Michael Torontow
| Michael Torontow | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1977 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Ottawa |
| 💼 Occupation | Actor, singer |
| 📆 Years active | 2001–present |
Michael Torontow is a Canadian actor and singer, best known for his work in musical theatre. He originated the role of Link Larkin in the Canadian premiere production of Hairspray, which played at the Princess of Wales Theatre in 2004.[1] Torontow has also appeared in the original Canadian production of Dirty Dancing, as well as the first North American tour of Mamma Mia!.
Personal life
Torontow was born in Ottawa, Ontario, where he attended Bell High School.[2] While in high school, Torontow played Joseph in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which motivated him to pursue a career in acting. He graduated from the University of Ottawa.[2]
Career
In 2001, Torontow made his professional stage debut when he joined the first North American tour of Mamma Mia!. He was a member of the ensemble and an understudy for the role of Sky.
In 2004, Torontow originated the role of Link Larkin in the Canadian premiere production of Hairspray. The musical opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre on April 8, 2004, before closing on November 28, 2004, after 264 performances.[1]
Torontow was a member of the ensemble for the stage adaptation of Dirty Dancing.[3] The original Canadian production played at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, where it opened on July 25, 2007. Following this, Torontow played Giuseppe Naccarelli in a Toronto production of The Light in the Piazza presented by the Musical Stage Company and the Canadian Stage Company.[4] In 2016, Torontow reprised his role of Giuseppe in a production of The Light in the Piazza at the Max Bell Theatre, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2016 Calgary Theatre Critics Awards.[5]
In 2019, Torontow performed Every Brilliant Thing, a one-man show written by Duncan Macmillan. The production was presented by Talk is Free Theatre at the Five Points Theatre in Barrie, before it transferred to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.[6] In 2020, the production was presented at the Adelaide Fringe Festival with Torontow again performing the show.[7] This production won the BankSA Best Theatre & Physical Theatre award.[8]
Since 2019, Torontow has served as an artistic director for Talk is Free Theatre (TIFT), which is a professional theatre company based in Barrie that has produced and presented theatre across Ontario, Canada, and internationally.[9] In 2021, he directed his first musical, which was a TIFT production of Into the Woods, which played to sold-out audiences in Barrie and at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto.[9][10] At the 2022 Dora Awards, Torontow was nominated for Best Direction.[11]
In 2022, Torontow starred as Sweeney Todd in a production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which was presented by Talk is Free Theatre.[12] For his performance in the role, he was nominated for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical at the 2022 Dora Awards.[11]
In 2023, Torontow played Kevin J. and others in a local production of Come from Away that played in Gander, Newfoundland, where the musical is based.[13] When the musical returned to Gander in the summer of 2024, Torontow also returned, this time playing Kevin T. and others.[14]
Credits
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre | Category | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2003 | Mamma Mia! | Ensemble, u/s Sky | First National Tour | ||
| 2004 | Hairspray | Link Larkin | Princess of Wales Theatre | Mirvish Productions | [1] |
| 2007–2009 | Dirty Dancing | Ensemble | Royal Alexandra Theatre | Mirvish Productions | [3] |
| 2010 | The Light in the Piazza | Giuseppe | Berkeley Street Theatre | Musical Stage Company, Canadian Stage Company | [4] |
| 2014 | Floyd Collins | Homer Collins | Mady Centre for the Performing Arts | Regional: Talk Is Free Theatre, Patrick Street Productions | |
| The York Theatre | |||||
| 2016 | The Light in the Piazza | Giuseppe | Max Bell Theatre | Regional: Theatre Calgary | [5] |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Beast | Capitol Theatre | Regional | |
| 2018 | Mamma Mia! | Sam | Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage | Arts Club Theatre Company | |
| 2019 | Every Brilliant Thing | Narrator | Five Points Theatre | Regional: Talk is Free Theatre | [6] |
| Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre | |||||
| 2020 | Adelaide Fringe Festival | [7] | |||
| 2022 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Sweeney Todd | Regional: Talk is Free Theatre | [12] | |
| 2023 | Come from Away | Kevin J. and others | Joseph R. Smallwood Arts and Culture Centre | Regional: Gander, Newfoundland | [13] |
| 2024 | Cock | M | Regional: Talk is Free Theatre | ||
| Come from Away | Kevin T. and others | Joseph R. Smallwood Arts and Culture Centre | Regional: Gander, Newfoundland | [14] | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Queer as Folk | Babylonian | S5.E7: "Hope Against Hope" |
| 2009 | True Crime Scene | Bakery Manager | S2.E10: "Cherry Hill Murder" |
| 2010 | Forensic Factor | S7.E5: "Abbotsford Killer" | |
| Being Erica | Doug | S3.E6: "Bear Breasts" | |
| 2013 | Hannibal | Pharmacist | S1.E2: "Amuse-Bouche" |
| 2014 | Reign | King's Guard | S1.E9: "For King and Country" |
| 2015 | Remedy | 68 Special Elvis | S2.E10: "Day One" |
| 2015–2016 | Lost & Found Music Studios | Mr. T | Main role: 17 episodes |
| 2017 | Conviction | Handsome Guy | S1.E13: "Past, Prologue & What's to Come" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Calgary Theatre Critics Award | Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | The Light in the Piazza | Nominated | [5] |
| 2019 | Ovation Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance of a Musical - Male | Mamma Mia! | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Adelaide Fringe Festival Awards | BankSA Best Theatre & Physical Theatre | Every Brilliant Thing | Won | [8] |
| 2022 | Dora Awards | Outstanding Direction | Into the Woods | Nominated | [11] |
| Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Nominated |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jones, Kenneth (28 November 2004). "Hairspray Ends in Toronto Nov. 28". Playbill. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Michael Torontow". Canadian Musical Theatre Database. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jones, Kenneth (25 July 2007). "Toronto's Dirty Dancing Finds Its Baby and Johnny; Full Cast Announced". Playbill. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kaplan, Jon (8 February 2010). "The Light In The Piazza". Now Toronto. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hobson, Louis B. (24 May 2016). "Calgary theatre critics award nominees unveiled". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Schmidt, Joff (24 January 2020). "From ice cream to Christopher Walken, Every Brilliant Thing celebrates what makes life worth living". CBC. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wild, Stephi (12 January 2020). "Acclaimed Canadian Theatre Company Heads To Adelaide Fringe". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "2020 BankSA Adelaide Fringe Weekly Fringe Award Winners". Adelaide Fringe. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Szekeres, Joe. "Profiles: Michael Torontow". Our Theatre Voice. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ Hoile, Christopher (31 October 2021). "Into the Woods". Stage-Door. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Watson, Jessica (20 September 2022). "2022 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners". Intermission Magazine. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Murphy, Aisling (13 June 2022). "Sweeney Todd at Talk Is Free Theatre". Intermission Magazine. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Masseron, Meg; Putnam, Leah (23 July 2023). "Get a 1st Look at the Homecoming Production of Come From Away in Gander, Newfoundland". Playbill. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Buchwald, Linda (14 March 2024). "Original Broadway Cast Members Return to Come From Away in Gander". Theatremania. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
External links
This article "Michael Torontow" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Michael Torontow. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
