Michael Rupert

Michael John Rupert (born October 23, 1951, Denver, Colorado) is an American actor, singer, director and composer. In 1968, he made his Broadway debut in The Happy Time as Bibi Bonnard for which he received a Tony Award nomination and the Theater World Award. Later, he starred as the title role in Pippin for three years on Broadway starting in 1974. He originated the role of Marvin in the William Finn musicals March of the Falsettos, Falsettoland and Falsettos. In 2007, he originated the role of Professor Callahan in the Broadway cast of Legally Blonde. Rupert has been the nominee and recipient of several Tony and Drama Desk awards, including for his performance in Sweet Charity in 1986.

Early life At 16 years old, Rupert made his Broadway debut in 1968 in Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time as the young Bibi Bonnard. His performance earned him the 1968 Theater World Award and his first Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical. At the 22nd Tony Awards, Rupert performed "The Happy Time" and "A Certain Girl" from The Happy Time alongside his castmates Robert Goulet and David Wayne. He returned to California after The Happy Time, and appeared in local theater while in high school. During this time he appeared in the Disney film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and as Gery in the 1975 film adaptation of A Boy and His Dog.

Career

Acting Rupert returned to Broadway in 1974 as a replacement in the role of Pippin. In 1981, he appeared on Broadway in Shakespeare's Cabaret. and Falsettoland (1990), which began at Playwrights Horizons before moving to the Lucille Lortel Theater. When March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland were performed together under the name Falsettos 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. In 1986 he appeared as Oscar in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, for which he won the 1986 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. 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 He originated the role of Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde (2007) on Broadway and returned to the role on the National tour, starting in February 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 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, The Waltons, Marcus Welby, M.D. and its legal spin-off Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Another World, Emergency!, Cannon, Alice, The Partridge Family, Alias Smith and Jones, Hawkins, Cheers, Law & Order and New York Undercover.

Directing In 1997, Rupert directed an Off-Broadway production of The Lunch Anxieties by Larry Kunofsky at the Harold Clurman Theatre. He directed J. Arlington Meyrelles III's musical, The Stars In Your Eyes, in an Equity workshop production in 1998. 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 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. On August 18, 2008 the number "Racing to the Moon" was released Footlight Label as a single featuring three different performances: one by Rupert, which would be his debut single, another by actor Sebastian Arcelus, and an instrumental version by the guitarist David Timmons.

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

Theater Credits

Awards and nominations