Terri Olsen is an accomplished actress, singer and dancer. Her career began at 18, while studying music and dance at San Jose State University, Terri saw an ad in the local paper looking for singers and dancers for an upcoming musical review at Marriott’s Great America.

terri stairsTerri was chosen out of 500+ people to be one of the original members of the non-stop singing and dancing musical review “Music America”. The show ran 5 times a day, seven days a week. It was a grueling schedule, but this proved to be a great training ground for Terri as she acquired the discipline and skills that she would come to use throughout her career as an entertainer. She “had what it took” to work long and hard hours, whether it be in front of an audience or in a dance studio perfecting her technique. She also realized what she had known all along – she loved performing and she was a natural – she could sing, dance, act and she had good comic timing.

After two years at Marriott’s Great America, Terri headed for Los Angeles to begin her career in show business. She studied dance with Bob Banas, Patrick Adiarte and Joe Tremaine and improvisational comedy with the late, Harvey Lembeck. While making a living by doing TV commercials, Terri landed her first television role as “Elizabeth” in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “Stubby Pringle’s Christmas” starring Beau Bridges and Kim Hunter.

Terri next auditioned for and landed her first Equity show “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”. Terri toured with the show for two years where she played the role of “Martha” and understudied the star, Debbie Boone.

Terri then moved to New York and began studying with the acclaimed acting coach, William Esper. Shortly after that she landed her first Broadway show “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". She went on to perform in three more Broadway shows: Into the Light (starring Dean Jones), Starlight Express and Jerry’s Girls (starring Chita Rivera, Leslie Uggams and the late Dorothy Loudon). Terri was a featured performer in Jerry’s Girls as well as an understudy for Chita Rivera. When Chita broke her leg in a car accident, Terri went on for her - what an amazing experience that was!

It was also during this time that Terri met Carly Simon through a mutual friend. When Carly found out that Terri was an accomplished vocalist, she asked her to do back-up vocals on what would become her hit song “Coming Around Again”. Terri was also performing her own cabaret act from time to time and doing studio back-up work for various artists and production companies.

After 10 wonderful years in New York, Terri returned to California where she has been working non-stop. From 2012 to 2014 Terri was a featured performer in The Fabulous Palm Spring Follies until it closed it's doors after 23 years. Now even more than ever, Terri continues to beguile live audiences as a solo performer or with her band, The Perfect Blend.  She has an amazing vocal range and a fantastic mix of vocal selections - standards, pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, show tunes and classical - with just the right amount of comedic timing to top it off. It's a voice with a style of it's own - enjoy!

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