Melissa Errico Hits All The Right Notes

If one were to ask Melissa Errico what she did today, they should expect to hear a long list of activities.

The words “juggling,” “whirlwind” and “passionate” immediately come to mind when thinking of the busy singer, actress, wife and mother of three young children—Victoria, age 6, and twins, Diana and Juliette, age 3½—especially now that she’s preparing for her first solo show at Guild Hall, which stages on Sunday, and getting ready to star in the Classic Stage Company’s off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s Tony Award-winning musical “Passion” this coming February.

Two weeks ago, Ms. Errico was on stage in Washington, D.C. with Marvin Hamlisch to sing Gershwin songs. From there, she went straight to sound check in Southampton for a charity performance in support of the Southampton Historical Society and “Pianofest.” Last weekend, she served as narrator for the Hampton Ballet Theatre School’s performance of “Peter and the Wolf” at the Montauk Playhouse. The singer also recently finished a series of sold-out engagements at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan.

“I love bringing people together, making them laugh, being super honest about what a juggle life is,” she said while catching a brief respite from her busy routine (which included driving her children to Hampton Bays to watch the animated film “Brave”) last Friday.

Ms. Errico, along with husband Patrick McEnroe and their family, summers in Sag Harbor and visits year-round. She has deep roots on the East End—both her parents and her husband’s parents are longtime residents, as is her husband’s brother, John. The chanteuse/Broadway performer and her husband of 13 years—whom she’s known her whole life, she said—actually fell in love here years ago when she was working at Bay Street Theatre.

“I feel like I grew up here,” she said during an email exchange last month. “I started singing there when I was starring in ‘My Fair Lady’ on Broadway and staying in Tony Walton’s home.”

And Guild Hall, which she said has her heart, will be a special treat for Ms. Errico.

“It’s going to be a thrill to make my solo debut,” she said. “I am really looking forward to an exciting night at Guild Hall with fantastic songs and all my craziest stories.”

For her “An Evening of Song: Legrand, Broadway and Other Things You’ve Asked For” show at Guild Hall on Sunday, Ms. Errico is working with renowned director Richard Jay-Alexander, who is Barbra Streisand’s concert director and has worked with a laundry list of the most notable entertainers of current times—Bette Midler, Betty Buckley, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and Ricky Martin to name a few—and musical director John Oddo, who is best-known as Rosemary Clooney’s musical director.

“He has really made me realize that there is no better time than the present to really give 100 million percent,” Ms. Errico said of Mr. Jay-Alexander. “I can see why someone like Barbra Streisand doesn’t let him go.”

Mr. Jay-Alexander, who gave a telephone interview last Thursday while house sitting in Los Angeles for Ms. Chenoweth, who is on the mend after being struck by lighting equipment on the set of “The Good Wife,” returned the complement given by his friend of many years.

“This has been a wonderful thing to watch her blossom,” he said. “Her voice has never been better. She’s singing with healthy abandon. I just sat there crying at Joe’s Pub, it was that good. This has been a joy to watch her emancipation and this new chapter.”

The show at Guild Hall is going to include songs from film musicals, classic Broadway tunes and selections from her new CD, “Legrand Affair,” the songs of Michael Legrand and produced by Phil Ramone. There will also be a bit of storytelling and sharing of moments from Ms. Errico’s busy life.

“There’s not one song that’s not going to be a masterpiece,” she promised. “Plus a little glamour, a little craziness; and I’m going to be doing it in 6-inch heels,” she laughed. “The heels are the hard part!”

But, Ms. Errico said the while the show is going to be “a little wild,” it’s also going to be respectful to the music and the talents that created it. And her personal imprint is definitely strong in this one-night only show.

“We’re going to have a great time. I want to make it a party with blissful music,” she said. “I can be glamorous. I can be a train wreck. I can wear high heels. I can shoot for the stars. Richard taught me all that. He has helped me choose these incredible songs to show where I’ve been in my career.”

“I can promise you that this is going to be a really, really entertaining show. It’s a bit of a glamorous evening, an enchanting evening,” Mr. Jay-Alexander said, breaking into the song “Some Enchanted Evening” and laughing. “There will be a lot of laughs and an insider’s view of show business and the craziness of volleying a career as a wife, actress and mother of three kids. She’s got plenty to say and it’s bursting forth on the stage; it’s a slam dunk and I’m so proud I could cry from pride.”

Melissa Errico will perform “An Evening of Song” at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Sunday, August 5, at 7:30 p.m. A VIP reception and CD signing will follow the show. Tickets range from $45 to $60 for the show and are $100 for the show and reception. For reservations, call 324-4050, (866) 811-4111 or visit guildhall.org or theatermania.com.