Alysha Umphress

Alysha Umphress is an award-winning vocalist, Broadway and TV actor who most notably made a splash as the man hungry cab driver, “Hildy” in the critically acclaimed, Tony nominated hit Broadway revival of On The Town. She opened the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, appeared on the 69th annual Tony awards and performed her standout number "I Can Cook Too" on The Today Show during Broadway week. Umphress made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Green Day's American Idiot. During American Idiot she made musical appearances on the 52nd annual Grammy awards, the 64th annual Tony awards, and Monday night football halftime show alongside Green Day. Also performing with the cast on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, America's Got Talent, and The Today Show. Other Broadway credits include On a Clear Day You Can See Forever starring Harry Connick jr., Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Bring it On!  

Off Broadway, Umphress made her debut in “Make Me A Song” the music of William Finn, received critical acclaim for her performance of “Jessie” in the world premiere musical, Scotland, PA at Roundabout Theatre Company. She was also nominated for a Lucuille Lortel award and won the Chita Rivera award for her work in the NYC revival of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”.  

Regional theater credits include Gloria Thorpe in the hit pre-Broadway run of Damn Yankees at Arena Stage last fall, also at Arena Stage Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter. Umphress starred as the iconic role of Cee Cee Bloom (made famous by Better Midler in the film) at The Signature Theatre in the world premiere of the musical Beaches which earned her a Helen Hayes nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. “Meg” in the world premiere of Hood (a new musical written and directed by Douglas Carter Beane) at Dallas Theatre Center and Rhetta Cupp in Pump Boys and Dinettes at Papermill Playhouse. 

She is an Associate Artist at Barrington Stage Company where she has appeared in over a dozen productions, concerts and cabarets since getting her equity card there in 2007.  

TV credits include “Murphy” on two seasons of the Netflix show “Bonding”, Law and Order, Blue Bloods, American Horror Story, Girls5Eva, Chicago Med (opposite Oliver Platt) Nurse Jackie (opposite Edie Falco), Royal Pains (with Christine Ebersole and Chloris Leachman), and co-starring with Diarra Kilpatrick on the Amazon Prime pilot, The Climb (Misty). She can also be seen in the film Across the Universe directed by Julie Taymor. Umphress can be seen online as “Zoe” in the Olay skin care musical ad campaign.  

Umphress is a two-time MAC award nominated singer and recording artist. Her three solo albums include: Alysha Umphress Live at the Laurie Beechman, I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress swings Jeff Blumenkrantz and most recently Alysha Umphress…and things like this (live from Joe’s Pub) -available on iTunes and Amazon. She joined jazz superstar Jane Monheit on the title track duet of Whatever I Want it to Be; the songs of Johnathan Reid Gealt. Other recordings include the new Broadway recording of On the Town, American Idiot (original cast Broadway recording), Bring it On! (OBCR "Legendary"), Fugitive Songs (OCR), Let the Good Times Roll, 13 Stories Down, Disney’s Moana (Live Action) and as one of the “Two Ladies” vocalists for the hit FX show, Fosse/Verdon. 

As a vocalist, Umphress has played all over NYC including such venues as Carnegie Hall, 92Y, Webster Hall, Birdland, 54 Below, Joe's Pub, Les Poisson Rouge, and The Highline Ballroom to name a few. She's performed her solo act from San Francisco to Austria and across Europe. She's opened for Carlos Santana at the Fillmore and Slim's in SF and For Diana Krall at the Fujitsu Jazz Festival. She's performed with the San Francisco Symphony under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, the Boston Pops, and with the London Symphony Orchestra starring as Ruth in Wonderful Town under the baton of Simon Rattle. She reprised the role of Ruth Sherwood at the world famous La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy in 2024.  

She is the 2023 Gold Medalist for the American Traditions Vocal Competition. ATC is a highly competitive unique competition in that the contestants must sing nine different genres of American music, including musical theater, jazz, opera, and gospel.

Umphress is a graduate of the San Francisco School of the Arts, ACT's Young Conservatory and holds a BFA from the Boston Conservatory.