Alex Boniello
{{Short description|American actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alex Boniello
| image =
| birth_place = Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|10|5}}
| occupation = Actor, singer, producer
| years_active = 2012–present
| education = Wagner College
}}
Alex Boniello (born October 5, 1990) is an American actor, musician, author, and producer best known for his portrayal of the voice of Moritz in the 2015 Broadway revival of Spring Awakening, as well as his performance as Connor Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen. In 2019, he won the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for Hadestown.
Career
Boniello grew up in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey and attended Wood-Ridge High School, where he began acting with roles like Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and Mark Cohen in Rent. He enrolled at Wagner College, majoring in drama.Feldberg, Robert. [http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/theater/two-actors-same-role-in-spring-awakening-1.1414033?page=all "Bergen County native shares role with deaf partner in Broadway's 'Spring Awakening'"], The Record (Bergen County), September 20, 2015. Accessed October 18, 2015. "Theater is a collaborative art, but rarely do actors form a partnership as unusual as the one created by Alex Boniello, who was raised in Wood-Ridge, and Daniel N. Durant.... Boniello, who got the acting bug at Wood-Ridge High School before going on to study drama at Wagner College, joined the cast after the production had gotten under way in its Los Angeles debut, so, he said, he had to quickly play catch-up."
His start in professional theatre came with the touring company of American Idiot in 2013 as part of the ensemble. He also understudied the roles of Johnny and St. Jimmy.{{Cite web|title = Alex Boniello Theatre Credits|url = http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Alex-Boniello/|website = www.broadwayworld.com|accessdate = 2015-09-30}} Boniello was also a member of the cast of 21 Chump Street in its 2014 premiere and is featured on the show's original cast album.[http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/528/the-radio-drama-episode?act=1 This American Life], recorded June 7, 2014, aired on June 20, 2014.
In 2015, Boniello performed in the Off-Broadway production of Brooklynite.{{Cite web|title = Exciting News! Wagner Theatre Alum Alex... - Wagner College Theatre {{!}} Facebook|url = https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=795992363815617&id=181349418613251|website = www.facebook.com|accessdate = 2015-09-30}} Later in the year, he was cast as the "Voice of Moritz" in the Deaf West Production of Spring Awakening,{{Cite news|title = Deaf West revisits 'Spring Awakening' with fresh vigor at the Wallis|url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-spring-awakening-review-20150530-column.html?track=rss&dlvrit=175674|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|access-date = 2015-09-30|issn = 0458-3035|language = en}} and stayed with the company with its transfer to Broadway. He completed his run at the Brooks Atkinson theatre on January 24, 2016.{{Cite web|title = Spring Awakening|url = http://www.broadway.com/shows/spring-awakening-dw/?t=btn|accessdate = 2015-09-30}} On April 13, 2018 it was announced that Boniello would be replacing Mike Faist as Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/alex-boniello-will-succeed-tony-nominee-mike-faist-in-broadways-dear-evan-hansen|title=Alex Boniello Will Succeed Tony Nominee Mike Faist in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen {{!}} Playbill|website=Playbill|language=en|access-date=2018-04-16}} He made his debut in the role on May 15, 2018 and played his final performance on January 26, 2020 alongside co-star Andrew Barth Feldman.{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=January 26, 2020|title=Jimmy Award Winner Andrew Barth Feldman Ends Broadway Run in Dear Evan Hansen January 26|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/jimmy-award-winner-andrew-barth-feldman-ends-broadway-run-in-dear-evan-hansen-january-26|access-date=2021-01-09|website=Playbill|language=en}}
As a producer, Boniello is known for his work on the Broadway musical Hadestown, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2019.{{Cite web|title=Kaylavlex Theatricals|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/kaylavlex-theatricals|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Playbill|language=en}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Boniello and Andrew Barth Feldman hosted Broadway Jackbox on Twitch, where they played games with fellow actors in order to raise money for [https://www.bfrj.org/ Broadway for Racial Justice] and the Actor's Fund. As the pandemic continued, he began streaming video games on his personal Twitch channel.{{Cite web|title=Twitch|url=https://www.twitch.tv/alexboniello|access-date=2021-05-19|website=Twitch}}
Boniello released his debut EP titled Hi on multiple platforms on January 8, 2021.{{Cite web|title=Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/200289/odds-ends-alex-boniello-releases-ep-hi-new-music-video/|access-date=2021-10-10|website=Broadway.com|language=en}}
His debut work as a children's book author, A Case of the Zaps, was published by Abrams Books in August 2022.
