Wade McCollum

American actor

Wade McCollum

Born| 1978
Occupation(s)| film actor, stage actor, composer/musician
Awards| Best Solo Performance 2024: Off-Broadway Alliance Award (Make Me Gorgeous), Best Actor: Dallas/Fort Worth Critics Circle Award (Emcee in Cabaret), Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch) Backstage Garland Award (Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Drammy Award (Batboy in Batboy the Musical)
Website| www.wadesong.com

Wade McCollum (born 1978) is an American film actor, stage actor and composer/musician.[1]

## Early life

[edit]

McCollum was born in 1978 in Chico, California.[2] His father is a rock-n-roll drummer and McCollum spent his early life on the road traveling from town to town.[3] He spent some school years in Ashland, Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.[1] He left high school at age 16 to attend the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.[4]

## Career

[edit]

After graduating from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts,[5][6] McCollum went on to land the role of Hedwig in a 2002 Triangle Theatre production of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.[7] McCollum went on to star in several productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, including the Ovation Award-winning[8] 2004 Celebration Theatre production in Hollywood, CA.[3] For this production McCollum won the Backstage West Garland Award,[9] The Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle Award[10] and was praised by publications such as Variety and the Los Angeles Times.[11][3]

McCollum released a music album called Beauty is a Streetlight in 2006.

While in Portland, McCollum appeared as Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show,[12] the Emcee in Cabaret opposite Storm Large as Sally Bowles,[13] and Prior in Angels in America.[14] At Portland Center Stage, he starred as Batboy in Bat Boy: The Musical[15] and the one-person shows I Am My Own Wife[23] and The Santaland Diaries.[29] [51] McCollum also co-founded and functioned as artistic director of Insight Out Theatre Collective where his hit original musical ONE (aka The Other Shore) was produced.[52] ONE was still in development for commercial production, as of 2022.[1]

McCollum went on to appear in Jersey Boys,[16] led Broadway’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert First National Tour,[17] and upon his return to New York City, made his Broadway debut in Wicked.[18] McCollum has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows including Triassic Parq[19] and most notably his Lucille Lortel Award nominated[20] turn as Ernest Shackleton in Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, for which he garnered the prestigious Norton Award for “Best Actor”[21] with the show winning the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical in 2017[22] Ernest Shackleton Loves Me was streamed live[23] during its run in NYC and available on Broadway HD.[24]

In 2011 McCollum appeared as the Emcee in Dallas Theatre Center’s Cabaret opposite Kate Wetherhead as Sally Bowles.[25] Wetherhead is the creator of the Web Comedy Submissions Only in which McCollum played Nolan Grigsby.[26]

In 2018, McCollum originated the role of Carl von Cosel in the new musical It Happened In Key West on London’s West End.[27]

McCollum’s first performance back in the theatre after the Covid-19 shutdown was as a last-minute emergency cover for Henry Higgins in Lincoln Center Theatre’s national tour of My Fair Lady directed by Bartlett Sher.[28][29]

In 2022 McCollum completed Secondary Dominance, his first feature film as co-director and co-writer with longtime collaborator Sarah Small.[30]

In 2023 McCollum originated the role of Wade in Water for Elephants at the Alliance theatre in Atlanta.[31]Upon returning from Atlanta, Wade starred and co created the hit solo show Make Me Gorgeous Off Broadway[32]at Playhouse 46. Make Me Gorgeous was extended for three months and nominated for the Lortel Award (Best Solo Show)[33]and Wade’s performance was nominated for the Drama Desk Award (Best Solo Performance)[33]and he won Best Solo Performance (Off-Broadway Alliance Award).[34]

In 2024 Darius Rose (aka Jackie Cox) replaced McCollum in Make Me Gorgeous[44] as Wade left to originate his first principal role on Broadway in Water for Elephants.[35]Water for Elephants, directed by Jessica Stone, with book by Rick Elice, composed by PigPen Theatre company, and choreographed by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll of Seven Fingers Circus was nominated for 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical in 2024.[36]Wade performed “The Road Don’t Make You Young” from Water For Elephants on the 2024 live Tony Award show for CBS.[37]

## Personal life

[edit]

McCollum is married to artist Noah Jordan. McCollum’s father-in-law is 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Robert Lefkowitz.[38]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2000  | Delicate Instruments | Gary  |
2009  | Only Time Will Tell | Zach  | Short
2017  | Grandpa’s Kaleidescope | The Stranger  | Music Video
2017  | Ernest Shackleton Loves Me | Ernest Shackleton and others  |
2018  | Options | Stephen Cartwright  | Short
2019  | In the Night Room | The Stranger  | Music Video
2020  | Blowing Dandelions | The Stranger  | Music Video
2022  | Secondary Dominance | The Scientist turn Muse / Dancer  | Also co-writer and director
TBD  | Riding Out the Storm | Bob  | Short

