Robert Cuccioli

Robert Cuccioli (born May 3, 1958) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for originating the lead dual title roles in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Fany Award for outstanding actor in a musical.

Robert Cuccioli
Born (1958-05-03) May 3, 1958
Hempstead, New York, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSt. John's University
OccupationStage and television actor, singer
Partner(s)Laila Robins
AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (1997)
Websitewww.robertcuccioli.com

After beginning his career Off-Broadway at the Light Opera of Manhattan in the 1980s, Cuccioli starred as Lancelot de Lac in national tours of Camelot in 1987 and first appeared on Broadway in 1993 as Javert in Les Misérables. He has appeared in numerous New York and regional productions since then, including Jekyll and Hyde (1997–1999) and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (2012–2014).

Life and career

Cuccioli was born in Hempstead, New York. He attended St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, New York, and college at St. John's University in Jamaica, New York, earning a degree in Finance. Before moving into theatre as a career, he worked as a financial consultant at E. F. Hutton for three years.

Cuccioli has been in a relationship with actress Laila Robins since 2000.[1][2]

He released his first solo album, The Look of Love, a collection of standards from the 1930s and 1940s, in 2012.[3]

Broadway and national tours

Cuccioli starred as Lancelot de Lac in U.S. and Canadian national tours of Camelot in 1987, with Richard Harris. He first appeared on Broadway as Javert in Les Misérables in 1993 and continued to appear in the musical as a replacement until early January 1995, when he began rehearsals for the pre-Broadway national tour of Jekyll and Hyde. In 1997, Cuccioli received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the dual title roles in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, also winning the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Fany Award for that role. On September 26, 2005, he starred as Dr. Johnson in the special benefit performance of On the Twentieth Century at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Cuccioli returned to Broadway beginning August 7, 2012, when he took over from Patrick Page in the dual role of Norman Osborn and his alter ego Green Goblin in the rock musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.[4]

Off-Broadway and regional theatre

Early in his career, Cuccioli spent several years learning the ropes off-Broadway at the Light Opera of Manhattan, starting out in the chorus, quickly moving up to smaller featured roles and then playing leading roles, such as Count Danilo in The Merry Widow, the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore.[5] His other notable off-Broadway appearances include Nathan in the long-running revival of The Rothschilds (1990); the highly successful 1991 Kander and Ebb revue, And The World Goes 'Round, which garnered him an Outer Critics Circle Award in 1991; and he played the title role of in the Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit musical, Phantom, at the Westchester Broadway Theater in 1992–93, a role that he has repeated. In 2000, he played Macheath in The Threepenny Opera.[6] He was also seen as Karl Streber in Temporary Help in 2002 and in Mirette (a new musical by Harvey Schmidt) with York Theatre in 2005.[7]

Cuccioli's U.S. regional theatre credits include Ankles Aweigh at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1988, Jud Fry in Oklahoma! at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 1992,[6] Archibald Craven in the Sacramento Music Circus production of The Secret Garden (1999), The Actor in Enter the Guardsman at the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival (1999 and again off-Broadway in 2000),[7] King Marchan in Victor/Victoria at the Paper Mill in 2000,[8] Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl (musical) at the Paper Mill in 2001, Antony in Antony and Cleopatra at the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival (2002), Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the Paper Mill in 2003, and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at the Paper Mill in 2004, with Karen Ziemba and Kate Baldwin.[6] His 2005 theatrical credits include Alexander di Medici in Lorenzaccio at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, and Capt. von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the Bendedum Theatre in Pennsylvania. He has also starred in shows at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, where he has played the title role in Macbeth (2004), Brutus in Julius Caesar (2005) and Antonio Salieri in Amadeus (2008), among others; at the New York's Equity Library Theatre; and in regional theatres around the United States.[7]

Cuccioli's later stage appearances include the off-Broadway revue, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris in 2006. In June and July 2007, he played Claudius in Hamlet at The Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, D.C. with the Shakespeare Theatre Company. In 2007, he appeared in pre-Broadway tryouts of Lone Star Love in Seattle, starring Randy Quaid, but the Broadway run was cancelled. Later that year he played the title character in Man of La Mancha at the White Plains, New York Performing Arts Center.[7] Cuccioli reprised the title role of the Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit musical, Phantom, at the Westchester Broadway Theater from December 2007 to February 2008.[9] He also is heard on a concept album for a new musical, The New Picasso, which was released in 2008.[10] In 2008, he returned to the White Plains Performing Arts Center to play King Arthur in Camelot and starred in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey. In 2009, he starred in Thom Thomas's A Moon to Dance By, at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and at the George Street Playhouse, with Jane Alexander, and played John Dickinson in 1776 at the Paper Mill Playhouse.[11]

In 2015, with York Theatre, he starred as Mayer Rothschild in Rothschild & Sons, a reworking of The Rothschilds. Although the show was critically panned, Cuccioli's performance was praised.[12]

Television and film

Cuccioili's television appearances include Sliders (1999) and Baywatch (1997). He played Chief Franklin on The Guiding Light. He also appeared on All My Children and One Life to Live. His has appeared in several films, including in Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998), Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target (1999), Heroic Times and an independent film entitled The Stranger.

Directing

Cuccioli directed The Glass Menagerie in 2003 at The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. He has also directed productions of Jekyll & Hyde at Houston's Theatre Under The Stars, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and The Westchester Broadway Theatre.

