Wade McCollum


Wade McCollum is an American film actor, stage actor and composer/musician.

Early life

McCollum was born in 1978 in Chico, California. His father is a rock-n-roll drummer and McCollum spent his early life on the road traveling from town to town. He spent some school years in Ashland, Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He left high school at age 16 to attend the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Career

After graduating from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, McCollum went on to land the role of Hedwig in a 2002 Triangle Theatre production of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. McCollum went on to star in several productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, including the Ovation Award-winning 2004 Celebration Theatre production in Hollywood, CA. For this production McCollum won the Backstage West Garland Award, The Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle Award and was praised by publications such as Variety and the Los Angeles Times.
McCollum released a music album called Beauty is a Streetlight in 2006.
While in Portland, McCollum appeared as Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Emcee in Cabaret opposite Storm Large as Sally Bowles, and Prior in Angels in America. At Portland Center Stage, he starred as Batboy in Bat Boy: The Musical and the one-person shows I Am My Own Wife and The Santaland Diaries. McCollum also co-founded and functioned as artistic director of Insight Out Theatre Collective where his hit original musical ONE was produced. ONE was still in development for commercial production, as of 2022.
McCollum went on to appear in Jersey Boys, led Broadway’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert First National Tour, and upon his return to New York City, made his Broadway debut in Wicked. McCollum has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows including Triassic Parq and most notably his Lucille Lortel Award nominated turn as Ernest Shackleton in Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, for which he garnered the prestigious Norton Award for “Best Actor” with the show winning the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical in 2017 Ernest Shackleton Loves Me was streamed live during its run in NYC and available on Broadway HD.
In 2011 McCollum appeared as the Emcee in Dallas Theatre Center’s Cabaret opposite Kate Wetherhead as Sally Bowles. Wetherhead is the creator of the Web Comedy Submissions Only in which McCollum played Nolan Grigsby.
In 2018, McCollum originated the role of Carl von Cosel in the new musical It Happened In Key West on London’s West End.
McCollum’s first performance back in the theatre after the Covid-19 shutdown was as a last-minute emergency cover for Henry Higgins in Lincoln Center Theatre’s national tour of My Fair Lady directed by Bartlett Sher.
In 2022 McCollum completed Secondary Dominance, his first feature film as co-director and co-writer with longtime collaborator Sarah Small.
In 2023 McCollum originated the role of Wade in Water for Elephants at the Alliance theatre in Atlanta. Upon returning from Atlanta, Wade starred and co created the hit solo show Make Me Gorgeous Off Broadway at Playhouse 46. Make Me Gorgeous was extended for three months and nominated for the Lortel Award and Wade’s performance was nominated for the Drama Desk Award and he won Best Solo Performance.
In 2024 Darius Rose replaced McCollum in Make Me Gorgeous as Wade left to originate his first principal role on Broadway in Water for Elephants. Water for Elephants, directed by Jessica Stone, with book by Rick Elice, composed by PigPen Theatre company, and choreographed by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll of Seven Fingers Circus was nominated for 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical in 2024. Wade performed “The Road Don’t Make You Young” from Water For Elephants on the 2024 live Tony Award show for CBS.

Personal life

McCollum is married to artist Noah Jordan. McCollum’s father-in-law is 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Robert Lefkowitz.

Filmography

Theater

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999RSC’s The Shakespeare RevueHamlet et al.US premier
2002ONESidan earlier version of the musical he wrote and co-composed with Eric Nordin.
2003-2005Hedwig and the Angry InchHedwigRegional, with triangle! Theatre and Celebration Theatre
2003The Last Five YearsJamieWest Coast Premier
2003-2004The Merchant of VeniceLancelot Gobbowith Portland Center Stage
2003-2004Bat Boy: The MusicalBat Boywith Portland Center Stage
2004On the VergeMary
2005The Rocky Horror Picture ShowFrank -n- FurterRegional
2006I Am My Own WifeCharlotte et al.Regional
2006MetamorphosesPhaeton/Ceyxwith Artists Repertory Theatre
2006AssassinsBalladeer/Lee Harvey Oswaldwith Artists Repertory Theatre
2007Toy Story the MusicalWoodyDisney Development
2007Jersey BoysNorm Waxmanwith Chicago Company
2008,2011CabaretEmceeRegional, with Dallas Theatre Center
2009-2010The Sanataland DiariesCrumpetwith Portland Center Stage
2010Fly By NightNarratorWorld Premier, with Theatreworks in Palo Alto
2010DraculaDraculaRegional
2010Angels In AmericaPrior WalterRegional
2011The Santaland DiariesCrumpet et alRegional
2011Dying CityPeter/CraigRegional
2012Priscilla Queen of the DesertTick/MitziUS National Tour
2013Triassic ParqVelociraptor of FaithOff- Broadway
2014WickedWitch’s Father
u/s Wizard & Dillamond		Broadway
2015-2017Ernest Shackleton Loves MeErnest Shackleton et alOff-Broadway
2018It Happened in Key WestCarl Von CoselWest End
2018The CarpenterGeneRegional
2019A Welcome GuestShimeusRegional
2019-2022My Fair LadyKarpathy
u/s Henry Higgins		US National Tour
2022Make Me Gorgeous: The Kenneth Marlowe StoryKenneth et al.Regional
2023Water For ElephantsWadeAlliance Theatre
2023-2024Make Me GorgeousKenneth/Kate/et alOff Broadway
2024Water for ElephantsWade
u/s August		Broadway
2025Floyd CollinsBee Doyle
u/s Floyd Collins		Broadway