Erich McMillan-McCall         

A Broadway veteran and champion

of African American Theater

Erich McMillan-McCall is a multifaceted figure with a successful career spanning Broadway and leadership in the non-profit performing arts sector. He is recognized for his contributions to musical theatre as a performer and for his dedication to supporting and promoting African American theater through his organization, PROJECT1VOICE.

“God gives nothing to those who keep their arms crossed.” – African Proverb 

By Dale Ricardo Shields   

Career highlights 

Broadway Performer: McMillan-McCall boasts Broadway credits in notable productions like “The Who’s Tommy” and “Chicago”. He has also toured nationally in popular shows such as “Dirty Dancin'”, “Ragtime”, “Sunset Boulevard”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Dreamgirls”, and “Jelly’s Last Jam”. 

Founder of PROJECT1VOICE: He is the CEO/Founder/Executive Director of PROJECT1VOICE, Inc., a national not-for-profit performing arts service organization.
Advocacy for African American Theatre: PROJECT1VOICE’s mission is to amplify the voices and works of African American theatre, advocating on issues that affect the field, supporting member theatres, and promoting public understanding and appreciation for African American theatre and playwrights.

National Programming Initiatives: PROJECT1VOICE achieves its mission through initiatives like “1VOICE! 1PLAY! 1DAY!”, an annual fundraising event that gathers African American theatres across the nation to perform staged readings of a classic African American play simultaneously.

Editorial Work: In his earlier career, he worked as an Editorial Assistant at Conde Nast, contributing to magazines like VOGUE, GQ, VANITY FAIR, and GLAMOUR.
Television Appearances: McMillan-McCall has also appeared in various television shows, including “30 Rock”, “One Life to Live”, “All My Children”, and “Guiding Light”.

Education  

McMillan-McCall is a graduate of Ramsay High School.
He earned his BFA from Birmingham-Southern College.

Recent activities 

McMillan-McCall is actively involved in Black Theatre Day celebrations and promoting awareness for African American theatre.

He has also been involved in commemorating anniversaries of important Broadway productions, such as the 40th anniversary of “Big River”, including conversations with original cast members and those from subsequent revivals. 

Profession: Producer
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
Current home: New York City

A sense of mission: Born in Birmingham in 1963, McMillan-McCall traces his inspiration back to that Civil Rights crucible. “My connection to the year of my birth and the events that occurred during that year have strongly guided my path and choices as an actor, artist, and activist,” he says. Similarly, Project1VOICE bears the imprint of its founding in 2008, amid the unequally distributed financial crisis, as the company’s mission is to “bring awareness to the growing injustice in the arts community—an imbalance of power where certain narratives and creative talents are not valued as much as others, thus preventing them from fully realizing their potential.”

“Sometimes we bleed ourselves dry putting other people’s needs before our own. The times I have gotten in the most trouble are when I don’t put myself first. This a-ha moment is finally sinking in for me in my 5th decade on the planet. Yes, it’s taken a while for me to accept this realization.”

“Fortunately, there is no statute of limitations on learning or those life-changing a-ha moments. The universe has continually conspired in a myriad of ways to unveil and reveal this valuable life lesson, which I am now readily able to fully receive!”

Erich’s 8th grade class at Wilson Elementary School.

Erich graduated from Ramsay High School and received his BFA from Birmingham-Southern College. His Broadway credits include the Who’s Tommy and Chicago. He was a part of the national tours of Dirty Dancin’, Ragtime, Sunset Boulevard, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dreamgirls, and Jelly’s Last Jam. His television appearances include roles on 30 Rock, One Life to Live, All My Children, and Guiding Light. He has worked editorially at VOGUE, GQ, VANITY FAIR, and GLAMOUR magazines.

“The answer is always YES until and/or if I hear a NO and always focus on the solution, not the problem. Both statements are among my daily mantras. This is how we combat the dream stealers in our midst.” 

Most people these days know me more as a producer and they don’t even know about my performance career. These were from the RAGTIME national tour–a benefit in Novi, MI @ 2000. I am 36 years old. Lawrence Hamilton was singing A SONG FOR YOU. I was the danseur! Keep in mind when I was in school at BSC I was the person most likely not to have career in dance. I remember once the entire BSC dance department went to Huntsville to perform and I was the only person not cast in the ballet. I never processed this in a negative way. I was excited for my friends and loved not being in rehearsal everyday. Dance was never my true passion even though I worked a lot as a dancer in NYC. I have never been a stranger to hard word, perseverance, faith or the word NO. In fact NO is one of my dearest and closest friends! It’s my buddy YES that terrifies me most because then I have to accept the challenge and get things done. So this is me the dancer/actor/producer–the me–that almost wasn’t! My passion today is one of service. The greatest gift you can ever give is the gift of you–your brilliance is always enough! Receive it, claim it and achieve it!

  Erich McMillan-McCall

Executive/Artistic Producer

Erich McMillan-McCall is the founder/CEO of Project1VOICE (P1V) Incorporated. From as early as kindergarten, creative expression has always been an integral part of his life. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from Birmingham-Southern College. He began his career in New York City’s fashion editorial.

Since 2009, he has led the not-for-profit service organization, P1V.  Armed with nothing but a dream and tenacity, he formed the organization immediately after the devastating economic downturn.  Under his leadership, P1V  has beaten the odds and sustained itself.  It has grown to include over 40 organizations in its worldwide network, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.  P1V is committed to presenting programs and initiatives that promote and support the American theater.   It has played a vital role in making theater accessible to communities, connecting with a widely diverse spectrum of artists, teens, and families through its robust education initiatives and public programs, which have prompted cross-cultural conversations for diverse audiences.

To date, P1V has presented staged readings of Trouble in Mind, The Amen Corner, A Soldier’s Play, Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Home, and The Colored Museum, respectively.

The founding members of P1V are Gwen Gilliam, Erich McMillan-McCall, Marcia Pendelton, and Charles Randolph-Wright. Through its innovative programming, P1V connects and reconnects communities, artists, and arts patrons, demonstrating that when theatre is executed at its best, it successfully defines how and why we should care about one another and the world we live in.  What began as a grassroots organization for survival for Black theater companies has now developed into an international initiative with an unwavering commitment to keeping all aspects of the American theater strong, vital, alive, and most importantly, funded.