NOLAN  VAN WAY

This six foot three former Golden Glover (boxer) abandoned comfortable life as an aircraft production engineer to pursue a career as a singer-actor.  His list of credits is as long as he is tall.  While still a student of opera and drama at Indiana University,  he occupied his summer  months  as a resident baritone at the  St. Louis Municipal Opera. The impressive list  of musicals  in  which  he has starred in the country’s leading  theatre since those early days includes “Kismet”...”Brigadoon”..”Guys and Dolls".. "Desert Song”…  “South Pacific". .”Most  Happy  Fella” .. "Molly Brown".. “Oklahoma” ...“Kiss  Me  Kate”.. “Carousel” . “Camelot” .“La Cage  Aux  Follies” ..”Show Boat”.."Brigadoon".."Song of Norway"..  and   many  others.

Few performers have shown such a deep sense of  showmanship, sensitivity, and timing as did Mr. Van Way when he understudied both the Hero and the Villain in the BROADWAY  musical  “Destry Rides Again",  where he had to be ready on  30 minutes’ notice  to  play  either  of  these  totally opposite characters.   As  a  result of  the ease  with  which  he  accomplished  this  feat  many  times  he  was co-starred  with  ANDY GRIFFITH  and DOLORES GRAY  in  the   role  of  Kent,  the villain,  the  part  vacated  by  Scott Brady.   In  the  words of  the  editor of     Cosmopolitan  Magazine his  performance  was  “Polished,   Effective   and   Top   Notch   in   All   Respects”.

Mr. Van Way  has  twice been called  upon to perform as  guest soloist  for the pre-inaugural ceremonies in WASHINGTON  D.C..    He made coast  to coast   headlines  for  his  performance in   the   WHITE   HOUSE   for  Mrs. John  F. Kennedy   when   his  costume  caught   fire  from  a  candle.   Besides singing with prominent symphonies of   CLEVELAND, PHILADELPHIA,  NEW YORK  Philharmonic,  BALTIMORE,  MIAMI    and AUSTIN,   the list of  operas in  which  Mr. Van Way  has starred is imposing.   He  has  starred in  “Madame Butterfly”,   “ L'Elisir D'Amore”, ”Barber of Seville",  “Hamlet", ”La Boheme",  “Tosca”,  "Les Huguenots"  at CARNEGIE  HALL, to name a  few.   For  two  years  he  sang  with the METROPOLITAN  OPERA  STUDIO  COMPANY  and  had  a   full   page  photograph in  “LIFE “ Magazine   for  his  role   in  the  Studio’s   production  of  "Cosi   fan  Tutte”.   During   this  time  he  was awarded  a   FORD  FOUNDATION  grant.

Mr. Van Way  made  his  European  opera debut at  the  NURNBERG  OPERA  as  Escamillo  in "Carmen”   and  20  performances as   the Don  in “Don Giovanni”,  In BRAUNSCHWEIG.   Next,  he did  the King  in Orf's  “Die Kluge",  at   the CARAMOOR  FESTIVAL  in  New York  with  JULIUS  RUDEL,  to  great   critical  acclaim.       He joined   the  METROPOLITAN  OPERA  NATIONAL COMPANY  as “Escamillo”   before  returning  to Europe to sing  the   Zar   in Lortzing's  “Zar und Zimmerman”  at  the famed  GRAN TEATRO DEL LICEO  in  BARCELONA, SPAIN.  Back again,   he  did  a  production  of  "Show Boat”,    then  “Escamillo”   in  WASHINGTON  D.C.,  and  once  more  to  CARAMOOR   to  sing   the  King   in   Levy's  “Escorial".   That  fall,   he made  his   NEW  YORK  CITY  OPERA  debut  at   LINCOLN  CENTER  as  the Don  in "Don Giovanni”,    Escamillo  in "Carmen",  and  the Count  in  “The  Marriage of  Figaro".

Following this, at the  NEW YORK CITY CENTER,  he was Billy Bigelow  with Constance Towers in "Carousel", and Bob Baker in “Wonderful Town" with  Elaine Stritch.  Then with Terry Moore "Pajama Game”, "On a Clear Day”  opposite Linda Lavin,   Count  di  Luna  in  "Il  Trovatore",    Danilo  in "The Merry W\widow”   in COLORADO, Lancelot  in  “Camelot”   in  DALLAS,   Curley  in  “Oklahoma”   in CALIFORNIA,    “Romeo et  Juliette”   in SEATTLE,   and  guest soloist  at  the  famed  HOLLYWOOD  BOWL.   A tour of   " Show Boat”   brought Mr. Van Way  back  to  the  east coast   where  he settled  in to  make  his  successful  transition  to tenor with a grant from the ROCKEFELLER  FOUNDATION.

