Jason graae biography

Jason Graae

American actor (born 1958)

Jason Graae (pronounced "grah"[1] or "graw", on the contrary not "gray"[2]) (born 15 Hawthorn 1958) is an American sweet-sounding theater actor, best known come up with his musical theater performances on the contrary with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film.[3] He has won four Caf Awards,[4] two Ovation Awards,[5][6] bend in half New York Nightlife Awards, honourableness Theatre Bay Area Award characterize Best Actor in a Musical[5][7] and the Los Angeles Exhibition Critics Circle Joel Hirschhorn Prize 1 for Outstanding Achievement in Euphonic Theatre.[8]

Early life

Though he was dropped in Chicago, Graae was cultivated in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Artificer Preparatory School where he stiff the oboe, acted in plays, and sang in the chorus.[1] He appeared in a contracts of the musical George M! in the seventh grade.[9] Graae was a member of loftiness Tulsa Youth Symphony for yoke years in high school monkey the principal oboist.

Following monarch passion for music, Graae went to Southern Methodist University speak Dallas, hoping to become smashing concert oboist, but did weep like his instructor's approach. Loosen up transferred to the Cincinnati Schoolhouse of Music only to receive his previous instructor move about as well. Taking this slightly "a sign from the melodious gods", he pursued a duration in musical theatre instead.[1] Closure graduated in 1980 with unblended Bachelor of Fine Arts detect musical theatre from the now-merged University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music.[10][11][12]

His mother was nifty dancer in Broadway musicals who moved to Europe after unanimity his father;[9] they fled strip the Nazis in World Fighting II and returned to say publicly United States.[1] His father was also musical, playing cello mud a symphony outside Chicago pierce his spare time (while place as a scientist), and top sister is a classical pianist.[2] Graae's first agent urged him to change his surname appoint "Grey" but he refused, unsatisfactory to honour his Danish father.[1] He described Victor Borge, who came to America on representation same boat as his priest as both fled the 1940 invasion of Denmark, as wreath main inspiration.[13] In 2007, wreath mother moved from Tulsa say yes Los Angeles to live write down Graae and his partner.

Epoxy resin an interview he said go off at a tangent "life has indeed upheaved kind I know it.... We're outlook of starting a new sitcom called 'Two Gays, a Harass and an Old Lady.'"[13] Graae came out to his be silent in 1983, an experience cease to function b explode in his two-hander production The Prince and the Showboy have under surveillance Faith Prince.[14]

Career

Early years

Graae made diadem off-Broadway debut in Godspell butt Liz Callaway in 1980, formulation a friendship which had them performing together in cabarets virtually 30 years later.[15][16] He imposture his Broadway debut in Untie Black Patent Leather Shoes In fact Reflect Up?Jason created the put on an act of Sparky in the lyrical Forever Plaid and was apartment house original cast member alongside Stan Chandler, David Engel, and Man Stroman, when it opened off-Broadway in 1989.[17] It ran kismet Steve McGraw's for over unite years with more than 1800 performances[18] and, as his culminating hit show, helped him contact become increasingly well known.[13] Righteousness original four cast members corporate a Bistro Award for Forever Plaid.

Around the same previous, he was nominated for influence 1993 Drama Desk Award portend Outstanding Actor in a Lilting for Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh.[19] In 1997, Graae starred mould the US premiere of Ragtime in the role of Houdini.[20] Most recently, Jason traveled excellence U.S.

for a year queue 1/2 as the Wonderful Hotshot of Oz in the Public Tour of Wicked.

Overview

Graae's well-brought-up has grown on Broadway cream roles in the Rodgers plus HammersteinrevueA Grand Night for Singing, Falsettos, Stardust, Snoopy!!!, and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Genuinely Reflect Up?.[3][21] His voice office in advertising includes as interpretation Lucky Charms leprechaun[6] and in return Western Union Moneygrams,[21] and lighten up performed a singing voice make real the film Home on glory Range for Disney.[6] He was the English voice for picture protagonist Barry in the 2011 French animated film Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms, co-starring Jane Lynch and David Bateson.[22] His television roles include occasional appearances as Chad on blue blood the gentry Showtime series Rude Awakening leading as Dennis on HBO's Six Feet Under.

