Matt Zarley
Matt Zarley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Matthew Scott Zarley |
| Born | February 6, 1969 Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, Dance, Musical Theatre |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Actor, Producer |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Website | www |
Matt Zarley (born February 6, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musical theatre performer, and LGBTQ+ advocate. He began his professional career on Broadway before gaining recognition in the pop and dance music scenes. Zarley is known for his expressive tenor voice, LGBTQ-centered storytelling, and award-winning musical works such as Change Begins With Me and the short film hopefulROMANTIC. He was the first openly gay man featured in People magazine’s “Bachelor” issue, and continues to use his platform to support queer youth and promote positive representation in media.
Early life
Zarley was born in Peoria, Illinois and raised in the Midwest, New Jersey, before settling in Southern California at 11 years old. His early interest in dance and musical performance began at the age of 12, leading him to pursue a career in the performing arts. He started working professionally as a teenager and eventually transitioned to Broadway in his early 20s.
Stage and television career
Zarley made his television debut at 17 on the TV series, Fame[1] and his theatrical debut later that same year in the national tour of Cats, at the time, the youngest performer ever cast in the musical.[2][3] He later appeared in the Broadway productions of A Chorus Line, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat[4], The Who’s Tommy[5], and Chicago. His stage work includes roles on Broadway, off-Broadway, national tours, and regional theatre.[6]
In A Chorus Line, Zarley made his Broadway debut at 19 years old, as “Mark Anthony"–a naïve, charmingly all-American character of the show's leading roles.[7] Later Zarley went on to play the role of “Mike Costa”–an Italian-American tap dancer from Trenton, New Jersey–for both the European tour and Paris premiere of the same show.
In October 2020, Zarley joined fellow Cats alumni JoAnn Hunter and Randy Slovacek on ‘‘Stars in the House’’, a live-streamed fundraising series supporting The Actors Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
He also directed and starred in the 2012 music video “Change Begins With Me”, which featured fellow Broadway performers Hector Van Silva and Chuck Saculla.[9] The video was spotlighted by Playbill in their ‘‘Screening Room’’ feature.[10] In addition to stage roles, Zarley has appeared in TV commercials, special appearances on shows including The Rosie O’Donell Show and The Drew Carey Show, as well as roles in TV movies including Disney's Cinderella (with Whitney Houston), Geppetto (with Drew Carey) and Annie (with Kathy Bates).[11]
Filmography
Film, Television and Shorts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Cinderella | Dancer (uncredited) | Television movie |
| 1999 | Annie | Male Dancer | Television movie (Disney) |
| 2000 | Geppetto | Resident of Idyllia | Television movie |
| The Drew Carey Show | Dancer #19 | TV series – 1 episode | |
| 2013 - 2015 | Where the Bears Are | Andrew Simms / Wedding Singer #1 (Himself) | Web series: |
| 2015 | Hopeful Romantic | Executive Producer / Writer / Lead | Short Film:
|
Discography
Albums
- 2002: Debut[16]
- 2008: Here I Am
- 2012: Change Begins With Me
- 2015: hopefulROMANTIC[17]
- 2017: The Estrogen Sessions[18]
- 2023: 11 o'Clock Number[19][20]
Singles
- 2002: “You Always Want (who u ain’t got)”
- 2008: “Had I Known”
- 2008: “Here I Am”
- 2010: “Where Did You Come From”
- 2012: “WTF”
- 2012: “Perfect”
- 2012: “Trust Me”
- 2012: "One More Christmas With You”[21]
- 2015: “I Look To You”
- 2015: “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)”
- 2018: “I’ll Never Love Again”
- 2018: “I Don’t Wanna Love Somebody Else”
- 2018: “Your Song”
- 2019: “Dear Future Husband”
- 2019: “Don’t Save It All For Christmas Day”
Other Releases
- 1994: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Broadway Revival Cast)
- 1997: Cole Porter: A Musical Toast
- 1999: Annie (Original soundtrack–Disney)
- 2000: Geppetto (TV soundtrack)
- 2002: Being Out Rocks
- 2009: While You See A Chance (feat. Billy Porter)
Visual albums and music videos
In 2015, Zarley wrote, produced, and starred in hopefulROMANTIC, an award winning musical short film that chronicles the life of a romantic relationship. The near dialogue-free narrative is told entirely through music and it co-starred Chuck Saculla, Jolie Jenkins, and George Takei. The short film appeared in several film festivals around the globe, including the Cannes Short Film Festival, winning several festival awards.[22][23]
In 2023, he launched 11 o’Clock Number, a 12 episode web series and visual album. The series, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, features Zarley’s reinterpretations of iconic musical theatre songs, that were all originally sung by women. The narrative driven series was inspired by his mother’s death years prior–featuring appearances from Billy Porter, Jason Graae, Kathy Deitch, Marty Thomas, Jolie Jenkins, and Barbara Deutsch.[20][19] Zarley described the project as a “cathartic quarantine project” that turned into a full-scale production highlighting “personal and collective resilience".[24][25]
Recognition and awards
Zarley has received multiple awards and recognitions for his music and advocacy:
- 2008 – Zarley's single “Had I Known” , made the Billboard Critics Top 10 of the Year.
