Austin Miller
Encyclopedia
Austin Miller is an American
actor, dancer, and singer, known for television and stage performances. He played the part of Hawk in the soap opera Days of our Lives
, performed as the lead in the Hairspray
musical in both a national tour and a Las Vegas
production, and in 2007 was a second place finalist on the televised competition Grease: You're the One that I Want!.
(population 21,000), to a conservative Catholic
family. Miller started performing at the age of 7, graduating from Alvin High School
. He studied dance in Houston
, and then briefly attended Texas's Baylor University
on a vocal scholarship, where he joined Delta Tau Delta
fraternity. But he dropped out to join a Las Vegas
show, "Enter the Night," later performing in Starlight Express
.
The 19-year-old Miller then went on a national tour with the Grease
musical, playing the character of Kenickie (Rizzo's boyfriend, played by Jeff Conaway
in the film). He also performed in Smokey Joe's Cafe
, playing the character of Michael, and the National Tour of "Victor/Victoria".
After various musical theatre roles, he moved to Los Angeles
, obtaining a part as the character, Hawk, on the popular soap opera Days of our Lives
, and also being cast in some small movie roles. He then auditioned for and won the role of Link Larkin in a nationally touring production of Hairspray
. He also took on the same role in the short-lived Las Vegas production of Hairspray, which ran from February–June 2006 at the Luxor Hotel
.
production. Thousands of applicants were considered, with a few dozen then chosen to go to a "Grease Academy" bootcamp for one week. Miller proceeded through that step as well, and in 2007 was chosen to be one of the 12 contestants to go on to the live show, where call-in votes by the viewing audience were combined with judges' opinions to eliminate a different contestant each week. Miller had the nickname of "Hot Danny" on the show, and was often referred to as one of the veterans, since he has extensive stage experience but was competing against other contestants with much less. On both the February 11 and February 18, 2007 broadcasts one of the judges, influential producer David Ian
, chose Miller as the "best Danny of the night." On March 18, 2007, Miller was named as one of the two finalists in the competition, and was told that there was only a 1% difference in voter opinion between him and the other finalist, "Slacker Danny" Max Crumm
. On March 25, 2007, Crumm was declared the final winner.
In September 2007, Miller performed in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, in a show called TULLY (in no particular order). Since Grease, Austin has starred in the pre-Broadway run of "Trip of Love", and NYMF's Jerusalem Syndrome, as well as the symphony series "Elvis-from Broadway to Memphis". He also played Billy Lawlor in Goodspeed's production of "42nd Street" through July 3, 2009 as well as the National Tour that followed. Several stage appearances have followed, including starring as "Joseph" in Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in multiple venues, DC's Arena Stage's award winning production of "Sophisticated Ladies" with Maurice Hines, and starring as Joe Hardy in "Damn Yankees" with Andre De Sheilds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, dancer, and singer, known for television and stage performances. He played the part of Hawk in the soap opera Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, performed as the lead in the Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
musical in both a national tour and a Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
production, and in 2007 was a second place finalist on the televised competition Grease: You're the One that I Want!.
Biography
Miller was raised in the small town of Alvin, TexasAlvin, Texas
Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 21,413. Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who moved with his family to the city in 1947 as...
(population 21,000), to a conservative Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family. Miller started performing at the age of 7, graduating from Alvin High School
Alvin High School
Alvin High School, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Alvin Independent School District.- History :Alvin High School opened in 1894, with its first graduating class graduating in 1897...
. He studied dance in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and then briefly attended Texas's Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
on a vocal scholarship, where he joined Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
fraternity. But he dropped out to join a Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
show, "Enter the Night," later performing in Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
.
The 19-year-old Miller then went on a national tour with the Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
musical, playing the character of Kenickie (Rizzo's boyfriend, played by Jeff Conaway
Jeff Conaway
Jeffrey Charles William Michael "Jeff" Conaway was an American actor best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the US television series Taxi and Babylon 5. Conaway was featured on the first season of reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew...
in the film). He also performed in Smokey Joe's Cafe
Smokey Joe's Cafe
Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
, playing the character of Michael, and the National Tour of "Victor/Victoria".
After various musical theatre roles, he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, obtaining a part as the character, Hawk, on the popular soap opera Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, and also being cast in some small movie roles. He then auditioned for and won the role of Link Larkin in a nationally touring production of Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
. He also took on the same role in the short-lived Las Vegas production of Hairspray, which ran from February–June 2006 at the Luxor Hotel
Luxor Hotel
Luxor Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The 30-story hotel, which is operated by MGM Resorts International, features a casino floor that includes over 2,000 slot machines and 87 table games....
