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Melissa Heckscher

Melissa Heckscher

Melissa Heckscher is a freelance writer and mother of three living in Los Angeles. A former daily news and features reporter, she is the author of eight nonfiction books and has written for newspapers, magazines, and television stations across the country including The Los Angeles Daily News, the Orange County Register, and NY1 News (New York City). She wishes more than anything that she could sing, dance and act—even karaoke-caliber would do—but is fine watching the professionals do it on stage.  




LEARN MORE ABOUT Melissa Heckscher

First Show:

Cats

Favorite Show:

Wicked



MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

How Do You Make a Crocodile Sing? An Interview With “Enormous Crocodile” Composer Ahmed Gallab
How Do You Make a Crocodile Sing? An Interview With “Enormous Crocodile” Composer Ahmed Gallab
December 1, 2025

BroadwayWorld talks with composer Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab about the music, puppets, and family fun behind Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile musical, playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through January 4.

Kernels of Wisdom: Quinn VanAntwerp on the Sweet, Silly Joy of SHUCKED
Kernels of Wisdom: Quinn VanAntwerp on the Sweet, Silly Joy of SHUCKED
November 11, 2025

Longtime Broadway actor Quinn VanAntwerp talks to BroadwayWorld about what it’s like to play the comedic villain in the Tony Award-winning SHUCKED, playing at the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in Costa Mesa through November 23.

Interview: Alan Edmunds and Richard Winzeler on Bringing the Mystery of a 1920s Child Prodigy to life in PERFECT WORLD
Interview: Alan Edmunds and Richard Winzeler on Bringing the Mystery of a 1920s Child Prodigy to life in PERFECT WORLD
October 30, 2025

The creators of PERFECT WORLD discuss how the true story of a brilliant young novelist who vanished in 1939 became the inspiration for their new musical, playing Nov. 1-9 at the El Portal Theatre.

Interview: Bobby Daye on Bringing Harold Zidler to Life in MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
Interview: Bobby Daye on Bringing Harold Zidler to Life in MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
October 28, 2025

Broadway veteran Bobby Daye chats with BroadwayWorld about returning to Moulin Rouge! as Harold Zidler, his love for the Los Angeles theatre scene, and the hilarious moment he fell asleep mid-performance.

Review: A Hauntingly Intimate PARADE at Venice’s Electric Lodge
Review: A Hauntingly Intimate PARADE at Venice’s Electric Lodge
October 25, 2025

That a show as powerful as Parade can soar in a small theater is a testament to both the talent of its director and the strength of its cast, of which there isn’t a weak link in the bunch.

Review: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA at Pasadena Playhouse
Review: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA at Pasadena Playhouse
October 21, 2025

Clowning meets catharsis: Julia Masli’s hit HA HA HA HA HA HA HA turns audience problems into performance art at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Interview: Megan Colton of HADESTOWN at Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Interview: Megan Colton of HADESTOWN at Hollywood Pantages Theatre
October 17, 2025

After nearly a year on tour,  SoCal native Megan Colton reflects on her evolving relationship with Eurydice, her Los Angeles-area roots, and the advice she’d give to her 10-year-old self (and every other kid out there dreaming of Broadway).

Interview: Devin Cortez of SOME LIKE IT HOT at Segerstrom Center For The Arts
Interview: Devin Cortez of SOME LIKE IT HOT at Segerstrom Center For The Arts
October 14, 2025

Huntington Beach native Devin Cortez talks about his full-circle journey home with the national tour of Some Like It Hot, playing at Segerstrom Center through October 19.

Interview: Justin Meyer of DRACULA: THE MUSICAL at Nocturne Theatre
Interview: Justin Meyer of DRACULA: THE MUSICAL at Nocturne Theatre
October 3, 2025

Nocturne Theatre co-owner talks to BroadwayWorld about extending the Glendale theater's sold-out run of DRACULA—as well as how the timing of the show plays perfectly with this year's vampire-themed 'Haunted Soiree' monthlong cocktail party.

Interview: Marissa Winokur And Garrett Clayton of HAIRSPRAY at Bank Of America Performing Arts Center
Interview: Marissa Winokur And Garrett Clayton of HAIRSPRAY at Bank Of America Performing Arts Center
October 3, 2025

BroadwayWorld talks with Tony Award-winning Marissa Winokur and former Disney heartthrob Garrett Clayton, the director and co-star of the 5-Star Theatricals production of Hairspray in Thousand Oaks.

