Forrest McClendon is an American stage actor, singer and professor. McClendon received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination in 2011 for his portrayal of Mr. Tambo in the Broadway musical, The Scottsboro Boys.[1][2] The Scottsboro Boys had marked McClendon's Broadway debut.[3][4]

Biography

McClendon was born and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut.[2][3] He was raised in the Roodner Court housing projects in South Norwalk.[3] His mother, Ruthie Mae Brown, still resides in Norwalk.[2] He attended Nathan Hale Middle School and graduated from Norwalk High School in 1983.[2] McClendon received his first formal singing lessons from Lewis Cisto, a teacher in the Norwalk High School music department.[2] He also received lessons from Betty Jones, a Connecticut opera singer, and Cassandra Eaton, the music minister of Grace Baptist Church in Norwalk.[2]

He initially studied engineering at the University of Connecticut.[2] However, he switched majors to vocal studies, for which he obtained a bachelor's degree.[2]

Career

In 1993, McClendon appeared off-Broadway in Faith Journey. He also appeared as CC White in a 2005 Prince Music Theatre revival of Dreamgirls: The Musical in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[5]

He made his Broadway debut as Mr. Tambo in the 2010 musical, The Scottsboro Boys, after appearing in the musical off-Broadway.[4] The role led to McClendon's first Tony Award nomination in May 2011 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.[2][6]

In 2011, McClendon performed in a regional production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Two Rivers Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey.[4]

McClendon is a faculty member at Temple University and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Arts in Philadelphia.[2] He is a resident of East Lampeter Township, a suburb of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as of 2011.[4][7]

References

  1. ↑ D'Arminio, Aubry (May 6, 2011). "The Tony nominees react: How they partied with ribs, Louis CK, and an F-word cake". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rivard, Nicole (May 14, 2011). "Tony nominee McClendon credits Norwalk upbringing for his success". Connecticut Post. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Wright, Chase (May 7, 2011). "Norwalk native turned Broadway star nominated for Tony Award". Stamford Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Holahan, Jane (May 13, 2011). "Surprised when Tony comes calling". Intelligencer Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Forrest McClendon Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos".
  6. ↑ Kennedy, Mark (May 6, 2011). "Norwalk native nominated for Tony Award". Norwalk Citizen. Associated Press. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Local actor nominated for a Tony award". Intelligencer Journal. May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
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