Amanda Taraska

Amanda Taraska.com

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"Amanda is one of my hardest working and talented vocalists. Her versatility range, agility and power are simply...Ridic. Ask her to just yell "Fiyero" and you'll understand."-Tom Burke, voice teacher
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"Amanda is certainly blessed with talent and beauty...what impresses me most about her is that she always is searching for ways to grow and improve in her Art. I think ultimately this has made her an extraordinary human being. She isn't one to give less than 110% in all aspects of her Creative Self."

-Kathy Deitch , teacher & friend

News

News...

January 20th, 2012Amanda finished writing her first original song on guitar! Stay tuned for the rough recording, professional recording, complete album, iTunes take over, and future Grammy award.... ;)January 16th, 2012Amanda sang with Tom Hewitt at Joe's Pub in If It Only Even Runs a Minute. Click for more info!December 13th, 2011 Amanda did a scene at MCS from Autobahn by Neil LaBute with Alex Quiroga (Wicked). Watch the scene here: Amanda and Alex.December 4th, 2011Amanda sang in "The Songs of Natalie Lovejoy" at The Duplex. Listen to the song on the Media page!
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Bio Amanda was born with a full head of wild black hair, and big chubby cheeks. She made such quiet little mouse sounds at the hospital that the nurses expressed concern to her parents about being able to hear her when she cried. However, the minute her parents brought her home, she opened her mouth and out came the loudest, most penetrating baby cries they had ever heard. She didn’t stop crying for like 4 years, except when she was giving dirty looks to her babysitter."Soon, I needed a bigger outlet and started theatre dance classes at The American Theatre Dance Workshop, which was luckily 5 blocks from my house. The dress code for class was black tights and a black leotard. I wore hot pink tights and a white leotard with a silver sparkly star my mom sewed on the front. And life continued much like that..."At Herricks High School, Amanda was a dedicated member of the Student Television Arts Company (STAC), a unique arts program in her school created by the legendary Ron DeMaio, where she got to study voice, dance, drama, film analysis, video editing (first analogue, then Final Cut Pro), art history, fine arts, and improvisation. With STAC, she also got to go to London twice, shoot a feature film with Vanessa Redgrave (directed by Carlo Nero), take weekly trips to NYC and devour the latest TDF offerings, and she also started STAC Children’s Theatre, an annual fundraiser where she directed her fellow students in musicals for kids of the community.Amanda earned her Bachelor of Music from NYU’s Steinhardt School and started working professionally right out of the gate. One of her coolest experiences was working with George Faison (Tony Award winner for The Wiz) in the National Tour of If This Hat Could Talk, with gospel stars Tony Terry, Margaret Bell, Natalie Wilson, and Alyson Williams, with music by Joe Coleman of The Platters. The show culminated with performances at the historic Apollo Theatre.She studies Meisner Technique under the magical teaching of Matthew Corozine. Recently, Amanda jammed on vocals with Tom Colicchio on guitar for his holiday card, and performed at Le Poisson Rouge, created the role of Fanny Brice in the new musical Ghostlight, and sang at The Duplex in The Songs of Natalie Lovejoy.Oh, also Amanda has discovered her talents as a painter! She started painting in November of 2010 and had her first (solo) gallery opening, "One Night Stand" at Matthew Corozine Studio on November 6th, 2011. This was followed by her second opening "Assembling Happiness" at the Peter Louis Salon Gallery on the Upper East Side. Check out Amanda's artwork at Amanda the Painter. Stay tuned for all the excitement in store!!!

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Media

Audio

Video

"Just Drive" music and lyrics by Natalie Lovejoy.

featuring Rachel Hirsch and Amanda Taraska

Notice Me Horton
Times Like This
The Boy From NYC - Amanda Taraska
Funny Girl cut - Amanda Taraska

