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Max von Essen

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American actor
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Max von Essen
Born (1974-01-11) January 11, 1974 (age 50)
Long Island, New York, U.S.
EducationSouth Side High School
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1997–present
Notable workAn American in Paris
Parent(s)Thomas Von Essen (father)
Rita Von Essen (mother)
RelativesVon Essen family

Max von Essen (born January 11, 1974) is an American stage and screen actor, and vocalist.

Life and career

Raised on Long Island, von Essen is a graduate of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, New York. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after graduation toured with Liza Minnelli. He is a member of the Von Essen family, who are part of the German and Swedish nobility. A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children. He is openly gay.

He toured Europe in West Side Story and was a cast member of the U.S. national tour of Chicago. He made his Broadway debut in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2000 as Disciple and Jesus of Nazareth understudy. He appeared in Les Misérables on Broadway as the replacement for Fauchelevent and other roles, and starred in Dance of the Vampires alongside Michael Crawford in 2002. He played the role of student revolutionary leader Enjolras (replacement) in the Les Misérables Broadway revival in 2006 at the Broadhurst Theater.

In 2006, he was a soloist at the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber musical gala to date, held in Tallinn, Estonia. He performed in the national tour of Xanadu as "Sonny" in 2008 and in the Roundabout Theater Company Off-Broadway production of Maury Yeston's Death Takes a Holiday at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2011. In 2015, von Essen played the role of Parisian aristocrat Henri in the Broadway production of An American in Paris, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination.

Film and television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Brooklyn Lobster Piano Player
2009 The Beautiful Life: TBL Scott 1 episode
2010 Sex and the City 2 Wedding Chorus
2011-14 Submissions Only Cameron Dante Netflix series, 14 episodes
2012 Gossip Girl Father Smythe 2 episodes
Royal Pains Hair 1 episode
2013-14 The Good Wife Stephen Delaney 2 episodes
2014 Blonde Man Short
Seven Lovers Dan
2015 The Intern Businessman at Starbucks #1
2022 Family Guy Cruise Director, Waiter (voices) 2 episodes
2024 Law & Order Rhett Richards Episode: "Family Ties"

Theatre credits

Broadway

Source: Internet Broadway Database

Year(s) Production Role Location
2000 Jesus Christ Superstar Disciple;
u/s Jesus Christ 		Ford Center for the Performing Arts
2002 Dance of the Vampires Alfred Minskoff Theatre
2003 Les Misérables Fauchelevent / Jean Prouvaire / Ensemble;

u/s Marius Pontmercy (replacement)

Imperial Theatre
2007–2008 Enjolras (replacement) Broadhurst Theatre
2012 Evita Agustin Magaldi;
u/s Che 		Marquis Theatre
Che (replacement)
2012–2013 Agustin Magaldi;
u/s Che
2015–2016 An American in Paris Henri Baurel Palace Theatre
2017–2018 Anastasia Gleb Vaganov (replacement) Broadhurst Theatre
2023–2024 Chicago Billy Flynn (replacement) Ambassador Theatre

National and international tours

Year(s) Production Role
1997 Liza Minnelli in Concert Ensemble
1998 West Side Story (European tour) Tony
1999 Chicago Mary Sunshine
2008 Xanadu Sonny
2019 Falsettos Marvin

Off-Broadway

Year(s) Production Role Location
1999 The Fantasticks Matt Sullivan Street Playhouse
2001 John & Paul Un­known New Victory Theater
2004 Finian's Rainbow Woody Mahoney Irish Repertory Theatre
2011 Death Takes a Holiday Corrado Montelli Laura Pels Theatre (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Hello Again The Soldier Transport Group
2016 The Secret Garden Dr. Neville Craven Lucille Lortel Theatre
2017 Yours Unfaithfully Stephen Meredith Beckett Theatre (Mint Theater Company)

Regional

Year(s) Production Role Location
1997 A Christmas Carol Un­known Mill Mountain Theatre
1999 Jesus Christ Superstar Un­known Connecticut Repertory Theatre
2001 Blood Brothers Eddie Downtown Cabaret Theatre (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Hair Claude Bay Street Theatre
2002 My Fair Lady Freddy Eynsford-Hill Paper Mill Playhouse
2003 Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph Sacramento Music Circus
Children of Eden Abel/Ham The York Theatre Company
2004 Auntie Mame Bay Street Theatre
Ogunquit Playhouse
Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Sacramento Music Circus
Dorian Dorian NoHo Arts Center (North Hollywood, CA)
2005 Cabaret The Emcee Sacramento Music Circus
The Baker's Wife Dominique Paper Mill Playhouse
The Secret Garden Captain Albert Lennox Manhattan Center
2006 Mame Patrick The Kennedy Center
West Side Story Tony Theatre Under the Stars
2008 Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Anthony Hope Sacramento Music Circus
2010 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph
2013 My Fair Lady Freddy Eynsford-Hill Kennedy Center
2022 The Secret Garden Archibald Craven UC Davis Health Pavilion
42nd Street Julian Marsh Goodspeed Musicals

