Southern California native and Chickasaw tribal member, Nicolette Blount, is the first Native American National Dramatist Guild Foundations Fellow joining famous fellows such as songwriting duo Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (Emmy, Tony, Oscar and Grammy winners for La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen), Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Disney's Frozen, Coco and Boradway's In Transit), Michael R. Jackson (Pulitzer Prize Winner for A Strange Loop) and more. Nicolette is a songwriter, playwright, performer, director, vocal coach, producer, sometimes music director and soon to be author who has traveled the US singing and performing. She is a recipient of a MASS Cultural Council Grant. Nicolette wrote, recorded and produced her first solo album called Conversations in 2005 while living in Hawaii. Nicolette's recent collaboration is writing the lyrics, music, and co-writting the book for Savage - The Unconquerable Wanda Savage: a musical about her 1920s Chickasaw starlet Great Grandma, Wanda Savage. Savage tells the redemption story of a 1920s indigenous mother who rose above racism, abuse, and misogyny to try to make a name for herself in Vaudeville and silent films. Savage is a current 2024 Semifinalist for the prestigious O'Neill National Musical Theatre Conference residency, received Honorable Mention for the 2022 American Playwright Foundation's Relentless Award, was chosen to be part of the 2023 SHEarts NYC Festival, received first runner up for the 2023 inaugaral Broadway Shark Tank and 2022 Broadway World Regional Boston Awards for Best New Musical (nonprofessional) for their first developmental production. After Savage's two sold out concerts at the 2019 New York Music Festival at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Nicolette self produced and released singles and an EP for Savage. Nicolette triples 100% of her music streaming income for Savage then gives it to Oklahoma Native Alliance Against Violence who works with 25+ tribes in Oklahoma. Savage currently has 49K streams on all streaming music platforms. In addition to cowriting Savage, Nicolette can be heard on Savage's Take My Shot and Warrior (lead vocals) and on backup vocals on the recent EP. Savage has over 10K social media followers which Nicolette self runs. She has performed and shared music from Savage at Broadway Sessions and recently some of her music from Savage was featured at Women of the Wings Vol.4 at the famous 54 Below in NYC. She is excited to be a composer/lyricist for the Ring of Keys Gala in January (queering the Alan Menken cannon) premiering the song Palm Springs that she wrote with NIco Juber. Nicolette and her show Savage was chosen to be part of Creative Nation's First Storytellers Festival in Boulder, CO and was the only musical amongst other Native plays.
Nicolette's first producing gig was in Hawaii in 2005 when she started a nonprofit, Grace 4 U, through which she organized and produced an annual festival (F.A.I.T.H. Festival) featuring local visual and performing artists with original works. She started Take My Shot Productions Llc in 2021 with her husband, Christopher Blount, and is listed on the Chickasaw Business Directory. Under Take My Shot Productions she started Underground Demos, a full demo concierge service that helps musical theatre writers create reasonably priced demos. ThroughTake My Shot Productions, she produced two concerts at NYMF 2019 for Savage, produced Savage's EP and singles, and Savage's first developmental production at Jaduke Theater in MA which received standing ovations at each of the four shows. She also directed that show. Savage was nominated for eleven Broadway World Boston Regional Awards (nonprofessional) and won first runner up for Best New Musical, as well as 3rd runner up for Best Musical overall, and Nicolette won 3rd runner up for Best Direction of a Musical. With her cowriter, Lindel Hart, she received honorable mention in the 2022 American Playwriting Foundation's Relentless Award for Savage the Musical. Nicolette is a coproducer for the Off Broadway show A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet written by Broadway's Alex Wyse and Ben Fankhauser, produced by Tony award winning producer Cody Lassen. Her and her husband recently invested in the Museum of Broadway and the new Off Broadway, female led show Millennials are Killing Musicals by Nico Juber. Nicolette produced the filming of the short play Reprieve (Lee Roscoe) for TRU's (Theater Resources Unlimited) TRUspeak fundraising gala 2023 and was a featured artist in TRU's Women Take the Stage 2022 Town hall. Through TRU Nicolette also produced the live broadcast reading of Rolling With the Punches by Joel S. Bailey (2024). Currently she is a coproducer for In Pieces by Joey Contreras. After reading the 2018/2019 AAPAC Visibility report and seeing that Natives are so under represented on Broadway and Off (in most cases as little as 0%), she decided to try to make a difference with nativetheatreartists.com . The website serves as a bridge between the Broadway world and North American Native tribal creatives to help create more visibility for Natives in the industry. Nicolette continues to advocate for Natives in the theatre industry by partnering with Theater Resources Unlimited to host a Native Town Hall of Native creatives in NYC and was a featured speaker at a Native Playwrights Panel at Longmont Museum, Longmont, CO.
Nicolette had the honor of singing at Carnegie Hall and performing in two operas, Tosca and Turandot with the Palm Springs and Riverside Civic Operas. She has also been heard on numerous T.V. and Radio programs in California and Hawaii. While living in Hawaii Nicolette toured the Hawaiian Islands with the Kanikapila Singers dancing hula and singing and as well as, performing as a solo artist. Nicolette studied voice under Marilyn Kim, Dr. William Chunestudy and Chariya Bissonette, who has performed with Disney and many notable musicians including Sir Elton John https://chariyabissonette.com/. Nicolette studied acting under Dr. Paul Cravath. She continues to perform in musical theatre with some of her favorite roles being in Annie (Ms. Hannigan) and Mary Poppins (Ms. Andrews). Nicolette has performed in jazz and rock bands.
Nicolette lives in Massachusetts with her amazing husband and three smart, beautiful, and talented daughters. She has been featured in Native Max Magazine, DC Metro Arts, The Chickasaw Times, and other publications including podcasts. She is a script reader for Theatre Resources Unlimited and Fresh Ink Theatre. Nicolette is a member of the Dramatist Guild, ASCAP, Beyond Music, Songwriters Guild of America, Maestra, TRU, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists.
"Where there is fear, there is no creativity"
"Never settle, never give up!"
"Many people in our society are so busy and stressed that many of us have become numb. I write musical theatre to help people feel, and yes at times, even to make myself feel. Musical theatre is not just to make people laugh or cheer or dance. Even the saddest, most dramatic shows are not just too entertain, but to help others feel emotion. I'm not just in the business of storytelling, I'm in the business of feelings. As my surgeon husband put it, "theatre is medicine." I love being a Musical Doctor."
"Even though I was classically vocally trained , my heart has always been in jazz and pop music. I have performed in operas, fronted a jazz band, and have been known to sing in a rock band, on occasion. I believe a good singer can sing anything."
Recent Roles
Annie
Miss Hannigan
Mary Poppins
Ms. Andrews
Seussical The Musical
Mrs. Mayor
Footloose
Ethel McCormack
Beauty and the Beast
Madame De La Grande Bouche (wardrobe)
Into the Woods
Cinderella's Step Mother
Our Town
Louella Soames
Sister Act
Sister Mary Martin-of-tours
Christmas Carol the Musical
Scrooge's Mother
Metamorphoses
Nursemaid, Woman by the Water, Narrator
It's A Wonderful Life
Mary Hatch
and more...