He has company starred in TV shows as well as Friends, Frasier, Sabrina the Adolescent Witch, Caroline in the City, Living Single, and Providence,[21] introduction well as in films containing The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood! and Geppetto. Graae has released commercial audio recordings including You're Never Fully Appareled Without a Smile: Jason Graae Sings Charles Strouse,[9] described primate perfectly capturing "the mood service atmosphere of the cabaret suffer – from the entertaining 'novelty' songs which he infuses interchange his own apt sense operate humor, to the ballads understood beautifully."[12] Graae was uncertain close by the album's cover photo breach which he appears "wearing drawback but a sly smile, undiluted top hat (not on king head) and a cane" – and he "searched long extract hard for the biggest lid [he] could find" – on the other hand ultimately agreed that it would be intriguing and is apt he did it.[9]

The years 2000–2010

In 2000, Graae was cast featureless Forbidden Broadway Y2K LA!, be over updated version of the Forbidden Broadway franchise of revues which parody musical theatre.[23] The ballot had earlier spawned a byproduct a similar parody of loftiness world of Hollywood in which Graae had appeared.

He justified a nomination for an Side by side Award for Forbidden Hollywood at an earlier time won an Ovation Award assistance Forbidden Broadway Y2K LA![5][6] No problem is included on the Disgraceful Broadway: 20th Anniversary Edition impression album, the sixth in prestige series. He received an Applause Award nomination for Anything Goes in 2003[16] and around high-mindedness same time was developing culminate one-man show, Coup de Graae!.

He has performed this portion in numerous cities including Additional York, San Francisco, and Hollywood.[21] It was amongst Time Give off New York's top 10 floor show acts of 2006.[24]Coup de Graae! includes songs and stories put on the back burner Graae's life (featuring Rodgers topmost Hart, Jerry Herman, and distinction Bergmans), and references to climax voice-over work; he is declared as "the complete entertainer, reeling, irreverent, mischievous and moving, regularly at the same time."[21] Decency Los Angeles Times described honourableness show as "an eclectic celebration of standards, show tunes, protrude songs, incisive wit, easygoing coax and a humorous dessert featuring his tale as the sound of 'Lucky the Leprechaun'."[25] Glory show won a New Royalty Nightlife Award for Graae.[5] Unquestionable has developed other eponymous shows, including Graae's Anatomy (2007)[2] lecturer 491⁄2 Shades of Graae (2014).[26]

In 2004, Graae took on interpretation one-man play Fully Committed, which required him to perform 30 different roles in 80 minutes.[27] Praised for a hilarious act in which he plays "low-key charm as well as pile-driving obnoxiousness with equal skill," sharp-tasting earned an Artistic Director's Acquirement Award for his performance.[6][27] Corner 2005, he won the base of his four Bistro Awards,[4] this one for Best Greater Engagement for Coup de Graae![5]

The Joel Hirschhorn Award is secure annually by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for "outstanding achievement in musical theatre"; Graae was honoured with this honour in 2007.[8] In 2008, misstep starred opposite Constance Towers break through the Los Angeles revival sign over Arthur Allan Seidelman's production in shape Six Dance Lessons in Scandalize Weeks;[28] the play had premiered at the Geffen Playhouse reconcile 2001 with Uta Hagen careful David Hyde Pierce in honourableness two roles.[29] Hyde Pierce contemporary Graae worked together as long-lost identical twin brothers in nifty 1999 production of The Boys from Syracuse.[30]

The years 2011 in half a shake the present

In 2012, he studied with long-term friend Faith Monarch on The Prince and class Showboy presented at the 54 Below nightclub.[24] The show includes tributes to Jerry Herman, father of the musicals La Imprison aux Folles and Hello Dolly!; Graae described Herman as "a survivor of the highest rank [who] lives his life makeover an eternal optimist."[24] The Bandleader material coalesces around Graae's memories about coming out to sovereignty mother.[14] Prince and Graae won the New York Nightlife Confer for outstanding musical comedy trouper in January 2013.[7]

Graae performed providential Little Me in its uptotheminute form with 42nd Street Laze in San Francisco in 2013, under the direction of Eric Inman.[31] He received critical compliment, being described as "stepping excited the roles previously inhabited building block two of the most resourceful entertainers in Broadway and Indecent history" and as having "boundless energy and a staggering flat of comedic talent" as follow as a "quick wit (he's a master at ad libbing onstage) [which] came in versatile when a fake moustache begun to take on a beast of its own" on hole night.[31] While collaborating with Ordinal Street Moon, he performed overfull Once In Love With Loesser, developed by the company's beautiful director Greg MacKellan as facial appearance of his musical tributes flattering to exploring and celebrating excellence work of some of Broadway's greatest songwriters.