Awards and nominations

Source: IBDB

Year Award Ceremony Category Show Result
2015 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical An American in Paris Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated

References

  1. Weiner, Iris (January 22, 2016). "From Rockville Centre To Paris". Long Island Pulse Magazine.
  2. "Broadway Buzz".
  3. von Essen, Max (25 October 2012). "Trickle-Down Bullying". HuffPost. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  4. "Jesus Christ Superstar". Internet Broadway Database (IBDB). Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  5. "Les Misérables – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  6. "Dance of the Vampires – Broadway Musical – Original". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  7. The Broadway League. "Les Misérables – Broadway Musical – 2006 Revival". IBDB. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  8. Gans, Andrew (September 22, 2008). "Broadway's Stanley and Von Essen Will Head Cast of 'Xanadu' Tour". Playbill.
  9. Isherwood, Charles (July 21, 2011). "Set Aside That Scythe, and Let's Put on a Show". The New York Times.
  10. "An American in Paris – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  11. Gans, Andrew (September 22, 2008). "Broadway's Stanley and Von Essen Will Head Cast of Xanadu Tour". Playbill.
  12. Gans, Andrew (March 20, 2019). "National Tour of Falsettos, Starring Max von Essen, Nick Adams, Eden Espinosa, Opens March 20 in San Francisco". Playbill.
  13. Sommer, Elyse (October 14, 1999). "A CurtainUp Review. 'Fantasticks'". CurtainUp.
  14. Jones, Kenneth (March 11, 2004). "Von Essen to Sing "Old Devil Moon," Freeman Is Finian in Irish Rep Rainbow Adaptation". Playbill.
  15. Death Takes a Holiday. Lortel Theatre. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  16. Death Takes a Holiday. New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  17. Jones, Kenneth (March 20, 2011). "Fleshly 'Hello Again', With Alan Campbell, Elizabeth Stanley, Max von Essen, Opens Off-Broadway". Playbill.
  18. Gans, Andrew (January 26, 2017). "Max Von Essen Stars in Off-Broadway's 'Yours Unfaithfully', Opening Jan. 26". Playbill.
  19. Blood Brothers. TotalTheater.com. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  20. Lohrey, David. "Review". CurtainUp. June 7, 2002.
  21. Rawson, Christopher (July 9, 2003). "Stage Review: CLO's 'Fair Lady' is truly fine fare". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  22. Simonson, Robert (July 14, 2004). "Charles Busch 'Auntie Mame' Makes Second Summer Stop, at Bay Street Theatre, July 14". Playbill.
  23. Rizzo, Frank (July 1, 2004). "Review. 'Auntie Mame'". Variety.
  24. Gans, Andrew (June 15, 2004). "Norm Lewis, Max von Essen, Sarah Uriarte Berry and More Featured in Sacramento Music Circus Summer Season". Playbill.
  25. Hirschhorn, Joel (November 2, 2004). "Reviews. Dorian " Variety.
  26. Gans, Andrew (March 2, 2005). "Von Essen to Star in Kander and Ebb's 'Cabaret'". Playbill.
  27. Gans, Andrew (April 13, 2005). " 'The Baker's Wife' Begins Performances at Paper Mill Playhouse April 13". Playbill.
  28. Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (December 5, 2005). "Pasquale, Chase, Benanti, Arden, Von Essen, Keenan-Bolger and Gettelfinger Enter The Secret Garden Dec. 5". Playbill. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  29. Simonson, Robert; Gans, Andrew (May 27, 2006). "New 'Mame', Starring Christine Baranski, Begins at Kennedy Center May 27". Playbill.
  30. Gans, Andrew (October 24, 2006). "TUTS' 'West Side Story', with Max von Essen, Begins Oct. 24". Playbill.
  31. Hetrick, Adam (August 5, 2008). " 'West Side Story' Dances Into Pittsburgh CLO Aug. 5". Playbill.
  32. Lipton, Brian Scott (July 21, 2008). "Jacoby, Murray, von Essen, et al. Set for Sacramento Music Circus' 'Sweeney Todd'". TheaterMania.
  33. "Von Essen Awards". IBDB. Retrieved November 26, 2017.

External links

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