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.
Alex Boniello | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1990 Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Wagner College |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer, producer |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Spouse | April Lavalle (2022–present) |
Career
editBoniello 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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3]
In 2015, Boniello performed in the Off-Broadway production of Brooklynite.[4] Later in the year, he was cast as the "Voice of Moritz" in the Deaf West Production of Spring Awakening,[5] and stayed with the company with its transfer to Broadway. He completed his run at the Brooks Atkinson theatre on January 24, 2016.[6] On April 13, 2018 it was announced that Boniello would be replacing Mike Faist as Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9]
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 Broadway for Racial Justice and the Actor's Fund. As the pandemic continued, he began streaming video games on his personal Twitch channel.[10]
Boniello released his debut EP titled Hi on multiple platforms on January 8, 2021.[11]
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.[12] 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.[13] Also in 2023, he starred as Roger Davis in the World Symphonic Premiere of RENT at the Kennedy Center. [14]
Personal life
editBoniello proposed to his long-term girlfriend, April Lavalle, on May 9, 2021.[15] The two got married on October 31, 2022. [16] On September 27, 2024, Lavalle revealed that her and Boniello were going through a break up following Boniello having an affair. [17]
Credits
editTheatre credits
edit| Year | Production | Role | Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | American Idiot | R&R Boyfriend, Ensemble, Johnny/Saint Jimmy u/s | — | National Tour |
| 2014 | 21 Chump Street | Tevin, Boy, and Cousin 1 | Brooklyn Academy of Music | Concert |
| 2015 | Brooklynite | Ensemble | Vineyard Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| 2015 | Spring Awakening | Voice of Moritz | Wallis Annenberg Center | Los Angeles |
| 2015–16 | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2017 | Million Dollar Quartet | Elvis Presley | Paper Mill Playhouse | Regional |
| 2017 | Cruel Intentions: The Musical | Blaine Tuttle | Le Poisson Rouge | Off-Broadway |
| 2018–2020 | Dear Evan Hansen | Connor Murphy | Music Box Theatre | Broadway |
| 2019 | Hadestown | Co-Producer | Walter Kerr Theatre | Broadway |
| 2021–22 | Whisper House | The Gentleman Ghost | 59 East 59 Theaters | Off-Broadway |
| 2023 | Rent | Roger Davis | The Kennedy Center | World Symphonic Premiere |
| 2023 | Almost Famous | Russel Hammond | Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | Workshop readings [18] |
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Alien Dawn | Elijah | Television | 1 Episode: "The Montauk Project" |
| Contest | Joe | Film | ||
| 2014 | Unrelated | MT Guy | Television | 2 Episodes |
| Happyish | Participant 6 | Television | 1 Episode: "Starring Sigmund Freud, Charles Bukowski and Seven Billion A**Holes" | |
| 2015 | Jessica Jones | 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" |
| 2021 | The Other Two | Indie Rock Band Singer | Television | 1 Episode: 2.5 |
| The Bite | DJ Perfect Dan | TV Mini Series | 1 Episode: 1.5 | |
| 2022 | Love & Gelato | Fleetwood Zach | Film | Netflix |
| 2023 | Ghosts | Crash | Television | Recurring Role, CBS |
| 2024 | Descendants: The Rise of Red | Jack of Diamonds | Film | Disney+ original film |
Discography
editExtended plays
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Hi[19] |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Pigeons"[20] | 2020 | Non-album single |
| "Red"[21] (with Kylie Cantrall) | 2024 | Descendants: The Rise of Red |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ovation Awards | Best Acting Ensemble for a Musical | Spring Awakening | Won |
| 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 | ||
| 2019 | Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards | Favorite replacement (Male) | Dear Evan Hansen | Nominated |
| Tony Awards | Best Musical (co-producer) | Hadestown | Won |
References
edit- ^ Feldberg, Robert. "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."
- ^ "Alex Boniello Theatre Credits". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ This American Life, recorded June 7, 2014, aired on June 20, 2014.
- ^ "Exciting News! Wagner Theatre Alum Alex... - Wagner College Theatre | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ "Deaf West revisits 'Spring Awakening' with fresh vigor at the Wallis". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ "Spring Awakening". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ "Alex Boniello Will Succeed Tony Nominee Mike Faist in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (January 26, 2020). "Jimmy Award Winner Andrew Barth Feldman Ends Broadway Run in Dear Evan Hansen January 26". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "Kaylavlex Theatricals". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ "Twitch". Twitch. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "Paramount Press Express | CBS Studios | Ghosts | Releases". www.paramountpressexpress.com. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2023-03-24). "'Descendants: The Rise of Red' At Disney+ Casts Alex Boniello As Jack Of Diamonds". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ Gans, Andrew; Culwell-Block, Logan (June 29, 2023). "Ali Stroker, Myles Frost, Lorna Courtney, More Will Star in Symphonic Concert Premiere of Rent at Kennedy Center". Playbill.
- ^ "Alex Boniello on Instagram: "Took me long enough. 💍"". Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
- ^ Boniello, Alex. "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "You Okay, Honey?". SubStack.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Almost Famous Headed Back into Workshops at the O'Neill". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "Odds & Ends: Alex Boniello Releases EP Hi & New Music Video". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Alex Boniello Releases New Single 'Pigeons'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "Kylie Cantrall Paints Wonderland "Red" In New Music Video From Descendants: The Rise Of Red". Disney Plus Press. Retrieved October 11, 2024.