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2011-2014  | Submissions Only | Nolan Grigsby  | Web Series
2015  | The Knick | Sydney Carton  | HBO max
2017  | Nightcap | Louis Mackie  | Pop TV
2019  | At Home with Amy Sedaris | The Skeleton  | Pop TV
2019  | Prodigal Son | Angry Man  | FOX
2019  | Madame Secretary | Andy  | CBS
2022  | FBI Most Wanted | Leon McCann  | CBS
2024  | Tony Awards | Lead performer  |

### Theater

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1999  | RSC’s The Shakespeare Revue[5] | Hamlet et al.  | US premier
2002  | ONE | Sid  | an earlier version of the musical he wrote and co-composed with Eric Nordin.
2003-2005  | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig  | Regional, with triangle! Theatre and Celebration Theatre
2003  | The Last Five Years | Jamie  | West Coast Premier
2003-2004  | The Merchant of Venice | Lancelot Gobbo  | with Portland Center Stage
2003-2004  | Bat Boy: The Musical | Bat Boy  | with Portland Center Stage
2004  | On the Verge | Mary  |
2005  | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Frank -n- Furter  | Regional
2006  | I Am My Own Wife | Charlotte et al.  | Regional
2006  | Metamorphoses[39] | Phaeton/Ceyx  | with Artists Repertory Theatre
2006  | Assassins[40] | Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald | with Artists Repertory Theatre
2007  | Toy Story the Musical[1] | Woody  | Disney Development
2007  | Jersey Boys[16] | Norm Waxman  | with Chicago Company
2008,2011  | Cabaret[6] | Emcee  | Regional, with Dallas Theatre Center
2009-2010  | The Sanataland Diaries | Crumpet  | with Portland Center Stage
2010  | Fly By Night | Narrator  | World Premier, with Theatreworks in Palo Alto
2010  | Dracula | Dracula  | Regional
2010  | Angels In America | Prior Walter  | Regional
2011  | The Santaland Diaries | Crumpet et al  | Regional
2011  | Dying City | Peter/Craig  | Regional
2012  | Priscilla Queen of the Desert | Tick/Mitzi  | US National Tour
2013  | Triassic Parq | Velociraptor of Faith  | Off- Broadway
2014  | Wicked | Witch’s Father

u/s Wizard & Dillamond

| Broadway
2015-2017  | Ernest Shackleton Loves Me | Ernest Shackleton et al  | Off-Broadway (World Premier)
2018  | It Happened in Key West | Carl Von Cosel  | West End (World Premier)
2018  | The Carpenter | Gene  | Regional (World Premier)
2019  | A Welcome Guest[41] | Shimeus  | Regional (World Premier)
2019-2022  | My Fair Lady | Karpathy

u/s Henry Higgins

| US National Tour
2022  | Make Me Gorgeous: The Kenneth Marlowe Story | Kenneth et al.  | Regional (World Premier)
2023  | Water For Elephants  | Wade  | Alliance Theatre (World Premier) [31]
2023-2024  | Make Me Gorgeous  | Kenneth/Kate/et al  | Off Broadway[32]
2024  | Water for Elephants | Wade

u/s August

| Broadway[35]

