Diane Phelan made her New York City debut at Lincoln Center in Michael John LaChiusa’s BERNARDA ALBA starring Phylicia Rashad, as the standby for Tony award winner Nikki James.
Raised as an expat in Taipei, she began her music studies early after admission into the preeminent school for musicians in Taiwan. It was completely in Mandarin. She went on to study voice and acting at New York University, mostly in English.
In the international arena, Ms Phelan has played the role of Maria in WEST SIDE STORY in opera houses across Europe and Asia, most notably at the Semperoper in Dresden and the Chatelet in Paris.
She also starred in the world premiere of the groundbreaking rock opera WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP directed by Robert McQueen (Mama Mia) and choreographed by Sean Curran (The Sean Curran Company) in Phnom Penh. It was filmed and televised nationally in Cambodia then banned by the censors before a third airing.
Stateside, Diane has performed with the first Broadway national touring companies of SOUTH PACIFIC (Lincon Center/Bartlett Sher), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE(playing 20+ performances as Miss Dorothy/Michael Mayer), as well as a national tour of THE KING & I as Tuptim.
Regionally, Diane made her Equity debut in the Los Angeles company of FLOWER DRUM SONG understudying the role Mei-Li originated by Lea Salonga. PaperMill Playhouse had been another favorite venue where she played Nimue in CAMELOT, several performances of Cinderella in CINDERELLA, and covered the role of Kim for their production of MISS SAIGON. She sang the role of Tuptim alongside Lou Diamond Phillips in THE KING & I at Casa Manana and Kansas City Starlight after having played it at Sacramento Music Circus and the Second national tour. Ms Phelan will be reprising that role yet again with the Lyric Opera of Virginia in December under the direction of Greg Ganakas.
A champion for new works, she created the role of Hana in HONOR, Pete Mill’s adaption of Shakespeare’s As You Like It set in feudal Japan. She received critical praise portraying the cross-dressing Roasalind character for the New York off-broadway run with Prospect Theatre Company. She worked with James Lapine on Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s new musical, THE NIGHTINGALE, as well as created the role of Belen in the new musical LONG SEASON with Tony winner Cady Huffman at Huntington Theatre directed by Peter DuBois.
As a producer and fundraiser, Diane produced a Broadway star-studded benefit raising over $17,000.00 for the China earthquake disaster relief efforts in 2008. She also produced the burlesque show DELUSCIOUS on Halloween, also of 2008, starring various members of the Broadway community.
Diane was so moved by her time in Cambodia that she has since raised over $3,000 for the organization Cambodian Living Arts. She wrote, produced and performed a cabaret benefit entitled DIARY OF AN AMBIGUOUSLY ETHNIC GIRL at The Duplex in New York City in 2009; and in August 2010, a concert of classic and new works performed in Phnom Penh.
In her free time, she writes a travel blog, studies photography, and likes to write music on her guitar.
Raised as an expat in Taipei, she began her music studies early after admission into the preeminent school for musicians in Taiwan. It was completely in Mandarin. She went on to study voice and acting at New York University, mostly in English.
In the international arena, Ms Phelan has played the role of Maria in WEST SIDE STORY in opera houses across Europe and Asia, most notably at the Semperoper in Dresden and the Chatelet in Paris.
She also starred in the world premiere of the groundbreaking rock opera WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP directed by Robert McQueen (Mama Mia) and choreographed by Sean Curran (The Sean Curran Company) in Phnom Penh. It was filmed and televised nationally in Cambodia then banned by the censors before a third airing.
Stateside, Diane has performed with the first Broadway national touring companies of SOUTH PACIFIC (Lincon Center/Bartlett Sher), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE(playing 20+ performances as Miss Dorothy/Michael Mayer), as well as a national tour of THE KING & I as Tuptim.
Regionally, Diane made her Equity debut in the Los Angeles company of FLOWER DRUM SONG understudying the role Mei-Li originated by Lea Salonga. PaperMill Playhouse had been another favorite venue where she played Nimue in CAMELOT, several performances of Cinderella in CINDERELLA, and covered the role of Kim for their production of MISS SAIGON. She sang the role of Tuptim alongside Lou Diamond Phillips in THE KING & I at Casa Manana and Kansas City Starlight after having played it at Sacramento Music Circus and the Second national tour. Ms Phelan will be reprising that role yet again with the Lyric Opera of Virginia in December under the direction of Greg Ganakas.
A champion for new works, she created the role of Hana in HONOR, Pete Mill’s adaption of Shakespeare’s As You Like It set in feudal Japan. She received critical praise portraying the cross-dressing Roasalind character for the New York off-broadway run with Prospect Theatre Company. She worked with James Lapine on Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s new musical, THE NIGHTINGALE, as well as created the role of Belen in the new musical LONG SEASON with Tony winner Cady Huffman at Huntington Theatre directed by Peter DuBois.
As a producer and fundraiser, Diane produced a Broadway star-studded benefit raising over $17,000.00 for the China earthquake disaster relief efforts in 2008. She also produced the burlesque show DELUSCIOUS on Halloween, also of 2008, starring various members of the Broadway community.
Diane was so moved by her time in Cambodia that she has since raised over $3,000 for the organization Cambodian Living Arts. She wrote, produced and performed a cabaret benefit entitled DIARY OF AN AMBIGUOUSLY ETHNIC GIRL at The Duplex in New York City in 2009; and in August 2010, a concert of classic and new works performed in Phnom Penh.
In her free time, she writes a travel blog, studies photography, and likes to write music on her guitar.
