Ari Axelrod

Axelrod grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His great-grandfather, a cantor, had a brother who was an opera singer before his murder in Kyiv by the Nazis.{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=2025-01-15 |title=New Album 'A Place For Us' by Ari Axelrod Spotlights Jewish Broadway Icons |url=https://www.thejewishnews.com/culture/new-album-a-place-for-us-by-ari-axelrod-spotlights-jewish-broadway-icons/article_ffc55574-d1d0-11ef-b63f-67e3a2e6e9db.html |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=thejewishnews.com}} Axelrod graduated from Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts.{{cite web |last=Palmer |first=Jordan |last2=Newmark |first2=Judith |date=2021-10-05 |title=Rising cabaret star Ari Axelrod brings ‘Jewish Broadway’ to NJT |url=https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/rising-cabaret-star-ari-axelrod-brings-jewish-broadway-to-njt/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=St. Louis Jewish Light}}

Axelrod's one-man show "Taking the Wheel" was directed by Faith Prince.{{cite web |last=Lavazzi |first=Chuck |date=2016-04-03 |title=Ari Axelrod takes the wheel of an impressive cabaret debut at The Monocle |url=https://kdhx.org/articles/cabaret/409-ari-axelrod-takes-the-wheel-of-an-impressive-cabaret-debut-at-the-monocle |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=KDHX}} He performed off-Broadway in "Milk and Honey" at the York Theatre. Axelrod's one-man show "A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway" debuted at the Birdland Jazz Club in 2019. In the show, Axelrod tells stories about the composers whose music he sings, including Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.{{cite web |last=Friedman |first=Gabe |date=2025-01-16 |title=In a new album, singer Ari Axelrod celebrates Jews' contributions to Broadway |url=https://www.jta.org/2025/01/16/ny/in-a-new-album-singer-ari-axelrod-celebrates-jews-contributions-to-broadway |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency}}{{cite web |last=Greenberg |first=Bart |date=2024-05-23 |title=Ari Axelrod: A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway |url=https://cabaretscenes.org/2024/05/23/ari-axelrod-a-place-for-us-a-celebration-of-jewish-broadway/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Cabaret Scenes - The Cabaret World's Only Magazine}}{{cite web |last=Burdick Schweiger |first=Alice |date=2023-01-26 |title=Cabaret Star Shares His Jewish Pride |url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.2023.01.26.001/51 |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=The Detroit Jewish News Digital Archives |volume=174 |issue=20}} He explains how some portions of the songs were taken from Hebrew liturgy.{{cite web |last=Simmons |first=Paulanne |date=2023-10-31 |title=Cabaret Review: A PLACE FOR US: A CELEBRATION OF JEWISH BROADWAY (Ari Axelrod) |url=https://stageandcinema.com/2023/10/30/a-place-for-us-ari-axelrod-review/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Stage and Cinema}} For example, he says "God Bless America" was taken from the Amidah.{{cite web |last=Ben-Moche |first=Erin |date=2020-08-13 |title=Ari Axelrod on His ‘Celebration of Jewish Broadway’ Cabaret |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/320246/ari-axelrod-on-his-celebration-of-jewish-broadway-cabaret/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Jewish Journal}}

Axelrod's show "Self Portrait" was directed by Jeff Harnar.{{cite web |last=Poretz |first=Andrew |date=2024-02-06 |title=A Stunning, Emotional Win for This Cabaret Star |url=https://theaterpizzazz.com/ari-axelrods-self-portrait-a-stunning-emotional-win-for-this-cabaret-star/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Theater Pizzazz}} After playing five roles in "Fiddler on the Roof" in one year, Axelrod began writing a new show about that experience, tentatively called “My Year in Anatevka.”

• Bistro Award for Cabaret, Jazz and Comedy Artists, 2019{{cite web |last=Windeler |first=Robert |date=2019-12-21 |title=Ari Axelrod – Bistro Awards |url=https://bistroawards.com/ari-axelrod/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Bistro Awards – Celebrating Cabaret, Jazz and Comedy Artists}}
• Best Male Vocalist nominee, Manhattan Association of Cabarets 2020{{cite web |title=2020 MAC Award Nominees |url=https://macnyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2020-MAC-Award-Nominees-List.pdf |access-date=2025-02-25}}

Axelrod was named one of The Jewish Week’s "36 Under 36" in 2021.{{cite web |last=Silow-Carroll |first=Andrew |date=2021-07-12 |title=Ari Axelrod, 27, Artist Turned Jewish Activist |url=https://www.jta.org/2021/07/12/ny/ari-axelrod-27-artist-turned-jewish-activist |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency}} During pandemic theater shutdowns, he began posting on social media about Holocaust awareness and against antisemitism. He declared his goal of giving "voice to the voiceless", noting that Jews in 20th century American musical theater felt like outsiders despite their major contributions.

After the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel and Broadway's tribute to Israel's hostages,{{cite web |date=2023-11-08 |title=WATCH: Broadway stars sing 'Bring Him Home' in tribute to Gaza hostages |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-772325 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=The Jerusalem Post}} Axelrod incorporated "Bring Him Home" into his show "A Place for Us".{{cite web |last=Friedwald |first=Will |date=2025-01-21 |title=Baritone Ari Axelrod’s Performances Gain Added Poignance With Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire |url=https://www.nysun.com/article/baritone-ari-axelrods-performances-gain-added-poignance-with-israel-hamas-cease-fire |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=The New York Sun}}{{cite web |last=Parker |first=Jacqueline |date=2025-01-27 |title=Ari Axelrod: A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway |url=https://cabaretscenes.org/2025/01/27/55132/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Cabaret Scenes - The Cabaret World's Only Magazine}} Some Jews told him his show had "given them more confidence to live Jewishly". Axelrod's approach to his activism includes not only fighting against antisemitism, but "fighting for Jewish vitality".{{cite web |last=Solomon |first=Eyal |date=2023-02-28 |title=Ari Axelrod’s "A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway" |url=https://theaterpizzazz.com/ari-axelrods-a-place-for-us-a-celebration-of-jewish-broadway/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Theater Pizzazz}} When one audience member interrupted to demand that Axelrod consider suffering "in all parts of the world", Axelrod was reportedly open to the shout-out and respectfully agreed.{{cite web |last=Harms |first=Holli |date=2023-10-27 |title=Ari Axelrod’s A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway |url=https://openingnight.online/ari-axelrods-a-place-for-us-a-celebration-of-jewish-broadway/#google_vignette |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=OpeningNight.Online}}

Axelrod had brain surgery during college.{{cite web |last=Slomovits |first=Sandor |date=2016-04-29 |title=Ari Axelrod: A Life Transformed A Young Actor’s Journey Back to the Stage After Discovering He Needed Brain Surgery |url=https://www.crazywisdomjournal.com/thecrazywisdomjournalonline/2016/4/29/ari-axelrod-a-life-transformed-a-young-actors-journey-back-to-the-stage-after-discovering-he-needed-brain-surgery |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Crazy Wisdom Community Journal}}

{{reflist}}

[https://www.ariaxelrod.com Official website]

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Category:Living people

Category:Jewish American musicians

Category:21st-century American musicians

Category:21st-century American actors

Category:Jewish American actors

Category:Activists against antisemitism