Amy McKenzie (born August 2, 1959) is an American producer, director, and actress. She is one of the founders of the

New Age Vaudeville New Age Vaudeville was an American professional theater troupe founded by Richard O'Donnell (playwright), Richard O'Donnell and Amy McKenzie, and was part of the Chicago comedy boom of the 1980s. History Peninsula Players' Comedy Cabaret In New ...

theatre company and the Third Avenue Playhouse.

Biography

Career

McKenzie has worked and lived in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where she has produced and performed for the stage and television. She co-founded the

theater company as well as co-producing and directing their biggest cult hits, '' An Evening With Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts, The Neighbors Next Door'' and ''

The TV Dinner Hour ''The TV Dinner Hour'' is an American sketch comedy review written by Richard O’Donnell, directed by Amy McKenzie, and performed by the New Age Vaudeville theater company in Chicago. History Glidden Lodge resort ''The TV Dinner Hour'', has a b ...

'', both written by Richard O’Donnell and featuring herself, O’Donnell,

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, Todd Erickson, Bobby McGuire, Peter Neville, Michael Dempsey, Lisa Keefe, Caroline Schless, Tom Purcell (writer for ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...

'') and

Del Close Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was ...

Rick Kogan Rick Kogan (born September 13, 1951) is a Chicago newspaperman, a Chicago radio personality and a noted author. Early life and education A native of Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, Kogan is the son of longtime Chicago newspaperman Herman Koga ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' hailed both productions as "Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive shows that won over critics and audiences alike." McKenzie has directed and acted in numerous productions at the

Peninsula Players Peninsula Players is a summer theater located in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935 by Richard and Caroline Fisher, it is known as "America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre." History The Players was founded in 1935 by the bro ...

, America's oldest residential summer theater, as well as founding and producing their fall season in the early 1980s. She was on the board of directors for the Peninsula Players (before, during, and after its restoration) for over a decade, and was Artistic Founding Director of the Third Avenue PlayhouseThird Avenue Playhouse
/ref> in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, whereby she helped to convert an old movie house into a state-of-the-art performing arts theater. In 1998, McKenzie produced and directed the new musical comedy ''Wish Wisconsin'', written by Richard O’Donnell to celebrate the state's 150th birthday. It opened on January 2, in the Fish Creek Town Hall Auditorium in

Door County, Wisconsin Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,066. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. The dangero ...

. Songs included "Wish", "So Blessed", and the show-stopper "Oh!, Wisconsin".

Notable works

All credits are as producer/director, unless otherwise specified. * '' An Evening With Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts, The Neighbors Next Door'' * ''

'' * ''Dr. FunnyBones’ Carnival of Life'' * ''Just Visiting'' (also co-writer) * ''Wish Wisconsin''

Personal life

McKenzie is the daughter of Broadway theatrical producer

James B. McKenzie James B. McKenzie (born May 1, 1926, Appleton, WI, died Feb 20, 2002) was an American theater producer best known for heading the Westport Country Playhouse, the American Conservatory Theater, and the Peninsula Players. Career A native of Appl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Amy 1959 births American theatre managers and producers American stage actresses American theatre directors Women theatre directors Living people 21st-century American women