### Awards

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Work  | Result

|
|
|
|

2002  | Drammy Award[42] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Won
2003  | Drammy Award[43] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Batboy | Won
2004  | Ovation Awards[8] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Nominated
2004  | Backstage West’s Garland Award[44] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Won
2004  | Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle Award[10] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Won
2011  | Dallas Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum AwardDrama Critic’s Circle Award[45] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Cabaret | Won
2016  | Boston Theatre Critic’s Association Elliot Norton Award[21] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Ernest Shackleton Loves Me | Won
2017  | Lucille Lortel Award[18] | Best Actor in a Musical  | Nominated
2024  | Off-Broadway Alliance Award[46] | Best Solo Performance  | Make Me Gorgeous! | Won
2024  | Lucille Lortel Award  | Best Solo Show  | Make Me Gorgeous!  | Nominated
2024  | Drama Desk Award  | Best Solo Performance  | Make Me Gorgeous!  | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Marty Hughley, The Oregonian (2010-12-27). "Finishing a busy fall in Portland, popular -- if itinerant -- actor Wade McCollum talks about his career". oregonlive. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
2. ^ "An Outrageous Adventure - OutSmart Magazine". www.outsmartmagazine.com. 2013-09-01. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
3. ^ a b c "'Hedwig's' spirited drag king". Los Angeles Times. 2004-06-10. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
4. ^ "'Theater Heaven' Realized at the Pacific Conservatory". KCET. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
5. ^ a b "1996-2000". Oregon Cabaret Theatre. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
6. ^ a b "Last Chance: Oregon Cabaret Closes RSC Shakespeare Revue June 14". playbill.com. 14 June 1999.
7. ^ "Seasons 11-15". triangle productions!. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
8. ^ a b "Ovation Awards spread the largess". Los Angeles Times. 2004-09-16. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
9. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Wade McCollum To Star In The World Premiere Of New American Romantic Musical Comedy IT HAPPENED IN KEY WEST". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
10. ^ a b "2004 Recipients :: LA Drama Critics Circle". Retrieved 2022-12-09.
11. ^ Martinez, Julio (2004-04-20). "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
12. ^ "Theater Listings". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
13. ^ Marty Hughley, The Oregonian (2007-10-09). "The "Cabaret" Compendium". oregonlive. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
14. ^ "Review: Angels in America". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
15. ^ Johnson, Alexandra. "Photos: Portland Center Stage Presents THE SANTALAND DIARIES, 12/3-1/2". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
16. ^ a b "Another Bunch of Jersey Boys Will Take Over SF Run of National Tour". playbill.com. 2007-05-07.
17. ^ "Wade McCollum, Scott Willis and Bryan West Headline Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour". playbill.com. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
18. ^ a b "Wade McCollum and It Happened In Key West". Times Square Chronicles. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
19. ^ "Triassic Parq The Musical, Regenerated Since FringeNYC Run, Begins Off-Broadway June 12". playbill.com. 2012-06-12.
20. ^ "2018 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominees & Recipients". The Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
21. ^ a b "Elliot Norton Awards". elliotnortonawards. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
22. ^ "Indecent, Sweeney Todd Among 2017 Off Broadway Alliance Award Winners". playbill.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
23. ^ "BroadwayHD Will Live Stream Off-Broadway's Ernest Shackleton Loves Me". playbill.com. 2017-05-25.
24. ^ "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me". video.broadwayhd.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
25. ^ "Musical Theater Review | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Dallas Summer Musicals | Music Hall at Fair Park | Dallas, Texas, USA". theflashlist.com. 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
26. ^ "Web Series – Multi-talented McCollum found it easy to submit to musical web series by Kevin M. Thomas | Progressive Pulse". progressivepulse.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
27. ^ Maxwell, Dominic. "Theatre review: It Happened in Key West at Charing Cross Theatre, WC2". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
28. ^ Savitt, Marc. "Review: MY FAIR LADY The Licoln Center Theater Production at Proctors". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
29. ^ ""My Fair Lady" at Proctors survives time, social changes and COVID". WAMC. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
30. ^ "Secondary Dominance – PROTOTYPE". Retrieved 2022-12-09.
31. ^ a b "See Who's Starring in Water for Elephants Musical World Premiere". Playbill.
32. ^ a b Byrne, Christopher (2023-11-21). "'Make Me Gorgeous' is one of the best plays of the season". gaycitynews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
33. ^ a b "Wade McCollum". playbill.com.
34. ^ "Winners of the 2024 Off Broadway Alliance Awards". DC Theater Arts. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
35. ^ a b "The Look Book: The Playful Fashion of the Water for Elephants Red Carpet". Playbill.
36. ^ "'Water For Elephants' making its mark on Broadway with several Tony nominations". ABC7 New York. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
37. ^ "Water for Elephants Tony Awards Performance". PLAYBILL.
38. ^ Lefkowitz, Robert; Hall, Randy (2021-02-02). A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm: The Adrenaline Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-64313-639-4.
39. ^ Hallett, Alison. "Metamorphoses". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
40. ^ "Assassins". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
41. ^ "Review: A Welcome Guest (a Psychotic Fairy Tale) at Contemporary American Theater Festival". dctheatrescene.com. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
42. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Lee Williams | For The (2018-03-18). "7 hot theater tickets in Portland this spring". oregonlive. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
43. ^ "2021 Cold Read Program by Syracuse Stage". 2021 Cold Read Program. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
44. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Wade McCollum To Star In The World Premiere Of New American Romantic Musical Comedy IT HAPPENED IN KEY WEST". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
45. ^ "Dallas Theater Center dominates critics' list". Dallas News. 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
46. ^ "Dead Outlaw and Oh, Mary! Among Winners of 13th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards". Playbill. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-05-28.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Wade McCollum at IMDb