Paul Wontorek (born c. 1972/1973) is an American theater personality, journalist, host and

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

Broadway.com The John Gore Organization (JGO), formerly known as Key Brand Entertainment (KBE), is a producer and distributor of live theater in North America, as well as an e-commerce company, focused on theater. KBE was founded in the UK in 2004 by 14-time ...

Early life and education

Wontorek grew up in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

and was involved in theater during high school. At 18, he began school at

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

in New York City as a journalism major and wrote for the school's newspaper, The

Fordham Observer ''The Observer'' is the award-winning student newspaper of the Lincoln Center campus of Fordham University. It is published in print bi-weekly when the university is in session by a staff of more than 50 students. Content is also published onli ...

. In 1991, he interned at ''

TheaterWeek ''TheaterWeek'' was a favorite magazine among theater artists and theater lovers. It covered Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and educational theater with articles that included profiles of actors, directors, designers and behind-the-scenes looks ...

'' magazine. After graduating, Wontorek worked as a graphic designer. Concurrently, he founded the musical-theater magazine, ''Upstage''.

Career

Early in his career, Wontorek was a freelance reporter for ''InTheater Magazine'' and ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

.'' He also worked as a stage manager on small musical theater productions in New York and was contracted for design work for various cast albums. In 2010, Broadway.com was bought by

Key Brand Entertainment The John Gore Organization (JGO), formerly known as Key Brand Entertainment (KBE), is a producer and distributor of live theater in North America, as well as an e-commerce company, focused on theater. KBE was founded in the UK in 2004 by 14-time ...

from Hollywood Media Corp for approximately $45 million. Wontorek runs editorial at Broadway.com. He hosts the online shows ''Show People with Paul Wontorek'' and ''The Broadway.com Show''. Wontorek made his Broadway debut in ''The Prom'', opening the May 14, 2019 performance. He replaced the Broadway red carpet reporter character Olivia Keating, normally played by cast member Courtney Balan, interviewing Dee Dee Allen (

Beth Leavel Beth Leavel (born November 1, 1955) is a Tony Award-winning American stage and screen actress and singer. Life and career Leavel attended Needham B. Broughton High School and Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a gr ...

) at opening night of her musical ''Eleanor: The Eleanor Roosevelt Musical''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wontorek, Paul Living people Journalists from New York City American theater critics Fordham University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)