ABOUT TANYA

​My love of singing and acting blossomed in my earliest years. My parents said that as an infant they did not find me crying in my crib but singing. And so, it went…

One of my fondest memories is working with Jack Bunch and Michael Allinson in My Fair Lady. I never grow tired of recalling their public statements about our work together; especially since Julie Andrews and Carol Burnette’s magnificence impacted my musical path so significantly. Director/Actor Michael Allison who played opposite Julie Andrews on Broadway says, “I’ve been in 30 different productions of My Fair Lady, and worked with many actresses, and I’m here to tell you Tanya Perkins is the most exciting talent I’ve ever seen in this role.” Jack Bunch said,” When I met Tanya, I had not been inspired as a director since working with Carol Burnette. Tanya has that rare combination of beauty, smarts, and wonderful comic timing. She is a wonderful singer and a magnificent actress. She can be my leading lady for as long as she wants!”

Another thrilling memory is my experience with the touring production of Follies. This opportunity placed me squarely on stage with actresses I’d watched in the movies my whole childhood: Edie Adams, Virginia Mayo, Maxine Andrews and Constance Towers. More contemporary Broadway legends in that show included Judy Kaye, Walter Charles and Brian d’Arcy James.  As a cast, we’d gather in the rooms of the screen legends and watch their old movies, hearing them recount hilarious and heartfelt stories of the golden age of cinema.

Other wonderful shows, including Twelfth Night; Taming of the Shrew; No, No, Nanette; Romance, Romance; Guys and Dolls, Me and My Girl, were joyously peppered throughout.

When I became a mother, I remember fellow actors distinctly asking me when I was going to get back on stage. ‘It’s time, it's time! You need to get out there; you need to start auditioning again.’ Really? I don’t think so. I chose to sing my son to sleep and have not a single regret, nor do I doubt, for a moment, that is exactly where I belonged. True supporters of my talents started writing plays for me, encouraging shorter commitments with more recordings, concerts, teaching seminars and master classes to follow. One of these extraordinary opportunities came in the form of a biographical story of Mary Thomas. The Life of Mary Thomas, a one-woman show about a single mother with two children fighting for their lives during the Ludlow Massacre of 1914, was a complete departure from any of my previous work and was met with rave reviews. Because I had always loved comedy, playing this gut-wrenching role would have been incomprehensible to me before having my own child. My son, unknowingly, prepared me for this phenomenal opportunity.

Throughout all these strengthening, delightful and progressive experiences, a truer north star was guiding me. I’m not entirely sure if I knowingly sought after it, or if it presented itself in a way I couldn’t refuse…probably a bit of both… but singing, for me, has now become a formidable way to pray and help others to heal. Over the past several decades, I have recorded 80 songs and am still uncovering new gems that must be sung.  As I describe it, “I habitually pray on pitch.”

“Tanya pours over lyrics and composition to produce an uncluttered and clear message of lasting comfort and love, even in her secular music and concerts, you feel and witness her grounded soul shine forth radiantly.” Delores Huntington

Colleen Carpenter-Simmons, Music Director from her first album, Still with Thee, adds, “When I first came on board, Tanya’s sense of the content and internal vision for Still with Thee was very clear.  I was immediately drawn to her gorgeous voice, personal warmth and the way she approached such cherished songs with love, simplicity and tenacious integrity.”


“I heard your voice on a recording of The Lord's Prayer from Still with Thee. I have in my life heard so much music and beautiful voices but never anything like your interpretation and devotion. It’s stunning!” Manfred Sollinger Germany

Life unfolds, and each change and experience gives greater dimension. Whether it reveals itself in motherhood, singing, acting, recording, or teaching, life has continually unfolded in expressions that demand of me to overcome limitations. I love teaching all that I’ve learned. Overcoming limitations is what I strive to pass on to my students.