The Fancy Bio
Heather Caliri has spent her life onstage—from her decade as a child actor, to twenty years’ experience as a worship musician at her church. In her youth, she worked with Kenny Rogers, John Schuck, Mattel, Playskool, Mervyn’s, Kellogg’s, and Nickelodeon. As a dancer, she trained and performed with San Diego Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Ballet Tucson. Her MFA in fiction writing and twenty years writing about real and imaginary human dramas give her unique insight into any characters she portrays.
The Honest Bio
My parents found me a talent agent at age three, during the most violent and chaotic period of our family’s life.
Despite my passion for acting, singing, and dance, my career was stressful and socially isolating. A series of particularly traumatic experiences from ages twelve to thirteen—in particular, rehearsing and performing sick until I lost my voice onstage as the lead in a professional production of Annie—left me with deep stage fright.
Image: on set with Kenny Rogers in Planet Texas
I began turning down acting opportunities until my agent dropped me. For decades, I hardly told anyone about my acting career. The memories felt full of shame.
I found some joy singing at my church as a young adult, but then parenting took most of my available time. In my years at home, I decided I’d never really been that passionate about performing—it had been my parents’ dream, not mine.
But one summer, I decided to try my church’s choir after ten years not singing. It thrilled me. Though my stage fright reared its head, I knew I could not go another minute without chasing that joy. So I went back to therapy, got a vocal coach, and, after some deep breaths, began signing up for local theater auditions.
Image: With John Schuck (Daddy Warbucks in Broadway’s Annie revival) and Emmy-winner Karen Morrow.
In 2026, I got cast in my first musical in 30 years—a production of School of Rock at Star Theater in Oceanside. Just a month later, I followed with The Secret Garden at Escondido’s Patio Playhouse.
Though I still feel the after-effects of the trauma I experienced as a kid, I have been delighted to have both the tools to manage it and the pleasure that comes from becoming a part of the theater community.