Whether she’s captivating audiences on Broadway or lending her time and talent to a good cause, Melissa Errico has always believed in the power of using her voice.
The Tony-nominated actress, singer and author has been performing for as long as she can remember. At just 5 years old, she was taking gymnastics and dance lessons, and by 8, she was already on stage, appearing in her first show with her Brownie troop on Long Island.
“I’ve always wanted to make people happy,” says Errico, 55. “I remember putting on shows in my parents’ basement when I was still in elementary school.”
That early spark soon became a lifelong calling. On her 12th birthday, a trip to see “On Your Toes” sealed her love for acting and musical theater.
“My mother jumped me from gymnastics training to the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts theater camp in Hancock, N.Y.,” Errico recalls. “That same year, I was cast in my first professional role on the syndicated TV show, ‘The Great Space Coaster.’”
Her early training paid off. While earning a bachelor’s degree in art history and philosophy at Yale University, Errico was invited to audition for the role of Cosette in “Les Misérables.” After landing the part, she joined the national tour while she continued her classes at Yale by correspondence, marking the start of her journey from student to stage star.
Photo by Michael Lavine
Following graduation, Errico lit up Broadway, taking on iconic roles such as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Venus in “One Touch of Venus” and Clare in “Passion.” From there, her career soared. She became a concert favorite, from Lincoln Center to London’s West End, known for her silky voice and deeply emotional interpretations of the Great American Songbook. (She has also appeared on television shows including “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife,” among others.)
Her discography reflects that same elegance and depth. Errico has released several acclaimed albums, including “Legrand Affair,” a collaboration with the late composer Michel Legrand, and “Sondheim Sublime,” hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “the best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.”
Photo Courtesy of Shore Fire Media
Next up, she’ll release “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” on Jan. 30, 2026, with a special three-song holiday bundle arriving this winter. Featuring longtime collaborator Tedd Firth on piano, the album celebrates timeless classics from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, and more.
“Tedd and I have been friends for many years,” Errico says. “He always talked about going into the studio someday with no plan — just songs we love — and making an album. The pieces are all part of the American fabric that led to Sondheim.”
When she’s not on stage or in the recording studio, Errico performs six to eight live shows each month, bringing her signature warmth and wit to audiences around the world.
Offstage, she channels her energy into causes that inspire her. She supports the Actors Fund Home, a senior care facility for members of the entertainment community, as well as LGBTQ+ initiatives such as "Stage Fright" at Red Eye NY and the Ali Forney Center. She’s also a passionate advocate for arts organizations like Sing for Hope and SAY.
This past May, Errico found a way to merge her love of music with her commitment to service, presenting an original show, “The Story of a Rose: A Musical Reverie on The Great War,” inspired by her family’s World War I–era immigrant history. It was produced by The Doughboy Foundation in support of the National World War I Memorial and the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Photo by Charlie Flint
A Childhood Connection That Came Full Circle
In 1998, Errico married tennis pro and broadcaster Patrick McEnroe — someone she’d first met when she was just 5 years old.
“We both attended Buckley Country Day School in Long Island,” McEnroe recalls with a smile. “Melissa’s brother, Mike, and I were best friends all through grade school. Melissa was four years younger, which is a big difference when you’re kids.”
As the years went by, their paths took different turns. McEnroe left for high school in the city, while Errico’s family remained on Long Island.
“Mike and I stayed in touch for a while, but eventually went in our own directions,” McEnroe says. “But our parents were in contact.”
Errico went on to chase her Broadway dreams, while McEnroe built a successful professional tennis career alongside his older brother, John.
“My parents used to see all of Melissa’s shows, since they lived in the city,” McEnroe says. “They were always telling me I needed to see her perform.”
After a career-ending injury forced him to hang up his racket, fate stepped in.
“I saw that Melissa’s brother, who is also a singer-songwriter, was performing nearby,” McEnroe says. “I hoped Melissa would be there, and she was.”
That night, after the show, the group of friends went to a cozy corner bistro. The next day, McEnroe called Melissa, and, as he puts it, “the rest is history.”
Two years later, the couple married, and today they’re celebrating 27 years together.
Photo by Michael Hull
A Passion For Giving Back
One of Errico’s earliest acts of giving back began during a deeply personal chapter of her life — when she and Patrick were expecting their first child, Victoria, born in 2006.
“I remember taking prenatal yoga and being so moved by the experience,” Errico recalls. “There were women in that room who [collectively] spoke 27 different native languages. It opened my eyes to how diverse and beautiful motherhood can be.”
That sense of connection inspired her to create a community for new and expectant mothers. In 2005, she founded Bowery Babes, a nonprofit that brought together families from SoHo and the Lower East Side neighborhoods by fostering a welcoming, close-knit community through online forums, playgroups, meetups and events.
“New mothers have a lot of questions and concerns, and it’s important to have these online resources where they can all come together,” Errico says. “I joke that I’m the Mark Zuckerberg of motherhood — I fulfilled a passion but made no money doing it.”
Today, Bowery Babes is a thriving nonprofit that supports women from pregnancy through the early years of motherhood, and Errico continues to serve on its board of directors.
Her family grew in 2008 with the arrival of twin daughters, Diana and Juliette, and her home became a hub of generosity.
“At one point, we had 5,000 families in Bowery Babes," Errico says. "There were so many car seats, strollers and baby gear that families outgrew — we collected everything and made sure it went to families who needed it.”
When Hurricane Sandy devastated part of Manhattan in 2012, Bowery Babes began helping families who had been affected. And as her daughters grew older, Errico says giving back became a family tradition.
Photo by Brigitte Lacombe
“When Victoria was in preschool, one of her friends, Scarlett James, had cancer, and her family started The Scarlett Fund to raise awareness and funding for children’s cancer research through Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City,” Errico explains. “Scarlett is doing well today, and all three of my girls have helped with their Card Project, where kids and families make handmade cards to share messages of hope with cancer patients.”
That spirit of compassion runs deep. Diana later founded her own nonprofit, Dance for Hope, which partners with organizations like The Scarlett Fund and the Bronxville Ballet Not for Sale, bringing the joy of ballet to underserved communities.
“Giving back is a family affair,” Errico says. “In addition to his work with the McEnroe Academy, Pat has volunteered at Bowery Babes events, dressing as a chicken for the Halloween parade and then as Santa at Christmas.”
She laughs at the memory.
“My girls grew up thinking Santa was their father,” she admits. “That's one of the life mysteries that I slightly denied them.”
Now with her two youngest daughters preparing for college, Errico feels a new creative calling. A frequent essay contributor to The New York Times, she admits she can see a book on the horizon — one that captures the music, motherhood and meaning that have shaped her life.
“I'd like to write a novel,” she says thoughtfully. “I want to invite people into that world inside my head — a world of contrasts. By day, I’m a mother in bright colors, surrounded by conversations and friendships. By night, there's jazz, travel and music. I feel as if I live two lives, and I’d love to find a way to let both voices speak.”
Whether on stage or at home, Errico leads with heart. And as her journey evolves, her greatest encore may be the legacy of kindness she’s passing on to her daughters.