.
Grease
Though he had performed in the national tour of Grease, when he auditioned for the same role on Broadway, he was turned down as not "blue collar" enough. At the audition, however, he heard of and applied for the upcoming televised competition, Grease: You're the One that I Want! whose winners were to be cast in the lead roles of Danny and Sandy in the next BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production. Thousands of applicants were considered, with a few dozen then chosen to go to a "Grease Academy" bootcamp for one week. Miller proceeded through that step as well, and in 2007 was chosen to be one of the 12 contestants to go on to the live show, where call-in votes by the viewing audience were combined with judges' opinions to eliminate a different contestant each week. Miller had the nickname of "Hot Danny" on the show, and was often referred to as one of the veterans, since he has extensive stage experience but was competing against other contestants with much less. On both the February 11 and February 18, 2007 broadcasts one of the judges, influential producer David Ian
David Ian
David Ian Lane , is a former actor and now a theatre producer who The Stage has called "the most powerful man in UK theatre".-Biography:...
, chose Miller as the "best Danny of the night." On March 18, 2007, Miller was named as one of the two finalists in the competition, and was told that there was only a 1% difference in voter opinion between him and the other finalist, "Slacker Danny" Max Crumm
Max Crumm
Aaron Maximillian "Max" Crumm is an American actor, singer, and the winner of the role of "Danny" on the televised Grease: You're the One that I Want! competition. He played Danny in the 2007 Broadway run of Grease...
. On March 25, 2007, Crumm was declared the final winner.
In September 2007, Miller performed in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, in a show called TULLY (in no particular order). Since Grease, Austin has starred in the pre-Broadway run of "Trip of Love", and NYMF's Jerusalem Syndrome, as well as the symphony series "Elvis-from Broadway to Memphis". He also played Billy Lawlor in Goodspeed's production of "42nd Street" through July 3, 2009 as well as the National Tour that followed. Several stage appearances have followed, including starring as "Joseph" in Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in multiple venues, DC's Arena Stage's award winning production of "Sophisticated Ladies" with Maurice Hines, and starring as Joe Hardy in "Damn Yankees" with Andre De Sheilds.
Post-Grease
Branching into more creative areas, Austin most recently had an original screenplay picked up at Rocklin/Faust, a feature production company in Los Angeles associated with Alcon. Also he continues to perform on stage and with his group The Matinee Idols (www.matineeidols.net).Stage
- Smokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
(Michael) - GreaseGrease (musical)Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
(Kenickie) - HairsprayHairspray (musical)Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
(Link) - Tully (In No Particular Order) (Claude Beautee)
- Disney's When You Wish - Theatre Under The Stars, Houston, Texas
- Trip of Love - Japan pre-Broadway run
- The Jerusalem Syndrome (Mickey)
- Go-Go BeachGo-Go Beach (Musical)Go-Go Beach is a new stage musical in the style of a 1960s California Beach Party film, such as those starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. The show has book and lyrics by John Wimbs and music by Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord...
(Woody) - 42nd Street42nd Street (musical)42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
(Billy) - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph)
- "Sophisticated Ladies" (Lead)
- "Damn Yankees" (Joe Hardy)
- "Idaho!" premier (Whip Masters)
- "Urban Cowboy" (Bud)
Television
- Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
("Hawk," 2001-2002) - Grease: You're the One that I Want! ("Hot Danny," 2007)
- Mad TV (numerous episodes, 2001–2003)
Film
- Puerto Vallarta SqueezePuerto Vallarta SqueezePuerto Vallarta Squeeze is a novel by Robert James Waller, which was made into a film in 2004. Originally published in 1995 and subtitled The Run for el Norte, this unlikely romance follows an American expatriate and his Mexican girlfriend on a road trip with a former Marine...
(surfer) 2004 - America's SweetheartsAmerica's SweetheartsAmerica's Sweethearts is a 2001 romantic comedy film, directed by Joe Roth, starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusack, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The film also stars Keri Lynn Pratt, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Seth Green, Alan Arkin, and Christopher Walken, and features a cameo appearance...
(dancer) 2001
External links
- Official website
- "Interview with Austin Miller" from TalkinBroadway.com
- Official Austin Miller fan club site