Rob McClure (born June 15, 1982) is an American actor and singer, best known for his work on the
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 ...
stage.
McClure made his Broadway debut in 2002 as an understudy in ''
I'm Not Rappaport
''I'm Not Rappaport'' is a play by Herb Gardner, which originally ran on Broadway in 1985.
Productions
The play was originally staged by Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1984.
The play premiered on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on November 19, 198 ...
''. From 2006 to 2009, he went on to play several roles in '' Avenue Q'', both on Broadway and on the show's national tour. In 2013, he won a
Theatre 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 se ...
and earned a nomination for the
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 n ...
for his lead performance in the title role of the musical '' Chaplin''. His subsequent Broadway credits include originating principal roles in ''
Honeymoon in Vegas
''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Plot
Private Detective ("Private eye") Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) swore to hi ...
'' (2015) and ''
Beetlejuice
''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton, written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and Warren Skaaren, produced by The Geffen Company, distributed by Warner Bros., and starring Alec Baldwin, ...
'' (2019). He has also starred in ''
Noises Off
''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier ...
'' (2016) and ''
Something Rotten!
''Something Rotten!'' is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find succes ...
'' (2016–18). In 2021, McClure originated the lead role of Daniel Hillard in ''
Mrs. Doubtfire
''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...
'', a performance for which he earned his second Tony nomination.
He recently performed the lead role of Seymour Krelborn in an off-Broadway revival of '' Little Shop of Horrors''.
Montclair State University
Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...
, but did not graduate. While a senior in high school, he won the
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...
Rising Star Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Charley in New Milford High School's production of ''
Where's Charley?
''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...
'', which included a scholarship to attend their Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory. He directed musicals at New Milford High School from 2003 to 2006 (including a show that he wrote, ''The Bagel Factory'') while attending
Montclair State University
Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...
.
Career
Theatre
McClure's first professional acting role was at the
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...
in '' Carousel'' shortly after graduating high school. He appeared in the ensemble of the Paper Mill Playhouse revival of the play ''
I'm Not Rappaport
''I'm Not Rappaport'' is a play by Herb Gardner, which originally ran on Broadway in 1985.
Productions
The play was originally staged by Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1984.
The play premiered on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on November 19, 198 ...
'', making his Broadway debut when the production transferred to the
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...
in 2002.
Simonson, Robert
Robert Simonson (born September 11, 1964) is an American journalist and author.
Personal life
Robert Simonson was born in Wisconsin; he has lived in Brooklyn since 1988.
Career
Robert Simonson began writing about cocktails, spirits and bars for ...
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.
History
La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...
, California, under its former title ''Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin.'' He continued in the role when the show transferred to Broadway in 2012.Weinert-Kendt, Rob "Walking the Walk, Cane in Hand" ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', August 23, 2012 For this performance, he was nominated for the 2013
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 n ...
. The '' Newsday'' reviewer wrote of his performance:
McClure … doesn't just replicate the waddle and pratfalls of Chaplin's little tramp. He doesn't just do a back somersault without spilling a glass of wine or tap dance on roller skates or walk a tightrope. He does all that without apparent effort, but he also has a pungent voice that pings and he embodies more than seven decades of Chaplin's life with a focused, altogether believable mix of gravity and light.
In between these runs, he performed in the
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and t ...
Where's Charley?
''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...
'' in 2011. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' reviewer of ''Where's Charley?'' wrote, "McClure scampers to and fro with tireless energy, flouncing in and out of his skirts with comic verve, employing a funny, pinched falsetto when Charley is impersonating his aunt. … Mr. McClure sa nimble dancer and terrific singer. He also performed at the
Walnut Street Theatre
The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809 at 825 Walnut Street, on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest operating theatre in the United States. The venue is operated by the Walnu ...
, Philadelphia, in the play ''
Amadeus
Amadeus may refer to:
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), prolific and influential composer of classical music
*Amadeus (name), a given name and people with the name
* ''Amadeus'' (play), 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer
* ''Amadeus'' (film), ...
'' in 2011 as Mozart. He had previously performed at that theatre in '' The Producers'' and '' Oliver!''. He appeared in mid-2013 at
The Muny
The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheatre, amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first ...
,
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
in ''
Shrek the Musical
''Shrek The Musical'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film ''Shrek'', along with elements of its sequels: '' Shrek 2'', ''Shrek Forever After'' ...
'' as Lord Farquaad, and in ''Mary Poppins'' as Bert. The following year, at The Muny, he played Gomez in ''The Addams Family'' from July 14, 2014 to July 20.
He starred in the musical ''
Honeymoon in Vegas
''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Plot
Private Detective ("Private eye") Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) swore to hi ...
'' as Jack Singer at the Paper Mill Playhouse from September through October 2013. McClure continued as Jack in the Broadway production of the musical at the
Nederlander Theatre
The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was des ...
in 2014 and 2015. He returned to Broadway in the role of Tim Allgood in the
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...
production of '' Noises Off!'' from December 2015 to January 2016. From September 2015 to March 2016, McClure appeared as Max in the new
Ken Ludwig
Ken Ludwig is an American playwright and theatre director whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages.
Personal life
Ken Ludwig was born in York, Pennsylvania. His father was a doctor and his mother was a former ...
play ''A Comedy of Tenors'' at the
Cleveland Playhouse
Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square whe ...
and then at the
McCarter Theater
McCarter Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. The institution is currently led by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg ...
in Princeton, New Jersey. He played the role of The Baker in
The Muny
The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheatre, amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first ...
’s production of ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
''.
He next joined the Broadway production of ''
Something Rotten!
''Something Rotten!'' is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find succes ...
'' as Nick Bottom in May 2016. He then played Nick in the US national tour, starting in January 2017, until it closed in May 2018.
In June 2018 McClure appeared in ''
Jerome Robbins' Broadway
''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'' is an anthology comprising musical numbers from shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The shows represented include, for example, '' The King and I'', '' On the Town'' and ''West Side Stor ...
'' at The Muny, as The Setter/Emcee. Later in 2018 he created the role of Adam in ''Beetlejuice, the Musical'' when it premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, DC. He reprised the role on Broadway in 2019 leaving ''Beetlejuice'' in September 2019 to create the title role in the musical ''
Mrs. Doubtfire
''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...
'', which premiered at the
5th Avenue Theatre
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theatre located in Seattle's Skinner Building, in the U.S. state of Washington. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land are owned b ...
in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington, with performances in November 2019 - January 2020, to open on Broadway in April. It opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theater in March 2020 but was forced to close after three shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened December 5, 2021, and ran until May 29, 2022.
Concerts
McClure made his solo cabaret concert debut at
Feinstein's/54 Below
54 Below is a cabaret and restaurant in the basement of Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Owned by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performers as Patt ...
in New York City on July 1, 2016. His act was titled "Smile".
Television
He was cast in the CBS
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distr ...
in 2016 for a series titled ''Drew'', based on the
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional character appearing in several mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Crea ...
mystery books; however, the series was not picked up by CBS.
In the 2022 HBO original series ''
Julia
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
'', McClure makes a cameo as a young
Fred Rogers
Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), commonly known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television se ...
.
Personal life
He is married to Maggie Lakis, an actress. They met while performing in ''Grease'' in 2005. The couple have a daughter born on December 9, 2018.