Michael Cerveris

Michael Cerveris
Michael Cerveris, July 2, 2006
Born	(1960-11-06) November 6, 1960 Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Occupation	Actor
Website
www.amazing-journey.com

Michael Cerveris (born November 6, 1960) is an American singer, guitarist and actor. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Road Show, and Passion. He won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Assassins.

He was called, by Playbill.com, "arguably the most versatile leading man on Broadway",^[1] playing roles from "Shakespeare's Romeo to The Who's Tommy, from the German transsexual rock diva Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch to the homicidal title character of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd."^[2]

Cerveris' most visible television role to date has been as the Observer code-named September in the FOX science fiction television series Fringe. His character, a mysterious man seen attending many unusual events, has appeared regularly during the series and became one of the main characters to bring the story to its end.

Early life

Cerveris was born in Bethesda, Maryland and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. His mother, Marsha (née Laycock), was a dancer, and his father, Michael Cerveris, was a professor of music; the two met while students at the Juilliard School.^[3][4] He is a 1979 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and a 1983 cum laude graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He majored in theater studies, and also studied voice.^[2]

Career

Theatre

Broadway and Off-Broadway

Cerveris had roles in several Off-Broadway productions, starting with Macbeth in 1983 as Malcolm and including Total Eclipse in 1985 as Rimbaud at the Westside Theatre,^[5] Abingdon Square in 1987 as Frank at the Women's Project,^[6] and Blood Sports in 1987 as Nick at the New York Theatre Workshop.^[7]

He made his Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy in 1993 as "18-20 year old Tommy/Narrator", receiving a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Drama League Award nomination, Theater World Award winner, and Original Cast Grammy winner.^[8] He had appeared in Tommy in the La Jolla Playhouse prior to Broadway.^[9] He next appeared in the Broadway musical Titanic in 1997 as Thomas Andrews. He played the role of John Wilkes Booth in the Broadway musical Assassins in 2004, and won the Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Musical^[10] and the Outer Critics Circle Award.

In the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Ceveris played the title role, and was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award, and received the Drama Critics Circle citation. In this John Doyle production, the actors also played instruments, with Cerveris playing lyric guitar.^[11][12] In the Broadway musical LoveMusik (2007) he appeared as Kurt Weill,^[13] and received Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Drama League Award nominations. In 2007 he played Kent in King Lear at the Off-Broadway Public Theater,^[14] receiving a Drama League Award nomination. He appeared Off-Broadway in the Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical Road Show at the Public Theater in 2008 as Wilson Mizner.^[15] Ceveris appeared opposite Mary-Louise Parker in the limited Roundabout Theatre Company production of Hedda Gabler from January 2009 to March 2009.^[16] He next played Dr. Givings in the Broadway comedy by Sarah Ruhl, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), starting in October 2009.^[17]

Other venues

In 2000 Cerveris played the lead role of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in the West End. He had previously played the role Off-Broadway from July 8, 1998 to August 4, 1998^[18] and again from February 1999^[19][20] He was a Garland Award winner, and Ovation Award nominee. During 2002, the Kennedy Center presented a "Sondheim Celebration"; Cerveris appeared in Passion as Giorgio.^[21] Ceveris has appeared several times at the Ravinia Festival Concerts (Chicago), including: Passion (2003)^[22] Sunday In The Park With George (2004),^[23] and Anyone Can Whistle in 2005.^[24] He performed in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of The Apple Tree in 2005, with Kristin Chenoweth.^[25]

Regional^[26][27][28]

• Crow in The Tooth of Crime, Hartford Stage (1985–86)
• Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, opposite Phoebe Cates at the Goodman Theatre (1988)
• Bazarov in Nothing Sacred, Northlight Theatre, Illinois (1988)^[29]
• Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dallas Theater Center
• Eastern Standard with Tom Hulce, Seattle Repertory Theatre (1988)^[30]
• Richard II, Mark Taper Forum (1991–1992)
• Measure for Measure, Old Globe Theatre
• El Dorado, South Coast Repertory (1991)^[31]
• A Little Night Music, as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (December 23, 2003 - January 21, 2004) Jefferson award nomination ^[32]

Film

A partial list of films

• Stake Land (2010)^[33]
• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
• Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (2009)^[34]
• The Mexican (2001)^[35]
• Lulu on the Bridge (1998)

Television

• The Observer (September) on Fringe
• Ian Ware on Fame
• Jarek Koska on Person of Interest

Cerveris also appeared as The Observer at several real-life events covered by FOX as part of a viral marketing campaign for the series. These include appearing in the audience at a taping of American Idol, and being shown in the stands at various football and NASCAR events. He also made a cameo in a commercial for Glee. In 2014, he began a recurring role as State's Attorney James Castro on The Good Wife.

