Michael Rupert

Not to be confused with Michael Ruppert.
Michael Rupert
Born Michael John Rupert
(1951-10-23) October 23, 1951
Denver, Colorado USA
Occupation Actor, singer, composer, director
Years active 1968–present
Partner(s) Will Chafin

Michael John Rupert (born October 23, 1951, Denver, Colorado ) is an American actor, singer, director and composer. Rupert originated the role of "Marvin" in the William Finn musicals March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland.

Early life

Born in Denver, Colorado, Rupert was adopted as an infant, and his family moved to California when he was young. Rupert wanted to be an actor and started working at age 12 at the Pasadena Playhouse in King of Hearts.[1] Rupert made his Broadway debut in 1968 in Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time as the young Bibi Bonnard, which earned him his first Tony Award nomination, for Featured Actor in a Musical.[2] He returned to California after The Happy Time, and appeared in local theater while in high school.[1]

Career

In 1974, Rupert returned to Broadway as a replacement in the role of Pippin.[3] [4][5] In 1981, he appeared on Broadway in Shakespeare's Cabaret.[3][4] He then created the role of Marvin in two William Finn musicals, March of the Falsettos (1981) at the Off-Broadway Playwrights Horizons[6] and Falsettoland (1991, initially at Playwrights Horizons).[7] In 1986 he appeared as Oscar in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity,[8] for which he won the 1986 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.[9] He played Alex in the musical Mail, which ran on Broadway from March 1988 to May 1988 and for which he composed the music with book and lyrics by Jerry Colker.[5][10] He was a replacement in the role of Stine in City of Angels in 1991,[4] played Marvin again in Falsettos in 1992,[1] and was in Ragtime as a replacement Tatah.[4] In 2003, he performed with Betty Buckley, Christian Borle, Carolee Carmello and Keith Bryon Kirk in the Lincoln Center staging of William Finn's Elegies: A Song Cycle.[11] He originated the role of Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde (2007) on Broadway[12] and on the National tour, starting in February 2010.[13][14] He appeared in the play 7th Monarch Off-Broadway at the Acorn Theater, opening in June 2012.[15] He appeared in the Broadway revival of On the Town as Judge Pitkin, which ran from October 2014 to September 2015.[16]

In regional theatre, he starred in a workshop production of The Happy Elf, composed by Harry Connick, Jr. at Montgomery College's Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville, Maryland in a co-production with Adventure Theatre, Washington, DC in November 2010.[17]

Rupert's television credits include small roles on My Three Sons, The Waltons, Emergency! and The Partridge Family.[5][13] He was in the Legally Blonde video which was broadcast on MTV in 2007.[18]

In addition to acting, Rupert has directed several plays and musicals. In 1997 he directed The Lunch Anxieties by Larry Kunofsky Off-Broadway and a musical, The Stars In Your Eyes by J. Arlington Meyrelles III in 1998 in an Equity workshop production.[19] Rupert is also a composer. He wrote the score to Strange Vacation[19] and Mail. He composed the music for the musical Streets of America and also co-wrote the book and lyrics with Matthew Riopelle. The musical was presented at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 2007.[20][21] He wrote the music, with book and lyrics by Jerry Colker to the musical 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down, which ran Off-Broadway in February through June 1985.[22] The musical won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book. His debut single, "Racing to the Moon" was released on August 18, 2008 on the Footlight label.[21]

Rupert lives in New York City with his life partner, Will Chafin.[13]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Pacheco, Patrick. "STAGE : The Tenor of His Career: With his starring role in 'Falsettos' on Broadway, Michael Rupert has moved to the top ranks of the musical comedy field". Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1992
  2. ↑ "The Happy Time Listing". Playbillvault.com, accessed July 16, 2012
  3. 1 2 "Rupert Credits". InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed July 17, 2012
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Mike Rupert". Masterworksbroadway.com, accessed July 17, 2012
  5. 1 2 3 Holden, Stephen. "A Musical With A Bundle of Letters In Leading Roles". The New York Times, April 10, 1988
  6. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Stage: 'March Of Falsettos, ' A Musical Find ". The New York Times, April 10, 1981
  7. ↑ Christiansen, Richard. " 'Falsettoland' Closes A Trilogy On A Skillful, Provocative Note". Chicago Tribune, November 21, 1990
  8. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Stage: 'Sweet Charity,' A Bob Fosse Revival". The New York Times, April 28, 1986
  9. ↑ 1986 Tony Awards". Infoplease.com, accessed July 16, 2012
  10. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater;Epistles Set to Music, In Colker-Rupert 'Mail' ", The New York Times, April 15, 1988, Section C; p.3
  11. ↑ Holden, Stephen."Theater Review; Departed Friends Vibrantly Recalled in Song". The New York Times, March 28, 2003
  12. ↑ Pincus-Roth, Zachary. " 'Legally Blonde' Ends San Francisco Run Feb. 24; Broadway Next" Playbill.com, February 24, 2007
  13. 1 2 3 Cherkinian, Harry. "A Life in the Theater". Wisconsingazette.com, March 25, 2010
  14. ↑ "Michael Rupert Returns to 'Legally Blonde' on Tour Broadwayworld.com, February 10, 2010
  15. ↑ (author unknown). ‘7th Monarch,’ by Jim Henry, at the Acorn Theater". The New York Times, June 25, 2012
  16. ↑ " 'On the Town' Broadway Revival" Playbill, accessed July 16, 2016
  17. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Michael Rupert Stars in East Coast Premiere of Harry Connick Jr.'s 'The Happy Elf', Starting Nov. 12". Playbill.com, November 12, 2010
  18. ↑ Lipton, Brian Scott. "MTV To Re-Air 'Legally Blonde' on Thanksgiving". Theatermania.com, November 20, 2007
  19. 1 2 Lefkowitz, David. Novice "Director Michael Rupert To Share Anxieties & Romance". Playbill.com, November 26, 1997
  20. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Rupert's 'Streets of America' to Premiere at Pittsburgh Playhouse". Playbill, October 31, 2007
  21. 1 2 Hetrick, Adam. "Michael Rupert to Release Single "Racing to the Moon" Aug. 18". Playbill.com, August 6, 2008
  22. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Theater: '3 Guys Naked,' A Musical". The New York Times, February 6, 1985

References

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