- 2008 – The single “Here I Am” was chosen by the producers of American Idol as a Top 10 finalist in the American Idol Songwriter Contest
- 2012 – Zarley was the first openly gay man featured in People magazine’s annual "Bachelor" issue in 2012[26]; speaking frequently about the need for increased LGBTQ representation and visibility in media.
- 2012 – Change Begins With Me, received the OutMusic Awards' Album and Single of the Year.[27]
Charity and advocacy
- 2012 – Zarley is a longstanding supporter of the Trevor Project, participating in their annual Paint the Town for Trevor fundraising events.[28]
- 2017 – Supporting LGBTQ youth through charity work. Zarley recorded a cover of Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” with Billy Porter, donating all proceeds to the Los Angeles LGBT Youth Center.[29][30][31]
Personal life
Zarley is openly gay and lives in Los Angeles. His creative projects often reflect his personal experiences, particularly themes of heartbreak, authenticity, and personal growth. He has stated that living openly and truthfully is essential to his artistry.[32]
He has also expressed a desire to write a Broadway musical and develop a television series centered on LGBTQ narratives.[33]
References
- ↑ Fame (TV Series 1982–1987) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-06-21 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "Cats National Tour Cast Reunites for Streaming Performance Benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "Matt Zarley Profile". Internet Broadway Database.
- ↑ "Zebulon in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Broadway". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ McGrath, Sean; Lefkowitz, David (August 14, 1997). "Two-Time Tommy at MI's Barn Theatre". PlayBill. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
- ↑ "Matt Zarley - Musical Theatre Bio". BroadwayWorld.
- ↑ "Matt Zarley (Performer)". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "With Love, Now And Forever! CATS4COVIDRELIEF | Stars in the House". Stars In The House. October 2020.
- ↑ Woulfe, Neil (May 17, 2011). "Meet Singer Matt Zarley: 'Change Begins With Me'; See His New Music Video!". Radar.
- ↑ "Playbill Screening Room: Matt Zarley's Change Begins With Me". Playbill. August 2012.
- ↑ "Matt Zarley | Actor, Producer, Editor". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ Dietl, Joe (2013-11-01), Rick Copp, Joe Dietl, Ben Zook, "Thanksgiving Special", Where the Bears Are, retrieved 2025-06-21
- ↑ , Ben Zook, Ian Parks, Rick Copp, "Wedding Bears, Part 1", Where the Bears Are, 2015-10-12, retrieved 2025-06-21
- ↑ , Ian Parks, Ben Zook, Rick Copp, "Wedding Bears, Part 2", Where the Bears Are, 2015-10-15, retrieved 2025-06-21
- ↑ Hopeful Romantic (Short 2015) - Awards - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-06-21 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ Wayman, Wong (February 2, 2004). "THE LEADING MEN: Following the Norm". Playbill. PERFECTLY IN SYNCH WITH POP MUSIC. Archived from the original on 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ Gioia, Michael (August 23, 2011). "Broadway's Matt Zarley Releases New Solo Album, "Change Begins With Me," Aug. 23". PlayBill. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
- ↑ Musbach, Julie. "Matt Zarley Celebrates International Women's Day with 'The Estrogen Sessions' Featuring Billy Porter". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Gans, Andrew (March 27, 2023). "11 O'Clock Number, New Musical Web Series From Matt Zarley, Debuts March 27". Playbill.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Randy, Slovacek (2023-03-27). "Matt Zarley Debuts New Musical Web Series "11 O'Clock Number" - Instinct Magazine".
- ↑ Grigware, Don. "BWW Reviews: 7th Consecutive Upright Cabaret BROADWAY CHRISTMAS a Winner". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "George Takei Assists Matt Zarley On New Album". www.out.com. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ Diamond, Robert (November 2015). "LGBT Singer/Songwriter Matt Zarley Romances Film Festivals with Acclaimed Musical Short Film & Recording Project – "hopefulROMANTIC" - Special Guest Star George". BroadwayWorld.
- ↑ Major, Michael (March 2023). "Matt Zarley to Premiere New Musical Web Series 11 O'CLOCK NUMBER". Broadway World.
- ↑ Papadatos, Markos (May 2023). "Matt Zarley talks about his '11 O'Clock Number' digital series". Digital Journal.
- ↑ Rubenstein, Janine (April 11, 2023). "Broadway's Matt Zarley on the 'Magnitude' of Being the First Out Gay Man in PEOPLE's Bachelors Issue". People.
- ↑ "OutMusic Awards | Winners". OUTMUSIC AWARDS. December 12, 2012.
- ↑ Ebner, Juliette (May 31, 2012). "Zarley's Angels". Washington Blade.
- ↑ "Billy Porter and Matt Zarley Release Song for Homeless LGBT Youth". Look To The Stars. May 2019.
- ↑ BWM Staff (June 2019). "Matt Zarley and Billy Porter release new single benefitting homeless LGBT youth". Bear World Magazine.
- ↑ Slovacek, Randy (May 2019). "Billy Porter & Matt Zarley Cover 90s Anthem "You Gotta Be"". theOUTfront.
- ↑ Inawat, Matt (May 15, 2012). ""Hottest Bachelor," pop vocalist and billboard dance artist Matt Zarley joins Market Days line-up". GoPride Chicago.
- ↑ Peel, Brian (October 2011). "On Air with Brian Peel | Exclusive Interview: Matt Zarley". TheAussieWord.
External links
This article "Matt Zarley" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Matt Zarley. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
