klea blackhurst is an american actress she is best known for everything the traffic will allow her tribute to ethel merman that debuted in new york in 2001 among many accolades this production earned her the inaugural special achievement award from time out new york magazine the recording of everything the traffic will allow was named one of the top ten show albums of 2002 by talkin broadwaycomklea next turned her passion for musicaltheatre history toward the broadway career of composer vernon duke and debuted autumn in new york vernon dukes broadway at new yorks caf carlyle which subsequently played a soldout engagement at joes pub at the public theaterin the fall of 2007 klea teamed with billy stritch to create dreaming of a song the music of hoagy carmichael which they debuted at manhattans metropolitan room this performance received a bacstage bistro award the recording of dreaming of a song the music of hoagy carmichael was released in october 28 2008kleas many concert appearances include the recent london palladium presentation of jerry hermans broadway she made her carnegie hall debut starring with michael feinstein in an evening devoted to the work of composer jule styne in 2002 klea made her london debut stage radio and television at royal albert hall as part of the bbc proms she sang the role of ado annie in a special concert version of oklahoma celebrating composer richard rodgers centenary she returned to london the following spring to debut everything the traffic will allow at the greenwich theatre other notable appearances include the atlanta symphony orchestras tribute to leonard bernstein the paley center for medias tribute to kay swift jazz at lincoln center 92nd street y lyrics lyricist series leo robin cole porter the oak room in the algonquin hotel san franciscos plush room new jersey performing arts center guild hall in east hampton and multiple appearances at the chicago humanities festivalkleas theatre credits include mama morton in pioneer theatre companys production of chicago the dual roles of bernicemarilyn in the off broadway production of bingo nails oreilly duquesne in red hot and blue at san franciscos 42nd street moon sally adams in call me madam also at 42nd street moon reno sweeney in anything goes at the shubert theatre in new haven debbie in the original off broadway production of oil city symphony rennabelle in radio gals off broadway at the john houseman theatre and the role of hippolyta in by jupiter in the york theatres musicals in mufti seriesklea made her screen debut in the awardwinning short film andy across the water written and directed by leo geterkleas television and radio appearances include the caroline rhea show the rosie odonnell show sesame street law and order svu and a prairie home companion she currently has a recurring role as deranged nancy grace parody shelby cross on the onion news network on ifckleas recordings of dreaming of a song the music of hoagy carmichael autumn in new york vernon dukes broadway and everything the traffic will allow are on the ghostlight records label are available at wwwghostlightrecordscom other recordings on which she is featured include jule styne in hollywood on the ps classics label the original cast recordings of bingo and radio gals lost in boston iv unsung irving berlin and the best of off broadwayblackhurst was born and raised in salt lake city utah