Bio : Story Of A Rose

Actress, recording artist and writer Melissa Errico has been called, at her Carnegie Hall debut in 2022, “a unique force in the life of the New York theater-- there’s no one quite like her!” A Tony-nominated actress for her mentor Michel Legrand’s “Amour” on Broadway - and star of such Broadway musicals as “My Fair Lady”, “High Society”, “White Christmas”, “Les Misérables” & more— she has come into her distinct own in recent years with concerts and cabarets touring the world that spin together vital and witty talk with the sublime singing that had Opera News dub her “The Maria Callas of the American musical theater.” Stephen Sondheim and Legrand, among others, have been the subjects of her solo concerts – her 2019 album “Sondheim Sublime” was called, by the Wall Street Journal, “The finest solo Sondheim album ever recorded”. She is touring her new album, the acclaimed “Sondheim in the City” —culminating in her London solo concert hall debut at Cadogan Hall on July 12, 2025. She has also recently appeared as Mrs. Patrick Campbell in the play “Dear Liar” at the Irish Rep and premiered the role of Eleanor of Aquitaine last fall in an unforgettable concert at the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters, singing a new David Shire/ Adam Gopnik musical penned for her. In addition, she writes regularly about the comic twists and turns in the life of a performer for The New York Times, in a series dubbed by the newspaper “Scenes From An Acting Life.” From Paris, where she appeared last summer with her frequent concert mate Isabelle Georges at the Bal Blomet, to London, where she is a regular at Crazy Coqs cabaret – from the Elysée Palace to the stages of the Grand Rex, Montreal Jazz Festival and Carnegie Hall – she brings her inimitable mind, spirit, voice and soul to audiences around the world.

Daniel S ‘Dan’ Dayton

Mr. Dayton is a distinguished figure in the field of communication and executive management in both the private and public arenas with a career spanning several decades. He has been instrumental in promoting awareness and understanding of World War I's significance in American history. In 2013, he founded the Doughboy Foundation and now holds the title of Founder, and Chair Emeritus. He currently serves as Executive Producer of The Story of a Rose; A Musical Memoir of the Great War starring Melissa Errico.

From 2015 to 2024, Mr. Dayton served as the executive director of the United States World War I Centennial Commission. Under his leadership, the Commission provided advice and counsel to Congress and the President on matters related to the centennial of World War I. During that period, he was proud to help Americans remember the war's impact on their countrymen through the design and construction of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, and various other national programs and activities. 

Mr. Dayton retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Captain.  For his service and contributions, he received numerous military awards including the Legion of Merit.

Academically, Mr. Dayton holds a Bachelor of Science in English with a major in broadcasting from Emerson College.

Mr. Dayton is committed to continuing his efforts to arouse Americans' curiosity about World War I's transformative effects on the nation, that they might seek to benefit from those lessons.