Michael Boyer
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Michael Boyer | |
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as the Pied Piper of Hamelin |
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Born | 1960 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,United States |
Michael Boyer (January, 1960) is an American actor and showman who has been living the role of the Pied Piper of Hamelin in Germany, for nearly 15 years now. He lives in the legendary town with his wife and son who both have acting talent and experience.
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[edit] Early years
Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., Boyer soon discovered his theatrical talents to the chagrin of his teachers and relatives. He sang in school choirs, acted, was school mascot, and MC’d the school shows in his youth. The general poor finances of his family daunted his hopes of playing in the school band at the time, so that he never properly learned to play music. He was interested in learning the clarinet, (a foretaste of things to come?) but joined the US Army when he was 18. He opted for Germany and was stationed there for three years in the Military Police Corps. An additional seven years in the NATO civilian sector had him stationed in Comiso Italy, where he began to do radio spots for the troops.
[edit] The Piper
Upon returning to Germany, he organized events and wrote for army newspapers. The official position of the Pied Piper of Hameln was vacant and Boyer, who had been playing a comical jester in the carnival season, put in for the position and was selected in 1994. Since then, he not only acts the part, but lives the legend daily in the streets of the northern German town as the local tourist attraction. His promotional tours have taken him as far as Tokyo, Shanghai, Helsinki, Vienna, and Nottingham in England where he convinced Robin Hood to join forces with the Piper and William Tell to form the Legion of Legends. He has appeared at the 50th Steuben Parade in New York City in 2007.
[edit] Film and television roles
The Pied Piper as YinShuRen in the Grimm Brothers Fairytale Story Competition on TVS6 in Canton China (2006+2007), The Pied Piper in the Pied Piper Open-Air Play (1997-98), The Pied Piper in the film “Die Raettin” based upon the book by Guenter Grass (1997), The Pied Piper in the film Sagenhaftes Hameln, Maerchenhaftes Weserbergland (2000) winner of the Miglior Film Prize in Milan in 2001, The "Stingiest man in Germany" for Kabel-TV (1996).