Notable theatre roles

Show Role(s) Year(s) Production
Senor Discretion Himself Unknown 1985 Workshop
Camelot Lancelot 1987 US and Canadian Tour
Ankles Aweigh Unknown 1988 Chester, Connecticut
The Rothschilds Nathan 1990–1991 Off-Broadway
And the World Goes Round Performer 1991–1992 Off-Broadway
Oklahoma! Jud Fry 1992 Milburn, New Jersey
Phantom The Phantom 1992–1993 Elmsford, New York
Les Miserables Javert (Understudy) 1993–1995 Broadway
Jekyll & Hyde Dr. Henry Jekyll

Mr. Edward Hyde

1995–1996 1st US Tour
Jekyll & Hyde Dr. Henry Jekyll

Mr. Edward Hyde

1997–1999 Broadway
The Secret Garden Archibald Craven 1999 Sacramento, California
Enter the Guardsman The Actor 2000 Off-Broadway
Sons of Don Juan PiRoman 2000 San Jose, California
Victor/Victoria King Marchan 2000 Milburn, New Jersey
The Three Penny Opera Macheath 2000 Off-Broadway
Jekyll & Hyde Director 2001 Elmsford, New York
Funny Girl Nick Arnstein 2001 Milburn, New Jersey
Antony and Cleopatra Antony 2002 Madison, New Jersey
Jekyll & Hyde Director 2002 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Temporary Help Karl Streber 2002 Off-Broadway
The Sound of Music Captain Georg von Trapp 2003 Milburn, New Jersey
The Glass Menagerie Director 2003 Madison, New Jersey
Guys and Dolls Sky Masterson 2004 Milburn, New Jersey
Macbeth Macbeth 2004 Madison, New Jersey
Jekyll & Hyde Director 2004 Houston, Texas
Julius Caesar Brutus 2005 Madison, New Jersey
Lorenzaccio Alexander di Medici 2005 Washington, D.C.
The Sound of Music Captain Georg Von Trapp 2005 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
On the Twentieth Century Dr. Johnson

The Doctor

2005 Off-Broadway
Mirette Performer 2005 Off-Broadway
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Performer 2006 Off-Broadway
Hamlet Claudius 2007 Washington, D.C.
Lone Star Love Frank Ford 2007 Seattle, Washington
Man of La Mancha Don Quixote 2007 White Plains, New York
Phantom The Phantom 2007–2008 Elmsford, New York
Camelot King Arthur 2008 White Plains, New York
The Seafarer Mr. Lockhart 2008 New Brunswick, New Jersey
Amadeus Antonio Salieri 2008 Milburn, New Jersey
A Moon to Dance By Angelo 2009 Off-Broadway
1776 John Dickinson 2009 Milburn, New Jersey
Jekyll & Hyde Director 2010 Elmsford, New York
Dietrich & Chevalier: The Musical Chevalier 2010 Off-Broadway
Jacques Brel Returns Performer 2010 Off-Broadway
SCKBSTD Norm 2011 Norfolk, Virginia (World Premiere)
Cutman: A Boxing Musical Eli Hofman 2011 Chester, Connecticut (Workshop)
Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin 2012–2014 Broadway
Snow Orchid Rocco 2015 Off-Broadway
Rothschild & Sons Mayer 2015 Off-Broadway
White Guy on the Bus Ray 2017 Off-Broadway
A Man's World Malcolm Gaskell 2017 Off-Broadway
The Merchant of Venice Director 2017 Madison, New Jersey
Jekyll & Hyde Director 2018 Beverly, Massachusetts
Michael Strogoff: Courier of the Tsar Director 2018 Off-Broadway
The White Devil Physician 2019 Off-Broadway
Moby Dick Captain Ahab 2019–2020 Boston, Massachusetts(World Premiere)

Notes

  1. Simonson, Robert. "Robins and Cuccioli Play Marrieds in Dietz Premiere, Fiction in NJ March 28" Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine. Playbill, March 28, 2003, accessed April 29, 2011
  2. Saltzman, Simon. Macbeth. CurtainUp, 2004, accessed April 29, 2011. See also Nash, Margo. "Jersey Footlights". The New York Times, March 30, 2003, accessed April 29, 2011.
  3. "Robert Cuccioli | Biography". www.robertcuccioli.com. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  4. Gioia, Michael. "Robert Cuccioli Is Broadway's Green Goblin in Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Beginning Aug. 7", Playbill, August 7, 2013
  5. Kenrick, John. Photo of Cuccioli as the Pirate King at LOOM, c. 1885, Musicals101.com, accessed June 4, 2009; numerous Playbills, East Side Playhouse
  6. Robert Cuccioli, BroadwayWorld.com Theatre Credits, accessed June 4, 2009
  7. Robert Cuccioli, Festival of The Arts, accessed June 4, 2009.
  8. Kenrick, John. "Victor/Victoria: Paper Mill Playhouse, NJ", Musicals101.com November 2000, accessed June 4, 2009
  9. Crossley-Marra, Benjamin. "The Other Phantom: Robert Cuccioli", BroadwayWorld.com interview with Cuccioli, January 29, 2008
  10. BroadwayWorld.com 'The New Picasso' Concept CD with Cuccioli, von Essen, Noll & Hicks BroadwayWorld.com, November 20, 2007
  11. Past Performances at RobertCuccioli.com
  12. Gordon, David. "Rothschild & Sons", TheaterMania.com, October 18, 2015

References

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