JUST DRIVE mp3.mp3

Resumé vocal range: E3 - D6, can belt crazy high at 10am height: 5'5-5'9" (heels!) weight: 130 hair: black and pink eyes: greenishNew YorkIf It Only Even Runs a Minute 8 Featured singer w/ Tom Hewitt Joe's PubGhostlight Fanny Brice Center Stage New YorkInside Out (Short Play Festival Mandy Matthew Corozine Studio TheatreIf This Hat Could Talk Eleanor Roosevelt, u/s, performed The Apollo Theatre, Harlem George Faison, director/choreo Fiorello! Tap Dancer/featured ensemble Frederick Loewe Theatre Baayork Lee, choreographerThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow Faith The Wings TheatreNational ToursHenry and Mudge Mom Theatreworks USA, Kate SwanIf This Hat Could Talk Eleanor Roosevelt, u/s, performed VanJo ProductionsRegionalBat Boy: The Musical Shelley (opposite Doug Storm) Cultural Arts PlayhouseAssassins Housewife, ensemble Cultural Arts PlayhouseThoroughly Modern Millie Gloria Mt. Washington Valley TheatreSouth Pacific Nurse MacGregor Mt. Washington Valley Theatre42nd Street Maggie Jones Mac-Hayden TheatreLa Cage aux Folle Jacqueline Mac-Hayden TheatreThe Tafettas Cheryl Broadhollow Theatre Company Vic DiMonda, dir./choreoFiddler on the Roof Hodel Rockville Centre Guild Chava Hofstra USA Prodcutions Tzeitel Plaza Productions Little Shop of Horros Audrey Herricks Theatre Ron DeMaio, directorTraining and EducationMatthew Corozine, Matthew Corozine Studio - Meisner TechniqueTom Burke - voice teacherKathy Deicth - coachSheri Sanders - rock songsSamantha Jones - improvTisha Ioli - on camera commercialBroadway Dance Center/ Steps/ Alvin Ailey Germaine Salsberg (tap), Finis Jhung (ballet), Vic DiMonda (theatre dance), Chio (funk), Robin Dunn (hip hop)New York University, Steinhardt School - Bachelor of Music, vocal performance, cum laudeStudent Television Arts Company (STAC), Ron DeMaio 1997 - 2001Special SkillsGuitar (acoustic, advance beginner, strumming and finger picking), sight-reading music, holding harmonies, belting very high, comedic timing, being awkward, softball, basketball, yoga, bowling, darts, NYS driver's license (can parallel park like a pro), baby cry, painting, drawingDialects: southern, british, brooklyn, valley girl, french
My Team

My Team...

Tom Burke, voice teacherwww.tomburkevoice.comMatthew Corozine, Meisner Techniquewww.matthewcorozinestudio.comKathy Deitch, coachSheri Sanders, rock musicwww.rock-the-audition.comLeenya Rideout, guitar and songwritingActors' Equity Associationwww.actorsequity.orgTheatre Development Fundwww.tdf.orgActors' Connectionwww.actorsconnection.com

"Amanda has such wonderful, unique and truthful awkwardness (vulnerable behavior) which I believe all human beings relate to and have; but she has the guts to express it and put it in all the characters that I have had the pleasure of coaching her in."

-Matthew Corozine , Acting Teacher/owner MCS Theatre, Inc

Headshots

Coming Soon!

Contact

Amanda Taraska

amanda.taraska_gmail.com

Painting Gallery

"Shed"
"Left"
"Sefl Portrait 1"
"The Raisin Heart"
"Resonance"
"In The End"
"Food Stuff"
"Fireworks"
"Anxiety"
"Compartments"
"Emo Charm"
"The Starling"
"Self Portrait"
"St. Augustine's Vision"
"First Paycheck"
"Getting Present"
Hand-painted stationery
"The Lion and the Unicorn"
close-up detail
"Sheri Sanders"

"Shed"
"Left"
"Sefl Portrait 1"
"The Raisin Heart"
"Resonance"
"In The End"
"Food Stuff"
"Fireworks"
"Anxiety"
"Compartments"
"Emo Charm"
"The Starling"
"Self Portrait"
"St. Augustine's Vision"
"First Paycheck"
"Getting Present"
Hand-painted stationery
"The Lion and the Unicorn"
close-up detail
"Sheri Sanders"

Buy Art

"Shout" t-shirt. S M L XL

Original design handpainted by Amanda

$25
"Food Stuff" 16x20

Acrylic on canvas 16x20

$175
"The Raisn Heart" 14x18

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 14x18

$250
"Emo Charm" 12x16

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 12x16

$175
"Compartments" 20x24

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 20x24

$250
"Resonance" 16x20

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 16x20

$150
"In The End"

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 15x15

$250
"The Lion and the Unicorn" 20x24

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 20x24

$350
"First Paycheck" 15x15

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 15x15

$250
"Left" 14x18

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 14x18

$300
"Fireworks" 16x20

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 16x20

$350
"The Starling" 11x14

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 11x14

$550
"Self Portrait" 11x14

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 11x14

$550
"St. Augustine's Vision" 20x24

Acrylic on canvas. Amanda Taraska 20x24

$600
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