Alex Brightman

Last updated

Alex Brightman
Born
Alexander Michael Brightman

(1987-02-05) February 5, 1987 (age 37)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1998–present
Known for
Spouse
Jenny Ravitz
(m. 2018)

Alexander Michael Brightman (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor and singer, best known for his work in musical theatre, specifically as Dewey Finn in the musical adaptation of School of Rock and the titular character in Beetlejuice The Musical . Both roles earned him nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Since 2020, he has voiced Robo Fizz and Fizzarolli in the adult animated musical animated series Helluva Boss , and since 2024, he has starred as Sir Pentious and Adam in Hazbin Hotel .

Contents

Early life

Brightman grew up in Saratoga, California. He is Jewish. [1] His father founded Apple's Worldwide Disabilities Solutions Group, and his mother ran a kidney dialysis clinic. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-male Jesuit high school in San Jose, California, and graduated in 2005. [2] In addition, he performed with Children’s Musical Theater San Jose during his youth. In 2007, Brightman performed in "Mrs. Sharp" by Ryan Scott Oliver at N.Y.U. under the direction of Ryan Mekenian with Ali Stroker & Scott Evans also in the cast.

Career

Broadway

Brightman first worked on Broadway in 2008, as an ensemble member and understudy in Glory Days , which closed after only one performance. Brightman never performed in the show. Thereafter, Brightman was cast as the munchkin Boq and made his Broadway debut in Wicked . He stayed with the show for two years. His next Broadway role was in 2012 in Big Fish as an ensemble member and an understudy for a main role. Later in 2013, Brightman was cast as Michael Wormwood in Matilda the Musical . [3]

In 2014, Brightman joined Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, School of Rock , adapted from the 2003 film of the same name. Initially, Brightman played various roles that were meant to be played by child actors but were performed by adults for the workshops. Brightman was cast in the starring role of Dewey, first, in the show's concert performances, and then, in his first starring role, in the Broadway production. Brightman performed as Dewey Finn at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. [4] For this performance, Brightman received a nomination for the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. [5] Brightman played his final performance as Dewey on November 5, 2016 and returned to reprise the role for a limited run in April 2017. [6] He returned to Broadway in 2019 to play the title role in Beetlejuice (based on the film of the same name), and reprised the role in 2022. He was again nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical at the 73rd Tony Awards ceremony.

Since 9 January 2024, he’s reprised his role of Sir Lancelot in a Broadway revival of the musical Spamalot . [7]

Other work

Brightman is a member of the comedy group, The (M)orons , along with fellow Broadway actors/writers, Andrew Kober, F. Michael Haynie, and Drew Gasparini.

Brightman and Gasparini developed The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers in 2016. [8]

Brightman is currently developing two new musicals entitled The Whipping Boy , based on the book, and It's Kind of a Funny Story (based on the novel of the same name), with Gasparini, for which Brightman wrote the script. Brightman made an appearance on Impractical Jokers during Brian "Q" Quinn's musical punishment that's based on the latter's real-life experience as a firefighter and leaving that life behind for TV fame. In October 2019, it was announced that Brightman will be joining the cast of the Billy Crystal helmed comedy film Here Today. [9] Brightman was revealed in 2020 to be voicing the character Fizzarolli, and his robotic doppelganger Robo Fizz, in the animated web series Helluva Boss . In addition, he voiced Pugsley and the demon possessing him, Temeluchus, in the Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park .

In the tenth season of The Blacklist , he plays the Herbie Hambright, father of a little girl in diapers he brings everywhere. [10]

Since 2024, he has starred as the voices of Sir Pentious and Adam in Hazbin Hotel .

Personal life

Brightman married casting director Jenny Ravitz on May 21, 2018 at a ceremony in Brooklyn. [11]

Brightman has revealed that he utilizes ventricular fold phonation, allowing him to create the signature gruff voice of Beetlejuice and Fizzarolli without strain on his vocal cords. [12] [13]

During a 2023 interview for The Shark Is Broken, Brightman revealed that he has bipolar disorder. [14]

