A native of Rochester, New York, OBIE award winner Donna Lynne Champlin has been performing since her very first tap solo in a local variety show at the age of four. Her childhood was a veritable whirlwind of lessons, community theatre productions, and national and international competitions in voice, piano, flute, theatre and dance. Having had the good fortune in her career to use these varied talents, she has deservedly earned the reputation for being a proverbial “quadruple threat.”

Champlin graduated with high honors from the prestigious Musical Theatre Program at Carnegie Mellon University. She also received intensive training in Shakespeare and Chekhov at Oxford University on the Advanced Acting Scholarship and The Vira I. Heinz Grant to study abroad. While still in college, she received her Equity card playing “Dorothy” in The Wizard of Oz with the celebrated Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

Champlin made her New York Debut at Carnegie Hall in a concert version of Very Warm for May in the title role under the direction of acclaimed conductor John McGlinn, and her Broadway debut followed in James Joyce’s The Dead, in the role of “Mary Jane.” In her next Broadway turn, she earned enthusiastic reviews as the delightfully eccentric “Honoria Glossop” in the Alan Ayckbourn/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical By Jeeves.   Next came the opportunity to work with Carol Burnett and Hal Prince in Hollywood Arms – the dramatization of Carol’s biography. National reviewers proclaimed Champlin a "show-stopping star in the making" and described her performance as "brilliant", "a triumph", and "a tour de force."

In 2006 Champlin played  "Pirelli" (and the accordion, flute and piano) in the groundbreaking Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd where critics characterized her performance as both “hilarious” and “superb. And in May of 2009, she joined the Broadway company of Billy Elliot as the principle female dancer, “Lesley”.

Her Off-Broadway performance in 2006 as "Cora Flood" in the production of The Dark At The Top of the Stairs was hailed by the NY press as “perfection“, “brilliant“ and “a privilege to watch.” and earned her the prestigious 2007 OBIE award.

Since winning the OBIE, DL has gone on to win other acting accolades for her Off Broadway work such as the NYMF Award for “Outstanding Performance” in not one but two productions namely as “Gracie” in Flight of the Lawnchair Man in 2006 and as “Kate” in the daring and brave new musical about child abuse,  Love Jerry in 2008.

Other Off-Broadway appearances include  Bury The Dead, First Lady Suite, My Life With Albertine, The Audience, Reunion, and City Center Encores! Bloomer Girl. National Tour roles include what critics called “a high octane performance” as legendary hoofer “Ruby Keeler” in the national tour of Jolson.

No stranger to concert work, DL made her NYC debut as “May” in Carnegie Hall’s concert performance of Very Warm For May conducted by the reknowned John McGlinn. DL also starred as “Daisy” in The City Center Encores! Production of Bloomergirl,  has received rave notices for her many concerts with the Town Hall Series, played “Sophie” in Master Class opposite Edie Falco at the Broadhurst produced by the Metropolitan Opera (the MET),  performed alongside the legendary Len Cariou in the Simply Sondheim inagural concert celebrating the opening of the new Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts,  and has sung in concert with some of the most illustrious orchestras in the world including the London Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic.

Throughout her career, Champlin has received numerous awards besides the OBIE, including the prestigious Princess Grace Award from The Princess Grace Foundation, the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Grant from The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, The Anna Sosenko Trust, The Charlie Willard Memorial Grant and the title of National Tap Dance Champion for four consecutive years from the Dance Educators of America. 

Her film credits include My Father's Will, The Audition, The Dark Half, By Jeeves, and Sweet Surrender.  TV credits include 2000 and 2006 Annual Tony Awards on CBS, The View (guest star), Law And Order, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and Regis and Kelly and Emily Dickinson of the PBS Voices and Visions series. 

Donna Lynne is involved in many new works and recently created the roles of “Jane Austen” in the Broadway bound musical of Pride and Prejudice, "Jessie” in the new play with music called The Cherry Sisters Revisited in the internationally respected Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and was extremely proud to work with Tony winning composers Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda in the revival of the famous musical Working at the Old Globe.

Her recent self-produced solo debut CD “Old Friends” was voted “One of the Best Ten Albums of 2009” and critics have hailed it as “brilliant”, “a masterpiece” and “breath taking”. She can also be heard on many cast albums including Sweeney Todd, By Jeeves, 3hree,  Albertine, Reunion as well as Our Heart Sings, The Lady and the Slipper and Have a Heart (as well as many voice-overs) 

Champlin also continues to perform her critically acclaimed one-woman show Finishing The Hat in NYC (most recently SRO at both ARS NOVA and BIRDLAND) and across the country, along with teaching acting master classes at many prestigious colleges such as Carnegie Mellon University, Hartt and NYU. For more information please go to www.donnalynnechamplin.com.

Of particular importance to Champlin is her regular participation in many benefits for two of her favorite charitable organizations, BCEFA and The Actors’ Fund.

Offstage, Champlin’s life is as colorful and as versatile as the characters she brings to life onstage. In addition to being an accomplished performer,  writer, stand-up comedienne, pianist, composer, musical director and choreographer, she enjoys an eclectic array of hobbies and special interests including metaphysics, mystic history and philosophy. She is currently working on two books, a humorous non-fiction book inspired by her (mis)adventures in the theatre and the other a ‘how-to of comedy’. DLC lives in New York City with her husband, actor Andrew Arrow (www.andrewarrow.net).