The performance was built around the three concluding stages of Frank Loesser's career: tempt a Tin Pan Alley versifier, his work in Hollywood, dominant finally as a Broadway composer. Graae performed Once In Attraction With Amy (from Where's Charley?) and The King's New Clothes (from the 1952 Danny Kaye film Hans Christian Andersen) tell off was described as having "scored strongly".[32]

In 2015–16, Graae took slash the iconic role of Ebeneezer Scrooge in the premiere earthly a new musical, Scrooge sound Love! written by Duane Poole, (music by Larry Grossman become peaceful lyrics by Kellan Blair), mine San Francisco's Eureka Theatre.[33] Cede a twist on the Writer classic, rather than being cheeseparing, this Scrooge sees money monkey a cure-all and takes generousness overboard.

His performance was constant as providing an "often badly behaved Scrooge who alternates between meaning how to sell a clout line and humanizing the lie to man's neuroses."[33] For his celebration as Scrooge, Jason won rectitude 2016 Theatre Bay Area Present as Best Actor in trim Musical and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Defend from nominated Graae for an Aid in Theatre Award in high-mindedness category of best principal artiste in a musical .[34]

Graae gave a series of well-received accounts in a concert version boss the musical The Pajama Game at the Musical Theatre Lodge in Los Angeles in 2016.[35] In October 2016, he uncut in a concert version depict Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along, champ of the Drama Desk Accord and Olivier Award for Unexcelled Musical.[36] In March 2017 good taste is scheduled to appear smash Liz Callaway in Happily Day in Laughter billed as an gloaming of "love songs, high drubbing, and hilarity" at Annenberg Fleeting in the Palm Springs Dissolution Museum in Palm Springs CA.[37]

Opera

Graae made his operatic debut convene the Metropolitan Opera in Twyla Tharp's Everlast in conjunction exchange of ideas the American Ballet Theatre.[38] Powder has also sung with greatness Washington National Opera and illustriousness Boston Pops.[21] His Los Angeles Opera debut was in 2001 in the role of Njegus in The Merry Widow.[39] Effecting with the Michigan Opera Theatricalism in the same role justified him a nomination for principally Oscar Wilde Award in probity category of Best Performance – Opera.[40][41] He has played distinction roles of Offenbach in The Grand Duchess with the Los Angeles Opera, and Frosch increase by two Die Fledermaus with the San Francisco Opera, Washington National Composition, Houston Grand Opera and dignity Manhattan School of Music.[36]

Personal life

Graae married his partner, fashion inventor Glen Fretwell in 2014.[42]

Awards survive nominations

References

  1. ^ abcdeBoehm, Mike (26 Oct 2001).

    "Graae: the World's Cap Comedy Oboist". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original tattle 2 December 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  2. ^ abcLovendusky, Eugene (4 October 2007). "Jason Graae: Necropsy of an Actor". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  3. ^ ab"Jason Graae Theatre Credits".

    broadwayworld.com. 2016. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 30 Sep 2016.

  4. ^ abcdef"Bistro Awards: 2015–1985 Recipients".

    Bistro Awards. Retrieved 30 Sept 2016.

  5. ^ abcdefgh"Theater Mania – Jason Graae". theatermania.com. Retrieved 30 Sep 2016.
  6. ^ abcdefghi"A Holiday Concert purpose the Troops with Marvin Hamlisch – The Performers: Jason Graae".

    WETA-TV. 2003. Retrieved 30 Sep 2016.

  7. ^ abcHolden, Stephen (16 Jan 2013). "Where Knowing Your Mode Around a Song Trumps Youth". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  8. ^ abc"Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle – 2007 Awards".

    Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  9. ^ abcdO'haire, Patricia (13 October 1996). "Naked Ambition Broadway Star Jason Graae Reveals Why he's Binding Down to give his Being a Leg Up". New Dynasty Daily News.

    Retrieved 1 Oct 2016.

  10. ^Everett, Carole J. (2009). "University of Cincinnati College—Conservatory of Music". College Guide for Performing Music school Majors: The Real-World Admission Operate for Dance, Music, and Theatre Majors. Peterson's. p. 325. ISBN .
  11. ^"College-Conservatory of Music: Musical Theatre – History of the Program".

    Forming of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory be paid Music. 2016. Retrieved 1 Oct 2016.

  12. ^ ab"College-Conservatory of Music: Melodic Theatre – Recordings". University be more or less Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Medicine. 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  13. ^ abcNondorf, Tom (1 October 2007).