Stage credits

YearProductionRoleCategoryLocation
2008 Glory Days u/s Will; u/s JackBroadway Circle in the Square Theatre
2008-2010 Wicked Boq Gershwin Theatre
201235MM: A Musical ExhibitionEnsembleOff-BroadwayGalapagos Art Space
2013 Big Fish Zacky Price, Ensemble; u/s Will BloomPre-Broadway Oriental Theatre
Broadway Neil Simon Theatre
2014-2015 Matilda the Musical Michael Wormwood Shubert Theatre
2015-2016 School of Rock Dewey Finn Winter Garden Theatre
2017
Assassins Giuseppe Zangara Off-Broadway Encores! New York City Center
2018 Beetlejuice Lawrence Beetlejuice Shoggoth Pre-BroadwayNational Theater
2019-2020Broadway Winter Garden Theatre
2021Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the AuditoriumEmileOriginal Studio Cast RecordingN/A
2022-2023 Beetlejuice Lawrence Beetlejuice ShoggothBroadway Marquis Theatre
2023Lewberger & The Wizard of FriendshipKeith’s Dad
(One night cameo)
Off-BroadwayTheatre Row
Spamalot Sir Lancelot / The French Taunter / Knight of Ni / Tim the EnchanterRegional Kennedy Center
The Shark is Broken Richard Dreyfuss Broadway John Golden Theatre
Gutenberg! The Musical! Producer
(One night only)
James Earl Jones Theatre
2024 Spamalot Sir Lancelot / The French Taunter / Knight of Ni / Tim the Enchanter St. James Theatre

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998The FaceJacobShort film
2009Red HookRoy
2014The Forrest BoysRodneyShort film
2021 Here Today Justin

Television

YearTitleRole(s)Notes
2009 Important Things with Demetri Martin Various characters2 episodes
2011 Royal Pains Chic GeekEpisode: "The Shaw/Hank Redemption"
2016 Impractical Jokers HimselfEpisode: "Stage Fright"
2017 SMILF JesseEpisode: "A Box of Dunkies & Two Squirts of Maple Syrup"
2018 The Good Fight Carter BloomEpisode: "Day 436"
2019 Documentary Now! KennyEpisode: "Original Cast Album: Co-Op"
2020 Teen Titans Go! Lawrence Beetlejuice Shoggoth Voice role; episode: "Ghost With the Most"
2020–present Helluva Boss Robo Fizz Recurring voice role
Fizzarolli
2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Gabe MillerEpisode: "Turn Me on Take Me Private" [15]
2021 Blue Bloods Ralph LamontEpisode: "The Common Good"
2022 Dead End: Paranormal Park PugsleyMain voice role
Temeluchus
2022–2023 The Blacklist Herbie HambrightRecurring role
2024 Hazbin Hotel Sir Pentious Main voice role
Adam
Vox-Tech AnnouncerVoice role; episode: "Radio Killed the Video Star"

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2016 Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Best Male Dancer School of Rock Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actor in a MusicalNominated
Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished PerformanceNominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite Leading Actor in a MusicalNominated
Favorite Funny PerformanceNominated
Favorite Onstage Pair (with Sierra Boggess)Nominated
Favorite Breakthrough PerformanceNominated
2019 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Beetlejuice Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished PerformanceNominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite Leading Actor in a MusicalNominated
Favorite Funny PerformanceNominated

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References

  1. "Celebrity Jews". J. June 9, 2016.
  2. "Bellarmine Theatre Alumnus Receives Tony Award Nomination". Bellarmine College Preparatory. May 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  3. Itzkoff, Dave (January 3, 2016). "Alex Brightman Rides a 'School of Rock' Wave". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  4. Rosky, Nicole. "BWW Interview: He's Ready to Rock! Meet Broadway's New Leading Man, SCHOOL OF ROCK's Alex Brightman". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  5. Coverage, BWW Special. "2016 Tony Awards Nominations - HAMILTON Breaks Record with 16! And the Nominees Are..." BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  6. Gans, Andrew. "Alex Brightman Returns to Broadway's School of Rock". Playbill. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  7. Russo, Gillian (September 26, 2023). "Taran Killam, Alex Brightman join 'Spamalot' Broadway cast". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  8. Gioia, Michael (April 6, 2016). "Double Dare Host Marc Summers Crossed Paths With Broadway, and Now He's Got a Solo Show". Playbill. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  9. "Laura Benanti & Alex Brightman to Join Billy Crystal in His New Film Here Today". Broadway.com. October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  10. "See Alex Brightman as a Forensic Scientist and Beleaguered Father to a Gassy Baby in an Exclusive Clip From NBC's The Blacklist". playbill.com. March 9, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  11. Staff, Playbill (May 22, 2018). "Alex Brightman and Jenny Ravitz Tie the Knot in NYC". Playbill. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  12. "How Does Beetlejuice Create His Signature Voice? | Sean Parker Institute for the Voice".
  13. HELLUVA BOSS CAST LIVE Q&A AND LIVE AUTOGRAPH SIGNING!!. VivziePop . November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021 via YouTube.
  14. Alex Brightman Tells Us About On-Stage Panic Attack in "The Shark is Broken" | New York Live TV. New York Live. August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023 via YouTube.
  15. TV, BroadwayWorld. "BWW Exclusive: Eva Noblezada & Alex Brightman Star in a Clip From LAW & ORDER: SVU". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved January 20, 2021.