Erika Amato

Although Erika is probably still best known as the award-winning lead singer of the alternative band Velvet Chain, (who garnered a large cult following through their appearances on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and soundtrack album), she is also an accomplished professional actress, working consistently on the theatrical stage as well as in TV and film. Having recently relocated to NY from LA, Erika is happy to report that she is thriving in the highly competitve NY theatre scene. Her NY theatrical debut as "Hesione" in Triumph Of Love at the Astoria Performing Arts Center (April 25 - May 11, 2008), was met with great critical acclaim, as was her Off-Broadway debut performance as "Berta" in the World Premiere musical Signs Of Life at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre (Feb 16 - Mar 21, 2010).

Up next, Erika heads off to the Fireside Theatre in Wisconsin to play the "Fairy Godmother" in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (May 6 - June 27, 2010).

Of all her recent credits, by far the most technically challenging was her role as the Voice of the "Clinic Director/Bad Fairy" in the World Premiere of the American Sign Language musical Sleeping Beauty Wakes at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, CA. Not only did she provide a voice for the wonderful deaf actress Deanne Bray in the show, but she also had to learn enough ASL to be able to sign her own role as the "Night Terror Patient/Royal Servant." Erika's work was recognized with both an Ovation Award nomination (for Featured Actress in a Musical) and a Garland Award Honorable Mention. Sleeping Beauty Wakes was a co-production of Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre, and featured an extremely talented cast of both deaf and hearing actors.

Some of Erika's other credits include: "Elsa Schraeder" in The Sound Of Music (Fireside Dinner Theatre), "Bo Peep" in Toy Story - The Musical (Disney Workshop), "Karen" in (In)Fidelity (WOW Cafe Theatre), "Miss Jones" in How To Succeed In Business... (Fireside Dinner Theatre) "Betty Haynes" in Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Welk Resort Theatre of Escondido, CA), Sunset Boulevard at the Hollywood Bowl (starring Betty Buckley and Len Cariou), "Reno Sweeney" in Anything Goes (Candlelight Pavilion - Inland Theatre League Award nominee), "Dorothy Brock" in 42nd Street (Welk Resort Theatre), the "Snow Queen" in the original musical, The Snow Queen (Disney Workshop - music by Alan Menken), a "Marseillaise"-singing French bar patron in the Actors' Fund Benefit reading of Casablanca at the Pantages Theatre (starring Christian Slater and Anne Heche), Cherry/Sarah in Paint Your Wagon (Geffen Playhouse), the Evil Queen/Hag in Snow White - An Enchanting Musical (Disneyland Resort), Hippolyte in The Bungler (West Coast Ensemble), Fay Templeton in George M! (Fullerton CLO), Wallis Simpson in Madly In Love (Odyssey Theater), Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof (Starlight Musical Theatre), Yvonne in Sunday in the Park with George (West Coast Ensemble - Ovation nominee for Best Musical), Maria in The Sound of Music (Saddleback CLO), and Luisa in Nine (Chance Theater - OCWeekly "Best Performance in a Musical" nominee, named one of the "Top 10 Best Performances of 2002" by the Orange County Register).

Television and Film credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bringing Up Jack, VH-1's Sparkle Lounge, Quantum Leap, starring roles in the indie features A Couple of Days and Nights and Smack (among others), and as a featured singing voice in the Danger Rangers TV series on PBS and the Disney feature film, Enchanted, starring Susan Sarandon, Amy Adams, and Patrick Dempsey.

Erika is a proud graduate of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she received her B.A. with both General Honors and Honors in Drama.

For more info about Erika's work with Velvet Chain, please visit the band's official website: www.velvetchain.com.