Biography

Born and raised in the San Francisco-Bay Area, Ms. de Coudreaux showed an early aptitude for music and dancing. However, having attained her present height of six feet in her mid-teens, she changed her career objectives. Abandoning her dreams of showbiz, she turned her energies toward studies in pre-law. She attended the University of California in Los Angeles and received her B.A. in Political Science. She was preparing to enter Law School when a friend told her about auditions in Las Vegas for tall dancers. She attended the audition, was hired on the spot and has not looked back since.

While working at MGM Grand Hotel-Las Vegas, she came to the attention of the legendary producer/director Donn Arden. With his encouragement and direction, she advanced from the dancing chorus to principal singer in his new show Jubilee. It was during a holiday in Europe that her fortunes took a turn for the better. She was informed that the Moulin Rouge was looking for a new star. Ms. de Coudreaux auditioned and again, was signed on the spot to star in the Moulin's new show scheduled toopen the following year. Using the interval to learn French, Debbie performed in Vive les Girls and For Ladies Only at the Loews Hotel in Monte Carlo before taking up the reins at the Moulin Rouge where she performed in Frenesie, Femmes-Femmes-Femmes and finally, Formidable which was created around her talents.

During her European career, Debbie appeared frequently on television. Some of her credits included: Michel Drucker's "Champs Elysees", Jacques Martin, Les Uns et les Autres, Patrick Sabatier (France), the award-winning Gino Bramieri Show for three seasons (Italy), Essence-The Program, The Today Show with Bryant Gumbel, Entertainment Tonight (USA), also The Wogan Show (England), Kenny, Live! (Ireland) and the Gala of the Century filmed at the Moulin Rouge with such stellar personalities as Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Jerry Lewis, Anita Baker, Charles Aznavour and Lauren Bacall.

Debbie also appeared in two Robert Altman movies, Beyond Therapy and Aria, has performed at the American Embassy and the Ministere de la Culture in Paris. She co-hosted a radio show, Europe 1, recorded an award-winning soundtrack to the show Formidable, performed before the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Queen of England, Princess Caroline and Prince Rainier of Monaco, then Vice President Bush, the Russian Cosmonauts, Dustin Hoffman, Patty Lupone, Peter Ustinov, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, The Artist Formerly Known As[ and Once Again Known As] "Prince", Mick Jagger to mention just a few.

Returning to the United States to audition for Tommy Tune, Debbie was cast in a leading role as Raffaela in the international tour of Mr. Tune's Tony-winning Grand Hotel. She went on to perform the role on Broadway and later recreated the role in London. True to her hard working tradition, Debbie used her vacation time from the show to star in a salute to the 20th Anniversary of Disney World. In 1994, Debbie was given a scholarship to participate in the Euguene O'Neil Cabaret Symposium. She was nominated for a Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) Award in 1996. She was most recently seen on Broadway performing the role of Julie in Hal Prince's Tony award winning production of Show Boat. She went on to play the role in the First National Tour. One of her most challenging roles was that of Aldonza/Dulcinea in Man of La Mancha for the West Virginia Public Theater.

Debbie 's debut CD Have A Little Paris On Me came out in April, 2003.

Having recently moved home to the San Francisco/Bay Area, Debbie has already begun to make a name for herself, appearing at Mecca, Jazz at Pearl's and a critically-acclaimed engagement at The Empire Plush Room. She completed a sold-out 6-week engagement as the star of San Francisco's wildly popular "Teatro Zinzanni" and a 3-month engagement in Seattle's "Teatro Zinzanni" playing the role of Cleopatra. Most recently, she participated in Sheryl Lee Ralph's 15th Annual "Divas Simply Singing" benefit in Los Angeles and was a soloist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony's production of Handel's "The Messiah".