Alex Boniello

Last updated
Alex Boniello
Born (1990-10-05) October 5, 1990 (age 33)
Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
Education Wagner College
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, producer
Years active2012–present
SpouseApril Lavalle (2022–present)

Alex Boniello (born October 5, 1990) is an American actor, musician, author, and producer best known for his portrayal of the voice of Moritz in the 2015 Broadway revival of Spring Awakening, as well as his performance as Connor Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen. In 2019, he won the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for Hadestown.

Contents

Career

Boniello grew up in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey and attended Wood-Ridge High School, where he began acting with roles like Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and Mark Cohen in Rent. He enrolled at Wagner College, majoring in drama. [1]

His start in professional theatre came with the touring company of American Idiot in 2013 as part of the ensemble. He also understudied the roles of Johnny and St. Jimmy. [2] Boniello was also a member of the cast of 21 Chump Street in its 2014 premiere and is featured on the show's original cast album. [3]

In 2015, Boniello performed in the Off-Broadway production of Brooklynite. [4] Later in the year, he was cast as the "Voice of Moritz" in the Deaf West Production of Spring Awakening , [5] and stayed with the company with its transfer to Broadway. He completed his run at the Brooks Atkinson theatre on January 24, 2016. [6] On April 13, 2018 it was announced that Boniello would be replacing Mike Faist as Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. [7] He made his debut in the role on May 15, 2018 and played his final performance on January 26, 2020 alongside co-star Andrew Barth Feldman. [8]

As a producer, Boniello is known for his work on the Broadway musical Hadestown , for which he won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2019. [9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Boniello and Andrew Barth Feldman hosted Broadway Jackbox on Twitch, where they played games with fellow actors in order to raise money for Broadway for Racial Justice and the Actor's Fund. As the pandemic continued, he began streaming video games on his personal Twitch channel. [10]

Boniello released his debut EP titled Hi on multiple platforms on January 8, 2021. [11]

His debut work as a children's book author, A Case of the Zaps, was published by Abrams Books in August 2022.

In March 2023, it was announced that he would be playing the recurring role of Crash, the headless ghost, on CBS's hit series Ghosts. [12] Also in March 2023, it was announced that he would be playing the role of Jack of Diamonds in Disney's Descendants: The Rise of Red , the follow-up series to Disney's wildly successful Descendants franchise. [13] Also in 2023, he starred as Roger Davis in the World Symphonic Premiere of RENT at the Kennedy Center. [14]

Personal life

Boniello proposed to his long-term girlfriend, April Lavalle, on May 9, 2021. [15]

Boniello has suffered from an anxiety disorder since he was 17 years old. [16]

Credits

Theatre Credits

YearProductionRoleLocationCategory
2013-14 American Idiot R&R Boyfriend, Ensemble, Johnny/Saint Jimmy u/s—National Tour
2014 21 Chump Street Tevin, Boy, and Cousin 1 Brooklyn Academy of Music Concert
2015BrooklyniteEnsemble Vineyard Theatre Off-Broadway
2015 Spring Awakening Voice of Moritz Wallis Annenberg Center Los Angeles
2015-16 Brooks Atkinson Theatre Broadway
2017 Million Dollar Quartet Elvis Presley Paper Mill Playhouse Regional
2017 Cruel Intentions: The Musical Blaine Tuttle Le Poisson Rouge Off-Broadway
2018-20 Dear Evan Hansen Connor Murphy Music Box Theatre Broadway
2019 Hadestown Co-Producer Walter Kerr Theatre Broadway
2021-22 Whisper House The Gentleman Ghost 59 East 59 Theaters Off-Broadway
2023 RENT Roger Davis The Kennedy Center World Symphonic Premiere
2023 Almost Famous Russel Hammond Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Workshop readings [17]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleTypeNotes
2013 Alien Dawn ElijahTelevision1 Episode: "The Montauk Project"
Contest JoeFilm
2014 Unrelated MT GuyTelevision2 Episodes
Happyish Participant 6Television1 Episode: "Starring Sigmund Freud, Charles Bukowski and Seven Billion A**Holes"
2015 Jessica Jones Punk KidTelevision1 Episode: " AKA Take a Bloody Number"
2018Alt SpaceJulian BartonFilm
2019Indoor BoysLutherWeb Series1 Episode: "Roomies"
2021 The Other Two Indie Rock Band SingerTelevision1 Episode: 2.5
The Bite DJ Perfect DanTV Mini Series1 Episode: 1.5
2022 Love & Gelato Fleetwood ZachFilmNetflix
2023 Ghosts CrashTelevisionRecurring Role, CBS
2024 Descendants: The Rise of Red Jack of DiamondsFilm Disney+ original film

Discography

Extended plays

TitleAlbum details
Hi [18]
  • Release: January 8, 2021
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

TitleYearAlbum
"Pigeons" [19] 2020Non-album single

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2015 Ovation Awards Best Acting Ensemble for a Musical Spring Awakening Won
2016Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite Onstage Pair (with Daniel Durant)Nominated
Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway ShowNominated
2019Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite replacement (Male)Dear Evan HansenNominated
Tony Awards Best Musical (co-producer) Hadestown Won

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References

  1. ↑ Feldberg, Robert. "Bergen County native shares role with deaf partner in Broadway's 'Spring Awakening'", The Record (Bergen County) , September 20, 2015. Accessed October 18, 2015. "Theater is a collaborative art, but rarely do actors form a partnership as unusual as the one created by Alex Boniello, who was raised in Wood-Ridge, and Daniel N. Durant.... Boniello, who got the acting bug at Wood-Ridge High School before going on to study drama at Wagner College, joined the cast after the production had gotten under way in its Los Angeles debut, so, he said, he had to quickly play catch-up."
  2. ↑ "Alex Boniello Theatre Credits". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  3. ↑ This American Life, recorded June 7, 2014, aired on June 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Exciting News! Wagner Theatre Alum Alex... - Wagner College Theatre | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  5. ↑ "Deaf West revisits 'Spring Awakening' with fresh vigor at the Wallis". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  6. ↑ "Spring Awakening" . Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  7. ↑ "Alex Boniello Will Succeed Tony Nominee Mike Faist in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  8. ↑ Gans, Andrew (January 26, 2020). "Jimmy Award Winner Andrew Barth Feldman Ends Broadway Run in Dear Evan Hansen January 26". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  9. ↑ "Kaylavlex Theatricals". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  10. ↑ "Twitch". Twitch. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  11. ↑ "Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  12. ↑ "Paramount Press Express | CBS Studios | Ghosts | Releases". www.paramountpressexpress.com. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  13. ↑ Rice, Lynette (2023-03-24). "'Descendants: The Rise of Red' At Disney+ Casts Alex Boniello As Jack Of Diamonds". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  14. ↑ Gans, Andrew; Culwell-Block, Logan (June 29, 2023). "Ali Stroker, Myles Frost, Lorna Courtney, More Will Star in Symphonic Concert Premiere of Rent at Kennedy Center". Playbill.
  15. ↑ "Alex Boniello on Instagram: "Took me long enough. 💍"". Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
  16. ↑ Keller, Ilana. "Dear Connor Murphy: Alex Boniello chats Dear Evan Hansen life, speaking out on anxiety". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  17. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "ALMOST FAMOUS Headed Back into Workshops at the O'Neill". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  18. ↑ "Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  19. ↑ BWW News Desk. "Alex Boniello Releases New Single 'Pigeons'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
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