Tony Yazbeck (born March 14, 1979) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his work on the Broadway stage, including the revival of On the Town, for which he received 2015 Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for lead actor in a musical. Yazbeck is also known for his principal roles on Broadway, including J.M. Barrie in the Broadway production of Finding Neverland, Tulsa in Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Phil Davis in White Christmas, Al Deluca in A Chorus Line and the original casts of Broadway's Never Gonna Dance and Oklahoma (2002 revival). In 2014 he appeared in a concert version of Kiss Me, Kate with the John Wilson Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, London as part of that season's Promenade Concerts. In 2020, Yazbeck originated a leading role in the musical Flying Over Sunset, directed by James Lapine. The production began in 2021 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Production was delayed because of the COVID-19 shutdown of Broadway.[1]
Tony Yazbeck | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1979 Riverside, California, United States |
| Education | Point Park University University of Cincinnati (BFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer, dancer |
Yazbeck made his Broadway debut at the age of eleven playing a newsboy in the revival of Gypsy starring Tyne Daly. On television he was featured on NBC's Smash, and he appeared in the feature documentary Every Little Step about the casting process for the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway. Yazbeck is on the board of the YOUNG/ARTS program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
Personal life
editBorn in Riverside, California, he grew up in Pennsylvania and Florida before moving to New York. He attended University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Point Park University.
Yazbeck is of Lebanese descent through his father, and has German, Irish, Ukrainian and Romanian ancestry on his mother's side.[2]
Broadway
edit| Year | Title | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Gypsy | Newsboy | Marquis Theatre |
| 2002 | Oklahoma! | Swing u/s Ali |
Gershwin Theatre |
| 2003-04 | Never Gonna Dance | Ensemble (replacement) | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 2006-07 | A Chorus Line | Al DeLuca | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre |
| 2008-09 | Gypsy | Tulsa | St. James Theatre |
| 2009 | White Christmas | Phil Davis | Marquis Theatre |
| 2011, 2012, 2017 | Chicago | Billy Flynn | Ambassador Theatre |
| 2014-15 | On The Town | Gabey | Lyric Theatre |
| 2016 | Finding Neverland | J.M. Barrie | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre |
| 2017 | Prince of Broadway | Various | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre |
| 2021 | Flying Over Sunset | Cary Grant | Vivian Beaumont Theatre |
Other theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Annie Get Your Gun | Ensemble (replacement) | — | National tour |
| 2003 | Thoroughly Modern Millie | Ensemble | — | |
| 2005 | Doctor Dolittle | Matthew Mugg | — | |
| 2006 | Fanny Hill | Charles Waneigh | York Theatre Company | Off-Broadway |
| 2007 | On The Town | Gabey | New York City Center | Encores! |
| 2009 | Animal Crackers | Wally Winston/Monsieur Doucet | Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL |
| 2010 | Sycamore Trees | Andrew | Signature Theatre | Washington, D.C. |
| 2011 | My One and Only | Billy | Goodspeed Musicals | East Haddam, Connecticut |
| 2014 | Little Me | George Musgrove | New York City Center | Encores! |
| 2018 | A Chorus Line | Zach | New York City Center | Annual Gala Presentation |
| 2019 | The Scarlet Pimpernel | Sir Percy Blakeney | Lincoln Center | Concert |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gypsy | Nominated |
| 2015 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | On the Town | Nominated |
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | ||
| Astaire Award | Best Male Dancer | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Prince of Broadway | Nominated | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Paulson, Michael (August 20, 2019). "Tripping on Broadway: A New Musical Explores LSD Use by Cary Grant and More". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ Joseph F. Panarello (June 25, 2015). "BWW Interview: ON THE TOWN's Tony Yazbeck on His Birdland Concert and Debut Album!". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.