women / PP |
Workshops
| FIRST WIVES CLUB | Cynthia | Mirvish Productions / Simon Phillips |
|---|---|---|
| LES BELLES-SOEURS | Thérèse Dubuc | TheatreTwenty / René Richard Cry |
| CLUB LAFAYETTE | Babs | Soulpepper Theatre Company / Workshop |
| THE MIRACLE MAN | Estelle | Canstage / Annie Allan |
| OUTRAGEOUS | Margaret Conner | CanStage / Brad Fraser |
| THE SEUSSICAL | Ensemble | Livent / Frank Galati |
| THE MIRACLE MAN | Estelle | Canadian Stage / A. Allan |
| UNION | ACTRA, UBCP, EQUITY |
|---|---|
| CONTACT | Glickman / Alexander Talent Management |
Patti Loach
“Thanks again for putting my work out into the world so conscientiously and with such musicality” – John Bucchino, composer
“… show music rendered with a grace, subtlety and craft that could put many an art song or opera accompanist to shame.” John Terauds, Musical Toronto
Patti has been playing the piano since she was six.
She is a grateful product of the vocal (alto) and instrumental (clarinet) music programs offered by Scarborough’s Public Schools; a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto (A.R.C.T. Performance), and of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Music).
In addition to loving classical music, she’s mad for the American Songbook and Musical Theatre.
Patti’s recordings, “Carmen UnZipped” and “Pull Me Through”, as well as her work in shows like “The Shopping Cart of Love” (with Patricia Zentilli), “The Picture of Happiness” (with Brad Hampton), “Love, Longing and Lunacy” (with Lindsay Sutherland Boal), “Some Women” (with Janice Hawke) and PS: Patti and Susan (with Susan Henley) reflect her love of music written for singer with pianist.
Patti has written five shows including “What Was I Saying?” and “Carmen UnZipped” which she performed around the world with opera diva Jean Stilwell.
Patti loves to listen to jazz and to jazz piano, in particular. Some of her favorite pianists are Glenn Gould, Alex Rybeck, Hélène Grimaud, Mike Renzi, Bill Evans, Gene Di Novi and Bill Charlap, i.e. pianists from the varying worlds of classical music, jazz, musical theatre and cabaret.
Patti lives happily and busily with her beautiful, trumpet-playing husband John in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto, just around the corner from Glenn Gould’s childhood home. When they’re not making their own music or hosting salons and soirées for musician and actor friends, they record other singers and instrumentalists in the studio they’ve built in their kitchen.
Websites
CDs
- Carmen UnZipped with Jean Stilwell
- Pull Me Through with Patricia Zentilli
- The Voice Next Door with Marcus Nance: guest artist on “Fanette”
Shows
- PS#1 and PS#2: (as performer) with Susan Henley
- Some Women: (as performer) with Janice Hawke
- Patti with an ‘i’ and Patty with a ‘y’ (as performer): with Patricia Zentilli
- The Shopping Cart of Love (as performer): with Patricia Zentilli
- The Picture of Happiness (as music director, performer): with Brad Hampton
- Conversations at 3 a.m. (as pianist): Lindsay Sutherland Boal
- Love, Longing and Lunacy (as pianist): Lindsay Sutherland Boal
- Love and Life (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
- Here’s To You (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
- Carmen UnZipped (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
- Not Exactly Paris (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
- What Was I Saying? (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell