Michael John Rupert (born October 23, 1951,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

) is an American actor, singer,

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. In 1968 he made his Broadway debut in ''

The Happy Time ''The Happy Time'' is a 1952 American comedy-drama film directed by the award-winning director Richard Fleischer, based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Robert Fontaine, which Samuel A. Taylor turned into a hit play. A boy, played by Bobby ...

'' as Bibi Bonnard for which he received a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

nomination and the

Theater World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre sea ...

. He originated the role of "Marvin" in the

William Finn William Alan Finn (born February 28, 1952) is an American composer and lyricist. He is best known for his musicals, which include ''Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, ''A New Br ...

musicals ''

March of the Falsettos ''March of the Falsettos'' is a 1981 musical with a book, lyrics, and music by William Finn. It is the second in a trilogy of musicals, preceded by '' In Trousers'' and followed by '' Falsettoland''. ''March of the Falsettos'' and ''Falsettoland'' ...

'' and ''

Falsettoland ''Falsettoland'' is a musical with a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn. Following '' In Trousers'' and '' March of the Falsettos'', it is the third in a trio of one-act musicals centering on Marvin, his wife Trina, his p ...

''. Rupert has been the nominee and recipient of several

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

and

Drama Desk The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

awards.

Early life

At 16 years old, Rupert made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in 1968 in Kander and Ebb's ''

'' as the young Bibi Bonnard. His performance earned him the 1968

and his first

nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical. At the 22nd Tony Awards, Rupert performed "The Happy Time" and "A Certain Girl" from ''

'' alongside his castmates

Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...

and

David Wayne David Wayne (born Wayne James McMeekan, January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life and career Wayne was born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen M ...

. He returned to California after ''The Happy Time'', and appeared in local theater while in high school.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 During this time he appeared in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes ''The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes'' is a 1969 American science fiction comedy film starring Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero, Joe Flynn and William Schallert. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Compa ...

'' and as Gery in the 1975 film adaptation of ''

A Boy and His Dog ''A Boy and His Dog'' is a cycle of narratives by author Harlan Ellison. The cycle tells the story of an amoral boy (Vic) and his telepathic dog (Blood), who work together as a team to survive in the post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear wa ...

''.

Career

Acting

Rupert returned to Broadway in 1974 as a replacement in the role of

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life of Pepin the Hunchback * Pippin T ...

''."Rupert Credits".
InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed July 17, 2012 "Mike Rupert".
Masterworksbroadway.com, accessed July 17, 2012Holden, Stephen

''The New York Times'', April 10, 1988 In 1981, he appeared on Broadway in ''Shakespeare's Cabaret''. He then originated the role of Marvin in two

musicals, ''

'' (1981) at the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under the ...

and ''

'' (1990), which initiated at Playwrights Horizons before moving to the Lucille Lortel Theater. When ''

'' and ''

'' were performed together under the name ''

Falsettos ''Falsettos'' is a sung-through musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The musical consists of '' March of the Falsettos'' (1981) and '' Falsettoland'' (1990), the last two installments in a trio o ...

'' in 1992, Rupert once again played the role of Marvin, for which he received a nomination for the 1992

Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did no ...

. In 1986 he appeared as Oscar in the Broadway revival of ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...

'', for which he won the 1986

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been given since 1947, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly announced since 1956. Winner and ...

. In the 1988 musical ''Mail'', Rupert not only originated the role of Alex, but composed the music as well. He was a replacement in the role of Stine in '' City of Angels'' in 1989 and was in ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...

'' as a replacement Tateh in 1999. In 2003, he performed with

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American T ...

Christian Borle Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in ''Peter and the Starcatcher'' and as William Shakespeare in ''Something Rotten!''. Borle also ...

Carolee Carmello Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time T ...

and Keith Bryon Kirk in the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

staging of William Finn's '' Elegies: A Song Cycle''. He originated the role of Professor Callahan in ''

Legally Blonde ''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his List of directorial debuts, feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (writer), Kirsten Smith from ...

'' (2007) on Broadway and returned to the role on the National tour, starting in February 2010.Cherkinian, Harry
"A Life in the Theater".
Wisconsingazette.com, March 25, 2010 Rupert appeared as Kenneth Sharpe in the play ''7th Monarch'' Off-Broadway at the Acorn Theater, opening in June 2012. He appeared in the Broadway revival of '' On the Town'' as Judge Pitkin, which ran from October 2014 to September 2015. In regional theatre, he starred as Norbert 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 Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

in a co-production with Adventure Theatre, Washington, DC in November 2010. His television credits include guest roles on series such as ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chronicl ...

'', ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...

'', ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' and its legal spin-off '' Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law'', '' Another World'', ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situatio ...

'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', '' Alice'', ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

'', ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

'', '' Hawkins'', ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'', ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'' and ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American Police procedural, police drama that aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and ...

''. He was in the

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

broadcast of ''Legally Blonde'' in 2007.

Directing

In 1997, Rupert directed an Off-Broadway production of he ''The Lunch Anxieties'' by Larry Kunofsky at the

Harold Clurman Theatre The Theatre Row Building is a complex of five Off-Broadway theatres at 410 West 42nd Street on Theatre Row in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. The building is owned by the 501(c)(3) organization non-profit Building for the Arts and i ...

. He directed J. Arlington Meyrelles III's musical, ''The Stars In Your Eyes,'' in an Equity workshop production in 1998.Lefkowitz, David
Novice "Director Michael Rupert To Share Anxieties & Romance".
Playbill.com, November 26, 1997 Rupert directed '' Thrill Me: Leopold & Loeb Story'' (2005) at the York Theatre.

Composing

Rupert composed the music, with book and lyrics by Jerry Colker, to the 1985 Off-Broadway music ''3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down'', which won the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Outstanding Book and was nominated for Outstanding Music. The score for ''Mail'' (1988) was also written by Rupert with Colker once again writing the book and lyrics. Rupert wrote the score to ''Strange Vacation'' (1998) and collaborated with Allan Heinberg. He composed the score and co-wrote the book and lyrics with Matthew Riopelle for the musical ''Streets of America'' (2007).Gans, Andrew.
"Rupert's 'Streets of America' to Premiere at Pittsburgh Playhouse".
Playbill, October 31, 2007Hetrick, Adam
"Michael Rupert to Release Single "Racing to the Moon" Aug. 18".
Playbill.com, August 6, 2008 On August 18, 2008 the number "Racing to the Moon" was released Footlight Label as a single featuring three different performances: one by Rupert, another by actor Sebastian Arcelus, and an instrumental version by the guitarist David Timmons. His debut single, "Racing to the Moon" was released on August 18, 2008 on the Footlight label.

Personal life

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

Theater Credits

Awards and Nominations

Notes

References

* *

External links

* * *
Michael Rupert
on Myspace {{DEFAULTSORT:Rupert, Michael 1951 births Living people American male musical theatre actors Drama Desk Award winners American gay actors Theatre World Award winners Tony Award winners LGBT people from Colorado