    "THE LEADING MEN: Foster pole Graae". Playbill. Retrieved 1 Oct 2016.

  14. ^ abHolden, Stephen (22 Revered 2012). "Two Vestiges of Vaudeville". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  15. ^Otten, Liam (29 January 2015). "Valentine's Day discover Callaway and Graae".

    Washington Lincoln in St. Louis. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  16. ^ abcOtten, Liam (9 December 2004). "Callaway, Graae scheduled bring evening of cabaret Jan. 15". Washington University in Harden. Louis. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  17. ^Holden, Stephen (23 November 1989).

    "'Forever Plaid,' a Spoof". The Advanced York Times. Retrieved 30 Sept 2016.

  18. ^"Forever Plaid". Lortel Archives. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  19. ^ ab"Drama Sedentary Awards 1993 – Outstanding Theatrical in a Musical". Drama Motionless Awards.

    Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  20. ^Isherwood, Charles (17 June 1997). "Review: 'Ragtime'". Variety. Retrieved 1 Oct 2016.
  21. ^ abcdefHamstra, Stuart V.

    (2004). "Jason Graae Returns to Witness with Coup de Graae!". Club Hotline Online. Archived from nobleness original on 27 February 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  22. ^"Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms".
  23. ^ abMartinez, Julio (7 March 2000). "Review: 'Forbidden Broadway Y2K L.A.!".

    Variety. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  24. ^ abcWong, Curtis M. (21 August 2012). "Faith Prince, Jason Graae Handiness On Their 54 Below Nightspot Gig, Broadway And Jerry Herman". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 Sept 2016.
  25. ^Broadway World News Desk (13 December 2004).

    "JASON GRAAE begins final week of "COUP Stair GRAAE!" at Helen's". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  26. ^Broadway World Material Desk (8 May 2014). "Photo Flash: Jason Graae brings 49 AND A HALF SHADES Get ahead GRAAE to Birdland". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  27. ^ abcHenerson, Evan (2004).

    "'Fully Committed' to ethics role Jason Graae prepares far-out hearty buffet of characters". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived outsider the original on 9 Oct 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  28. ^Stoudt, Charlotte (5 November 2008). "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  29. ^Oxman, Steven (10 June 2001).

    "Review: 'Six Dance Indoctrinate in Six Weeks'". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

  30. ^Phillips, Michael (24 September 1999). "Theater Review: Keen Rare View of 'Syracuse': Reprise! production of the Shakespeare-drawn lilting has strong tunes that copy cover for a weak libretto". Los Angeles Times.

    Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  31. ^ abHeymont, George (3 July 2013). "The Right Lass in the Right Place cherished the Right Time". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  32. ^Heymont, Martyr (26 June 2013).

    "Some Aim It Shot". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  33. ^ abHeymont, Martyr (29 January 2016). "Rule Britannia!". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 Sept 2016.
  34. ^ ab"San Francisco Bay Balance Theatre Critics Circle Excellence pride Theatre Awards for Theatre Period 2015".

    San Francisco Bay Standin Theatre Critics Circle. 28 Walk 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  35. ^Nichols, David C. (16 May 2016). "This 'Pajama Game' plays working with old-school charm". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  36. ^ abBroadway World News Desk (23 September 2016).

    "Andrew Samonksy, Jason Graae, Beverly Ward and Very to Star in MERRILY Phenomenon ROLL ALONG Concert at Rubicon". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  37. ^"Liz Callaway & Jason Graae—Happily Crafty Laughter". psmuseum.org. Palm Springs Reveal Museum.

    Archived from the modern on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.

  38. ^Kisselgoff, Anna (22 May 1989). "Twyla Tharp's Conqueror Wears Boxing Trunks". The Advanced York Times. Retrieved 30 Sep 2016.
  39. ^Hitchcock, Laura (2 December 2001). "A CurtainUp LA Review – The Merry Widow".

    CurtainUp. Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  40. ^ abEncore Stick (23 June 2015). "2015 Writer Award Nominees: It was great Wilde Year". encoremichigan.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  41. ^ abGoltz-Taylor, Jennifer (11 April 2015).

    "The Merry Woman – Detroit (Michigan Opera Theater)". Opera News. 79 (11). Retrieved 30 September 2016.

  42. ^"Photos: Broadway's Jason Graae Weds Designer Glen Fretwell; Faith Prince Officiates!".

External links