In March 2023, it was announced that he would be playing the recurring role of Crash, the headless ghost, on CBS's hit series Ghosts.{{Cite web |title=Paramount Press Express {{!}} CBS Studios {{!}} Ghosts {{!}} Releases |url=https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/ghosts/releases/?view=102010-sam-tries-to-convince-petes-daughter-to-hold-her-wedding-at-woodstone-bb-and-alberta-and-isaac-team-up-to-solve-the-mystery-of-what-happened-to-crashs |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=www.paramountpressexpress.com | date=23 March 2023 |language=en}} Also in March 2023, it was announced that he would be playing the role of Jack of Diamonds in Disney's Descendants: The Rise of Red, the follow-up series to Disney's wildly successful Descendants franchise.{{Cite web |last=Rice |first=Lynette |date=2023-03-24 |title='Descendants: The Rise of Red' At Disney+ Casts Alex Boniello As Jack Of Diamonds |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/descendants-the-rise-of-red-disney-plus-alex-boniello-jack-of-diamonds-1235309355/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Also in 2023, he starred as Roger Davis in the World Symphonic Premiere of RENT at the Kennedy Center. {{Cite web |title=Ali Stroker, Myles Frost, Lorna Courtney, More Will Star in Symphonic Concert Premiere of Rent at Kennedy Center |url=https://playbill.com/article/ali-stroker-myles-frost-lorna-courtney-more-will-star-in-symphonic-concert-premiere-of-rent-at-kennedy-center |date=June 29, 2023 |last1=Gans |first1=Andrew |last2=Culwell-Block |first2=Logan |website=Playbill}}
Personal life
Boniello proposed to his long-term girlfriend, April Lavalle, on May 9, 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/COrEAWUDyho/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/COrEAWUDyho |archive-date=2021-12-26 |url-access=registration|title=Alex Boniello on Instagram: "Took me long enough. 💍" }}{{cbignore}} The two got married on October 31, 2022. {{cite web |last1=Boniello |first1=Alex |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CkZVKb1r84y/?img_index=1 |website=Instagram |access-date=September 29, 2024}} On September 27, 2024, Lavalle revealed that her and Boniello were going through a break up.
Credits
= Theatre credits =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Production !Role !Location !Category |
| 2013–14
|R&R Boyfriend, Ensemble, Johnny/Saint Jimmy u/s |{{n/a}} |National Tour |
| 2014
|Tevin, Boy, and Cousin 1 |Concert |
| 2015
|Brooklynite |Ensemble |Off-Broadway |
| 2015
| rowspan="2" |Spring Awakening | rowspan="2" |Voice of Moritz |Los Angeles |
| 2015–16
|Broadway |
| 2017
|Elvis Presley |Regional |
| 2017
|Cruel Intentions: The Musical |Blaine Tuttle |Off-Broadway |
| 2018–2020
|Connor Murphy |Broadway |
| 2019
|Co-Producer |Broadway |
| 2021–22
|The Gentleman Ghost |Off-Broadway |
| 2023
|Rent |Roger Davis |World Symphonic Premiere |
| 2023
|Russel Hammond |
= Filmography =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Type !Notes |
| rowspan="2" |2013
|Elijah |Television |1 Episode: "The Montauk Project" |
| Contest
|Joe |Film | |
| rowspan="2" |2014
|MT Guy |Television |2 Episodes |
| Happyish
|Participant 6 |Television |1 Episode: "Starring Sigmund Freud, Charles Bukowski and Seven Billion A**Holes" |
| 2015
|Punk Kid |Television |1 Episode: " AKA Take a Bloody Number" |
| 2018
|Alt Space |Julian Barton |Film | |
| 2019
|Indoor Boys |Luther |Web Series |1 Episode: "Roomies" |
| rowspan="2" |2021
|Indie Rock Band Singer |Television |1 Episode: 2.5 |
| The Bite
|DJ Perfect Dan |TV Mini Series |1 Episode: 1.5 |
| 2022
|Fleetwood Zach |Film |Netflix |
| 2023
|Crash |Television |Recurring Role, CBS |
| 2024
|Jack of Diamonds |Film |
= Discography =
== Extended plays ==
| class="wikitable" |
| Title
! Album details |
|---|
| Hi{{Cite web|title=Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/200289/odds-ends-alex-boniello-releases-ep-hi-new-music-video/|access-date=2021-01-09|website=Broadway.com|language=en}}
|
|
==Singles==
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Award !Category !Work !Result |
| 2015
|Best Acting Ensemble for a Musical | rowspan="3" |Spring Awakening |{{won}} |
| rowspan="2" |2016
|Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards |Favorite Onstage Pair (with Daniel Durant) |{{nominated}} |
| Fred and Adele Astaire Awards
|Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show |{{nominated}} |
| rowspan="2" |2019
|Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards |Favorite replacement (Male) |Dear Evan Hansen |{{Nominated}} |
| Tony Awards
|Best Musical (co-producer) |{{won}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boniello, Alex}}
Category:American male musical theatre actors
Category:People from Wood-Ridge, New Jersey
Category:Wagner College alumni
Category:Wood-Ridge High School alumni
Category:Male actors from New Jersey