Brian d'Arcy James
Encyclopedia
Brian d'Arcy James is an American
actor
and musician
.
, the son of Mary (née Kelly), a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan. His uncle was Brian Kelly
, an actor featured in the series "Flipper" and a producer of the movie Blade Runner
. His sister, Kate James, is an actress and writer who performs in the Chicago based sketch comedy group, Schadenfreude. His sister, Anne James Noonan, teaches performing arts in the Chicago suburbs. She is also an actress.
's School of Communication. He received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 2002 for his portrayal of Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success, co-starring John Lithgow
. He also received an Obie Award
for his performance in the one-man play The Good Thief by Conor McPherson
.
Additional Broadway credits include playing Frederick Barrett in Titanic
, Lincoln Center's Carousel
, and Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway
credits include Andrew Lippa
's The Wild Party
in 2000 opposite Julia Murney
and Idina Menzel
for which he received a Drama Desk Award
nomination, as well as Adam Guettel
's Floyd Collins
and the Gershwins' Pardon My English
. He appeared in Martin McDonagh
's The Lieutenant of Inishmore
on Broadway, replaced Norbert Leo Butz
in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
, and starred in The Apple Tree
opposite Kristin Chenoweth
.
In 2004, Brian released a Christmas album titled From Christmas Eve to Christmas Morn. He was the Broadway version of Bob Wallace, whose character was originated by Bing Crosby
, in White Christmas
in 2004.
He played the role of Dan Goodman in the new musical Next to Normal
Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre
in 2008. He recently starred opposite Sutton Foster
and Christopher Sieber
as the title character
in Shrek the Musical. The show began previews on Broadway November 8, 2008 and opened on December 14 at The Broadway Theatre
after a tryout in Seattle. For this role James won the Outer Critics Circle Award
for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal. He departed the cast after one year in the role and was replaced by Ben Crawford.
James starred alongside Laura Linney
, Alicia Silverstone
, and Eric Bogosian
in the Broadway play, Time Stands Still
. It began preview performances on January 5, 2010 and officially opened on January 25 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The show ended its limited run on March 27, 2010. For this role he won the broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actor in a Play.
James reprised the role of Dan Goodman in the Broadway company of Next to Normal at the Booth Theatre
. He replaced J. Robert Spencer
beginning May 17, 2010. James ended his limited engagement on July 18, 2010 and was replaced by Jason Danieley
.
On July 19, 2010 James performed in front of President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama
at A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House, which also aired on PBS October 20, 2010.
Most recently, James returned Time Stands Still
when the show returned to Broadway. It closed on January 30, 2011.
James has been cast in the upcoming NBC musical pilot Smash
, where he will play the husband of Debra Messing
's character. NBC officially picked up Smash as a series on May 11, 2011.
Off-Broadway
Other Theatre
Discography
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Personal life
James was born in Saginaw, MichiganSaginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, the son of Mary (née Kelly), a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan. His uncle was Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly (actor)
Brian Kelly was an American actor best known for his role as Porter Ricks, the widowed father of two sons on the NBC television series Flipper, and as Scott Ross in the ABC advernture series Straightaway, with co-star John Ashley.-Early years:Born in Detroit, Michigan, Kelly was the son of former...
, an actor featured in the series "Flipper" and a producer of the movie Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
. His sister, Kate James, is an actress and writer who performs in the Chicago based sketch comedy group, Schadenfreude. His sister, Anne James Noonan, teaches performing arts in the Chicago suburbs. She is also an actress.
Career
James graduated from Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's School of Communication. He received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 2002 for his portrayal of Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success, co-starring John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
. He also received an Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
for his performance in the one-man play The Good Thief by Conor McPherson
Conor McPherson
Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre...
.
Additional Broadway credits include playing Frederick Barrett in Titanic
Titanic (musical)
Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical...
, Lincoln Center's Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
, and Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
credits include Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City.-Biography:...
's The Wild Party
The Wild Party (Lippa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. It is based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name...
in 2000 opposite Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway...
and Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
for which he received a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nomination, as well as Adam Guettel
Adam Guettel
Adam Guettel is an American composer-lyricist of musical theater and opera . He is best known for the musical The Light in the Piazza, for which he won two Tony Awards, for Best Score and Best Orchestrations, and two Drama Desk Awards, for Best Music and Best Orchestrations.-Early years:Guettel...
's Floyd Collins
Floyd Collins (musical)
Floyd Collins is a musical based on the death of Floyd Collins near Cave City, Kentucky in the winter of 1925. The book is by Tina Landau, with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and additional lyrics by Landau.-Productions:...
and the Gershwins' Pardon My English
Pardon My English
Pardon My English is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era.-Production history:Producers Alex A...
. He appeared in Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:...
's The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a black comedy by playwright Martin McDonagh, first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in 2001.-Plot:...
on Broadway, replaced Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based on the film of the same name...
, and starred in The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith...
opposite Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
.
In 2004, Brian released a Christmas album titled From Christmas Eve to Christmas Morn. He was the Broadway version of Bob Wallace, whose character was originated by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, in White Christmas
White Christmas (musical)
White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
in 2004.
He played the role of Dan Goodman in the new musical Next to Normal
Feeling Electric
Next to Normal is a rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. Its story concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family...
Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theatre is an award-winning contemporary Off-Broadway theater company.-Mission:The theatre's mission is to give new life to contemporary American plays and to produce the world premiers of new plays by both established and emerging playwrights...
in 2008. He recently starred opposite Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...
and Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Kevin Burke in Two of a Kind starring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen and Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical. Christopher studied acting and musical comedy at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City...
as the title character
Shrek (character)
Shrek is a fictional character from the children's book Shrek! and the Shrek films. He is the main protagonist of both the book and the films...
in Shrek the Musical. The show began previews on Broadway November 8, 2008 and opened on December 14 at The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
after a tryout in Seattle. For this role James won the Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal. He departed the cast after one year in the role and was replaced by Ben Crawford.
James starred alongside Laura Linney
Laura Linney
Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress of film, television, and theatre. Linney has won three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has been nominated for three times for an Academy Award and once for a BAFTA Award...
, Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
, and Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...
in the Broadway play, Time Stands Still
Time Stands Still (play)
Time Stands Still is a play written by the Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies and directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan about changing relationships and developing social issues...
. It began preview performances on January 5, 2010 and officially opened on January 25 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The show ended its limited run on March 27, 2010. For this role he won the broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actor in a Play.
James reprised the role of Dan Goodman in the Broadway company of Next to Normal at the Booth Theatre
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
. He replaced J. Robert Spencer
J. Robert Spencer
Robert John Spencer is an American actor and singer, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his work in the Broadway musical Next to Normal....
beginning May 17, 2010. James ended his limited engagement on July 18, 2010 and was replaced by Jason Danieley
Jason Danieley
Jason D. Danieley is an American actor, singer, concert performer and recording artist. He is married to fellow Broadway star, Marin Mazzie-Biography:...
.
On July 19, 2010 James performed in front of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
at A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House, which also aired on PBS October 20, 2010.
Most recently, James returned Time Stands Still
Time Stands Still (play)
Time Stands Still is a play written by the Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies and directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan about changing relationships and developing social issues...
when the show returned to Broadway. It closed on January 30, 2011.
James has been cast in the upcoming NBC musical pilot Smash
Smash (TV series)
Smash is an upcoming American NBC series set to premiere on Monday, February 6, 2012.-Synopsis:The show revolves around a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. But before that can happen, the people who will try to bring it all...
, where he will play the husband of Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
's character. NBC officially picked up Smash as a series on May 11, 2011.
Credits
Broadway- Time Stands StillTime Stands StillTime Stands Still is a 1982 Hungarian film about two brothers and the woman they both love, all living in Budapest during the uprisings of the 1950s. It stars István Znamenák, Henrik Pauer, Sőth Sándor and Anikó Iván and was directed by Péter Gothár...
- Next to Normal
- Shrek the Musical
- The Apple TreeThe Apple TreeThe Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith...
- The Lieutenant of InishmoreThe Lieutenant of InishmoreThe Lieutenant of Inishmore is a black comedy by playwright Martin McDonagh, first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in 2001.-Plot:...
- Dirty Rotten ScoundrelsDirty Rotten ScoundrelsDirty Rotten Scoundrels may refer to:*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , Broadway musical based on the 1988 film...
- Sweet Smell of SuccessSweet Smell of SuccessSweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman...
- TitanicTitanic (musical)Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical...
- CarouselCarouselA carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
- Blood Brothers
Off-Broadway
- Port AuthorityPort Authority (play)Port Authority is a 2001 play by Conor McPherson. It tells of three interwoven lives: a boy leaves home for the first time; a man starts a job for which he is unqualified; a pensioner is sent a mysterious package....
- 2008 Atlantic Theater Company - Next to Normal - 2008 Second Stage Theatre
- Pardon My EnglishPardon My EnglishPardon My English is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era.-Production history:Producers Alex A...
- 2004 New York City Center Encores! Concert - The Good ThiefThe Good ThiefThe Good Thief is a 2002 crime thriller film starring Nick Nolte, Emir Kusturica, and Nutsa Kukhianidze, and directed by Neil Jordan. It is a remake of the 1955 French film Bob le flambeur by Jean-Pierre Melville...
- 2001 Keen Company/Culture Project - The Wild PartyThe Wild Party (Lippa musical)The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. It is based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name...
- 2000 Manhattan Theatre Club - Floyd CollinsFloyd CollinsWilliam Floyd Collins was a celebrated pioneer cave explorer in central Kentucky, an area that is the location of hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, including the Mammoth Cave National Park...
- 1996 Playwrights Horizons
Other Theatre
- White ChristmasWhite ChristmasA white Christmas refers to the presence of snow on Christmas Day. This phenomenon is most common in the northern countries of the Northern Hemisphere...
- 2004 - 2007 Christmas Regional Tour
Discography
- Shrek The Musical
- White Christmas Original Broadway Cast
- The Man Who Would Be King
- From Christmas Eve to Christmas Morn
- Michigan Christmas Solo CD Single
- Sweet Smell of Success Original Broadway Cast
- The Wild Party Original Off-Broadway Cast
- Titanic Original Broadway Cast
- Dream True World Premiere Recording
- Brownstone Studio Cast
- The Maury Yeston Compilation
- Jonathan Franzen's How to Be Alone
- Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens New York
- The Stephen Schwartz Album Studio Cast
- Myths and Hymns Off-Broadway Original Cast
- Violet Off-Broadway Original Cast
- Far From the Madding Crowd Studio Cast
- The Civil War Studio Concept Cast
- The Stephen Sondheim Album Studio Cast
- Floyd Collins Original Cast
- Carousel Revival Cast