Music career

Cerveris played guitar as a member of Bob Mould's touring band supporting the album The Last Dog And Pony Show. A performance at The Forum in London was recorded and released as BobMouldBand: LiveDog98 (Granary Music 2002). His debut solo album, Dog Eared (Low Heat Records 2004), was co-produced with Adam Lasus and includes guest appearances from Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, R.E.M.), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Kevin March (Guided by Voices), Anders Parker (Varnaline), and Laura Cantrell.

He has also contributed vocals to "My Other Phone Is a Boom Car" as part of a ringtone project by They Might Be Giants for Wired Magazine in March 2007. In They Might Be Giants' 2011 release, Join Us, Cerveris also provided vocals for the track, "Three Might Be Duende."

Other activities

Cerveris has performed at many events, to honor or celebrate notable performers and creatives. He performed at The Drama League gala, A Musical Celebration of Broadway on February 7, 2011, which also honored Patti LuPone.^[36] In November 2010 he appeared at the Sonnet Repertory Theatre benefit, which honored director Jack O'Brien.^[37] On April 27, 2009, he performed at the Signature Theatre gala, a benefit and to celebrate the first annual Sondheim Award.^[38]

On December 8, 2010, he took part in the Symphony Space "Selected Shorts and Thalia Book Club" series of readings.^[39]

His concert appearances include the Broadway Cabaret Festival, held in October 2010 at The Town Hall (New York).^[40]

Work

Broadway The Who's Tommy (1993) as "8-20 year old Tommy/Narrator Titanic: A New Musical (1997) as Thomas Andrews Assassins (2004) as John Wilkes Booth Sweeney Todd (2005) as Sweeney Todd Lovemusik (2007) as Kurt Weill Cymbeline (2007) as Posthumus Hedda Gabler (2009) as Jorgen Tesman In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) (2009) as Dr. Givings Evita (2012) as General Juan Domingo Perón Fun Home (2015) as Bruce Bechdel West End Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2000) as Hedwig Off-Broadway Macbeth (1983) as Malcolm Life is a Dream (1984) as Astolfo The Games (1984) as Young Man Green Fields (1985) as Levi-Yitshok Total Eclipse (1985) as Rimbaud Blood Sports (1986) as Nick Abingdon Square (1986) as Frank Eastern Standard (1988) as Peter Kidde Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998) as Hedwig Fifth of July (2003) as Kenneth Talley The Apple Tree (2005) (Encores! staged concert) as Snake King Lear (2007) as Kent Road Show (2008) as Wilson Mizner Nikolai and the Others (2013) as George Balanchine Fun Home (2013) as Bruce Bechdel

Filmography Doubletake (1985) (TV) Fame (1982) TV Series (1986–1987) Quantum Leap (TV) Strangers (1990) Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever (1990) Steel and Lace (1991) A Woman, Her Men, and Her Futon (1992) Lulu on the Bridge (1998) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001) (TV) The Mexican (2001) The American Embassy (2002) (TV) Temptation (2004) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2007) (TV) (episode "Depths") Fringe (2008–2013) (TV) Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009) The Vampire's Assistant (2009) Person of Interest (2011) (TV) (episode "Judgement") Treme (2011-2013) (TV) The Good Wife (2013-2014) (TV) Discography BobMouldBand: LiveDog98 (2002) Dog Eared (2004)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated Work	Result
1993	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	The Who's Tommy	Nominated
	Drama League Award	Distinguished Performance		Nominated
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Actor in a Musical		Nominated
	Theatre World Award			Won
2004	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Assassins	Won
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical		Won
2006	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Nominated
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Actor in a Musical		Nominated
	Drama League Award	Distinguished Performance		Nominated
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Actor in a Musical		Nominated
2007	Drama League Award	Distinguished Performance	King Lear	Nominated
	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	LoveMusik	Nominated
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Actor in a Musical		Nominated
	Drama League Award	Distinguished Performance		Nominated
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Actor in a Musical		Nominated
2012	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Evita	Nominated
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical		Nominated
2015	Tony Award	Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Fun Home	Pending

References

External links

• Michael Cerveris official website
• Michael Cerveris at the Internet Broadway Database
• Michael Cerveris at the Internet Movie Database
• Internet Off-Broadway Database listing
• Yale Daily News: Broadway actor arrives late, entertains Berkeley crowd
• Michael Cerveris - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Michael Cerveris
• Spring 2009 interview with Michael Cerveris at The Sondheim Review

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (2001–2025) Gary Beach (2001) Shuler Hensley (2002) Dick Latessa (2003) Michael Cerveris (2004) Dan Fogler (2005) Christian Hoff (2006) John Gallagher, Jr. (2007) Boyd Gaines (2008) Gregory Jbara (2009) Levi Kreis (2010) John Larroquette (2011) Michael McGrath (2012) Gabriel Ebert (2013) James Monroe Iglehart (2014) Complete list (1947–1975) (1976–2000) (2001–2025)

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