Ten Years of Hamilton: Renée Elise Goldsberry on Family, Fame, and 'Satisfied'
Ten Years of Hamilton: Renée Elise Goldsberry on Family, Fame, and 'Satisfied'
September 23, 2025

Tony Award-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, best known for her role as “Angelica” in Hamilton, talks with BroadwayWorld about her solo Los Angeles show, her upcoming documentary, and the joy of returning to a story that she says belongs to everyone.

INTERVIEW: LA’s Scariest Stage — Zombie Joe’s ‘Urban Death’ Unmasked
INTERVIEW: LA’s Scariest Stage — Zombie Joe’s ‘Urban Death’ Unmasked
September 22, 2025

“Zombie Joe” and Urban Death Tour of Terror director Denise Devin sat down with BroadwayWorld to talk about their latest extreme horror show and why the experience has a 'safe word' for people who may want to opt out.

Interview: Teal Wicks of & JULIET at Segerstrom Center For The Arts
Interview: Teal Wicks of & JULIET at Segerstrom Center For The Arts
September 5, 2025

BroadwayWorld talks with Teal Wicks, who plays Anne Hathaway in & Juliet, about what it was like to turn the classic Shakespeare tragedy into a 2 1/2 hour musical party featuring one hit song after another.

Interview: LESLIE ODOM JR. Brings Solo Show to Cerritos Ahead of Broadway Hamilton Return
Interview: LESLIE ODOM JR. Brings Solo Show to Cerritos Ahead of Broadway Hamilton Return
August 4, 2025

Just weeks before returning to Broadway as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. talks to BroadwayWorld about his solo show, reuniting with the original cast, and how he’s a lot more than just “Burr, sir.”

Interview: Rynn Vogel And Adam J. Jefferis on Mashing Up Shakespeare in ROSWELL THAT ENDS WELL
Interview: Rynn Vogel And Adam J. Jefferis on Mashing Up Shakespeare in ROSWELL THAT ENDS WELL
August 1, 2025

Writer and director Rynn Vogel and her husband, Adam J. Jefferis talk about their latest Shakespeare mashup, Roswell That Ends Well, running weekends, August 2–24, at Media Park in downtown Culver City.

Interview: Milo Manheim Talks JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at The Hollywood Bowl
Interview: Milo Manheim Talks JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at The Hollywood Bowl
July 29, 2025

Disney alum Milo Manheim talks with BroadwayWorld about what it's like to perform with Cynthia Erivo, Adam Lambert, and others in the iconic concert staging of Jesus Christ Superstar, playing at the Hollywood Bowl.

Review: FROZEN at the Bank Of America Performing Arts Center
Review: FROZEN at the Bank Of America Performing Arts Center
July 13, 2025

For the most part, 5-Star Theatrical’s production of Frozen, playing through July 20 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks, does a fantastic job bringing the beloved Disney tale to life thanks to a bevy of knockout voices, lively dance scenes, and energetic performances from even its youngest cast members.

Interview: Robert Westenberg of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Interview: Robert Westenberg of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre
July 14, 2025

BroadwayWorld talks to celebrated Broadway veteran Robert Westenberg about how he landed the role of an aging Neil Diamond in A BEAUTIFUL NOISE after a 20-year hiatus from the business—and how the first time he heard a Neil Diamond song, he was headed for a job in the priesthood. 

Interview: Brian Holden on StarKid’s Reboot of Viral Hit, THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS
Interview: Brian Holden on StarKid’s Reboot of Viral Hit, THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS
July 9, 2025

BroadwayWorld talks with StarKid co-founder Brian Holden about the upcoming Hollywood stage reboot of THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS.

From Ballet to Broadway and Back: SWAN LAKE's Andrei Chagas Talks Musical Theater
From Ballet to Broadway and Back: SWAN LAKE's Andrei Chagas Talks Musical Theater
June 11, 2025

BroadwayWorld sat down with ballet dancer Andrei Chagas about how his foray into musical theater changed him as a dancer, and what audiences can expect of the latest production of Swan Lake, which will run at the Segerstrom June 20-22 before moving to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion June 26-29.



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