Originally from L.A., raised in Orem, Utah, and the youngest of seven children, Matthew has been onstage since he was a boy-soprano singing the songs of Oliver!  He performed with many choirs and show-groups and started acting when he landed his first role as Kurt, in The Sound of Music.  Through his school years, he contiued with his passion for choral chamber music, theatre, as well as his love for soccer and diving.  Sometime during high school, he came to understand his gifts, and made the switch from the soccer field and early morning swim practices, to the rehearsal studio and lights of the stage.  He continued his intense choir pursuits while acting in community and school theatre.
In 1994, Matthew received a full-tuition scholarship to the Music Dance Theatre program at Brigham Young University.  Following the first year of his four-year BFA program, Matthew left the country for two years to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the rural Philippines.
Upon his return, he continued his BFA while working professionally as an actor, music director, and private voice instructor in the Utah region.  During his time at BYU, he played leading roles in the school's productions and was president of the university's premiere performance group, The Young Ambassadors.  With the Young Ambassadors, Matthew toured throughout the U.S. as well as an extensive 5-week tour to South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland.  While pursuing his degree, he took some time off to perform as the lead singer for Holland America Cruise Lines througout Alaska, and Central/South America.
Around the same time of his graduation, Matthew married his long-time sweetheart, Heather, after a long courtship that began almost 10 yrs. earlier.
After finishing his BFA, Matthew began his graduate school career, on scholarship with the prestigious MFA Acting program at The University of Texas at Austin. During this intensive three-year MFA, Matthew taught and created courses at UT and maintained his private voice studio while absorbed in the intensive acting, voice, and movement training the program offered. He had leads in many productions and helped in the development of new scripts and productions; as well as academic studies in higher education, directing, and international and multi-cultural theatre.
While in Austin, Matthew and Heather's first child, Margaret, was born in 2003.
Toward the end of the final year of his MFA, Matthew joined his fellow graduate actors in an actor's showcase in Los Angeles and New York City.
With a very well attended and successful showcase, Matthew was able to secure talent representation in both the "legit acting" and commercial sides of the NYC industry.
In the summer of 2004, the Herrick family sold their car and trucked out to the Big Apple for Matthew's pursuit of a successful and hopefully, long, career as a theatre artist.
In his six years in NYC, Matthew saw success on all sides of the industry; from national commercials, to Off-Bway plays, to soap-operas, a magazine cover, and a solo-debut at Carnegie Hall.
The Herrick family has loved living in such a vibrant and challenging city, and is now enjoying their new suburban lives as Matthew has begun his new position as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at The University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley.
Matthew hopes to continue acting, teaching, and directing within the theatre for many years to come, and continually strive at being a creative force within the arts.
ABOUT MATTHEW
ARTIST'S BIO
Matthew was recently seen as the 'Generations' soloist in the Pre-Bway Showcase of Children of Eden, in collaboration with Stephen Schwartz and directed by his son, Scott. Matthew also finished playing Apollo / Prometheus in Handcart Ensemble's New York Premier of Euripides' Alcestis, adapted by Ted Hughes. As a resident member of Handcart Ensemble, Matthew's last production with them was The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Antigone, at Theatre 315 in Midtown NYC. He is also a resident company member of Theatre East in NYC. In other news: Matthew made his singing debut at Carnegie Hall in The Gift of Music and was seen on a recent cover of Martha Stewart’s newest magazine, Blueprint.
Regional:  Jamie in The Last 5 Years, Moliere/Harpagon in Suzan Zeder’s adaptation of The Miser, Marius in Les Miserables, Adam in Children of Eden, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jed in The Fifth of July, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance, Kulygin in The Three Sisters, Richard III, Joseph in Joseph…Dreamcoat, and many more. He also appeared as a soloist alongside Tommy Tune and Linda Eder in the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the U.T. Performing Arts Center.
TV: As The World Turns, Touched by an Angel.
National Commericals: principal for Verizon Wireless and The Olive Garden.
Education: MFA in Acting from The University of Texas at Austin, BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Brigham Young University.
Proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
M A T T H E W H E R R I C K