After   his  debut  as  Rodolfo  in  “La Boheme”  with  the  Opera  Orchestra  of  NEW  YORK,   Mr. Van Way   was offered  contracts  in  Europe.  In BRUSSELS,  he did  MacDuff in  Verdi's   "Macbeth";  in  LISBON,  it was Jose in “Carmen"; in AMSTERDAM, Edgardo in "Lucia"; and  in  LYON,  besides “Carmen", "Falstaff" and  "The Rake's Progress”, he sang  four  modern operas, two of  which  were  world  premieres.  Then a six month tour of the  Broadway  show  “Company”   for Hal Prince.  After  which  he  did   MacHeath  in  the    “Beggar’s  Opera"   in MARSEILLE, France,  followed  by a production  of  “SHOWBOAT”  in  French  at the  GRAND OPERA  de GENEVE  in Geneva,   Switzerland.   Mr  VanWay   then  sang   the  title   role  in  “FAUST”   for  the SEATTLE  OPERA,   and  Eisenstein,    opposite  Joan Sutherland    in   “Die  Fledermaus”   at  the  SAN   FRANCISCO    OPERA,     followed  by ”Annie Get  Your  Gun" ”Bitter  Sweet”  and the HONOLULU  SYMPHONY,  partnering such stars as  FLORENCE  HENDERSON,   ROBERTA  PETERS  and   MARY COSTA.

He played Camille  in “The Merry Widow “ opposite  Beverly Sills for the  SAN  DIEGO OPERA,  which was shown on  National  television on three separate occasions. Then four symphony dates with CARMEN DRAGON, and four diverse roles in a new TV series,   “THE COMIC BOOK KIDS”.   Six  LONG BEACH  SYMPHONY  dates;   productions of  “Kiss Me Kate",  and   “Show Boat”   in  SAN DIEGO,   and a  production  of “The Merry Widow”  for the TOLEDO OPERA,  which  he directed and  co-starred  with  Roberta Peters.   He was  soloist  at  the  HOLLYWOOD BOWL  with  the  LOS ANGELES  PHILHARMONIC  and  the  SAN  JOSE   SYMPHONY  under  the  direction  of  John Green.    Then   three engagements with  the  EVANSVILLE PHILHARMONIC  (Indiana)  with  Maestro Stewart Kershaw.  He  returned  to the  East Coast to star  in “Kismet”, “La Cage Aux Folles"  and a tour of  "Annie Get Your Gun”,   plus a "Pops” concert  with  the   OMAHA  SYMPHONY.   Then  it   was   nine   more  symphony  Pops  dates  with  different Orchestras in  Southern  California.   He then directed  and  sang  Ravenal  in a   production  of  “SHOW  BOAT”   in  Florida.    He  joined   the  ARIZONA  OPERA   for  “Die  Fledermaus”    before  doing   a   tour   of  Community  Concerts.

For seven years  he was in charge of  the vocal department  at San Diego State University for the master degree candidates  in musical  theater.    He has been private vocal coach for such stars as  Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Cyd  Charisse, Marsha Mason, Katherine Grayson, Terry Lester, Peter Horton, Jeff Goldblum, Jose Ferrer,  William  Conrad,  Anne  Heywood,   Arnold McCuller and Ben Vereen  to name a few.  

Recently  he has put  together a  C.D. of twenty Broadway show tunes  recorded  live called “THE MAGIC OF BROADWAY”,  and C.D.s of both CLASSICAL TENOR and CLASSICAL  BARITONE  with  Arias and Songs recorded live and available on  the Internet at  www.NOLANVANWAY.com    In the past year along with two of his Mexican Tenor Students,  he has sung Concerts in Puerto Escondido, Tehuacan and Tehuantepec.    Mr. Van Way now  resides in  his  beautiful   home in   Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca,  Mexico.   

TEL-Fax  (011) 52- 954 -582-0085    P.O.B. 300, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, MEX. 71980