Stevie Vallance:
Actor, Voice Director and Vocalist
<CLICK HERE FOR SHORT BIO as pdf>
By the time Montreal-born, Toronto-raised Stevie Vallance was nineteen, she had performed her way across eastern Canada with Charlottetown Festival and attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, in New York. At age twenty, while she was fronting a band in Los Angeles, a CBS executive heard her and offered her the recurring role of recording artist, 'Sylvie', on the long-running series, Knots Landing alongside Michelle Lee and Joan Van Ark. She then spent a year on The Ropers, learning comedic timing from veterans Norman Fell, Audra Lindley and Jeffrey Tambor.
Over the next sixteen years, Stevie had the privilege of working next to actors such as Tom Hanks on Bosom Buddies and Ed Asner on Lou Grant. She was whisked away on a horse by Christopher Reeve when she played opposite him on Road to Avonlea. She played Jim Varney's love interest, Erma Terradiddle, in Slam Dunk Ernest and, when she guest-starred on LA Law, she got to act with Kevin Spacey. On the feature film, Three Men and a Baby, Stevie played 'Sally', opposite Steve Guttenberg.
In the '80s, Stevie commuted between Los Angeles and Toronto, on a regular basis. She played series regular, 'Det. Stevie Brody' on the CBS late-night series Night Heat, while at the same time, in Los Angeles, she played a very different sort of role; a pink kangaroo named 'Whazzat', on the Hallmark series, Zoobilee Zoo, with Ben Vereen. "I would often joke about pulling a Colt 45 out of my pouch!"
ANIMATION:
Vallance has infused life and personality into characters on thousands of animated productions including, 'Mouse' on Reboot, 'Share Bear' in the Care Bears movies, 'Dixie' on Donkey Kong, 'Natsuko Fuji' on Inuyasha, ‘GLADIS’ on Totally Spies, 'Sonia' on Sonic the Hedgehog and ‘Tigrerra’ on Bakugan. In 2002, Stevie received an EMMY AWARD for directing the dialogue & vocals for the beloved Disney classic, Madeline, in which she also portrayed 'Miss Clavel', the nun, and 'Genevive', the dog. In 2007, Stevie voice-produced Emmy Nominee Growing Up Creepie, for Discovery Kids and in 2008, she served as Voice Director on Teletoon's hit show, Best Ed.
MUSIC:
In 1995, Stevie relocated to Bowen Island, BC, where she met Michael Creber (pianist for k.d. Lang) and in 1998 they recorded Stevie's debut jazz CD, 'Practically Naked', reviewed by one critic as 'an unforgettable piece of music history, sung with a warmth and grace that sends shivers down the spine."
On her second CD, 'Always (A Salute to Patsy Cline)’, inspiration came from Stevie's one-woman portrayal of the legendary country singer, with whom Vallance coincidentally shares the same birthday. Stevie toured with the show in western Canada and opened for the Calgary Stampede, in 1999.
Motivated by the devastating loss of a close personal friend, Stevie produced jazz benefit concerts, 'Divas For Life'. With media sponsors such as Bravo and CBC on board, the critically acclaimed, standing-room-only jazz concerts, took place in Vancouver's Vogue Theatre (1250 seats). She also negotiated a national distribution deal, with Fusion Records, for a 'live' concert CD, that aired on CBC Radio's Hot Air and was released as part of the 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival line-up. The events raised $70,000 for people living with life-threatening illness and Stevie was presented with the Friends for Life Philanthropy Award.
"Vallance's voice sounds fabulous... mature, well recorded, comfortable, sexy..." said Paul Grant, of Stevie's forth Jazz CD, released in 2008. Arranged by Pat Coleman (guitar), ‘Make My Night’ offers smooth renditions of jazz standards as well as ‘original’ songs by Stevie and Vancouver-based composers such as, Jim Vallance.
"Songs are lucky when Stevie Vallance sings them." ~ Ross Porter
"Intimate, vulnerable yet full of passion able to caress a word shape a phrase so that it comes alive this is an evening with the voice of Stevie Vallance." ~ Medicine Hat Jazz Festival
"Stevie Vallance, here's a vocalist with something to say and a sensational way of saying it" ~ Jurgen Goth
CURRENT:
In 2008, Stevie moved to northern Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula, where she now hosts her own radio show, 'Jazz & Blues on the Beach’, that airs every Sunday night, on 98theBeach.ca
In 2009, Stevie performed in the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival for the second year in a row and she was also the featured vocalist with the Charlie Bell Trio, in the Thornbury and Kincardine Jazz Festivals. Last year Stevie sang regularly with the Stardust Big Band, while also performing as the 4th member of Le Bouquett Jazz Quartet. In the fall she produced ‘Jazz Inclined’; Patsy Cline songs done with a ‘jazzy’ twist. The live recorded CD features Richard Whitman (piano), Mike Grace (bass) and Kevin Barrett (guitar).
In 2010, Stevie will pursue her impresario talents with the 'Stevie Vallance & the Masters of Jazz’ concert series, at the Bruce Power Theatre, in Southampton, presenting world-class players such as Jake Langley (guitar), Kieran Overs (bass), Ted Warren (drums), Bobby Brough (sax), Steve Koven (piano), Rob Clutton (bass), Nancy Walker (piano), Ted Quinlan (guitar), Mike Murley (sax), David Occhinpinti (guitar) and George Koller (bass). The 7-concert jazz series kicks off on February 13th, with the Stevie Vallance Quintet, performing ‘Heart to Heart’; a Valentine’s Day celebration of love-song Jazz standards. On April 10th, Stevie will sing alongside renowned Canadian composer and friend, David Warrack, in ‘3 Davids’; a Cabaret-jazz style revue comprised of Frishberg, Shire and Warrack tunes.
Meanwhile, Vallance continues to excel in the animation field. Last year, in LA, she cast and voice-directed the animated feature, Young Dr. Dolittle, starring Tom Kenney (Sponge Bob). In October, she facilitated 200 Animators in 'voicing' their own shows, at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival. Stevie currently portrays ‘Tigrerra’, on Bakugan, while she continues to teach ‘wannabe Toons’ in her incredibly fun Tooned In! Animation Acting Workshops, throughout North America; the most recent class taking place in New York City. See toonedin.ca for 2010 schedule.
www.stevievallance.com