Christopher Sieber
Encyclopedia
Christopher Sieber is an American
actor. He is best known for his roles as Kevin Burke in Two of a Kind (US TV series) 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. Sieber has appeared in Broadway
musicals, including Into the Woods
, Monty Python's Spamalot
(as Sir Dennis Galahad) and he's a two-time Tony Award
nominee.
debut as Agis in the musical Triumph of Love
with Betty Buckley
and F. Murray Abraham
. Following this role, he appeared as a replacement in the roles of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast
, Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie
and Billy Flynn in Chicago
. Sieber played the role of Rapunzel's Prince and shared the role of the Wolf with Gregg Edelman
in the revival of Into the Woods
in 2002.
In March 2005, Sieber originated the role of Sir Dennis Galahad in the Broadway musical Monty Python's Spamalot
. Sieber was nominated for a Tony Award
for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. After leaving the musical in July 2006, he made his London debut in the same role in October 2006, before leaving in early 2007. On June 1, 2007, Sieber sang tenor in the world premiere of Eric Idle
's Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
in Toronto. On January 18, 2008, Sieber returned to Broadway to resume his role as Sir Dennis Galahad in Monty Python's Spamalot.
One of his most notable roles was Lord Farquaad
in Shrek the Musical
which opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, after an out-of-town tryout in Seattle. For this role Sieber was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Award
for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
, and the Drama League Award
for Distinguished Performance. He played his final performance in this role January 3, 2010, when the Broadway production closed.
On March 11, 2011, Sieber replaced Jeffrey Tambor
as Georges in the Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles
opposite Harvey Fierstein
. Tambor left the role due to hip problems after only one month. Sieber will star opposite George Hamilton
in the 1st national touring production of La Cage Aux Folles, this time playing Albin.
Sieber's off-Broadway credits include the revival of The Boys in the Band
and Avow. He also appeared in the New York Philharmonic's production of Camelot
.
with John Benjamin Hickey
and Harriet Sansom Harris
.
In early 2007, Sieber was scheduled to film a pilot episode for an NBC comedy, Wildlife, playing an eccentric zoologist. The pilot did not make the final cut and was not picked up for the fall season.
Sieber has also guest-starred in Pushing Daisies
, Sex and the City
and The Good Wife
.
Sieber is involved with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
(BC/EFA) and has appeared in several of its Broadway Cares
revues, among other events the charity produces.
Christopher Sieber was inducted into the Forest Lake Schools Hall of Fame (Forest Lake, Minnesota) in June, 2011.
Sieber frequently attends shows in New York and teaches classes on drama and performance. He lives on an island on Lake Tamarack, New Jersey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor. He is best known for his roles as Kevin Burke in Two of a Kind (US TV series) starring Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, producer, author and fashion designer. She made her career debut in 1987 alongside her twin sister Ashley Olsen in the television series Full House...
and Ashley Olsen
Ashley Olsen
Ashley Fuller Olsen is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, and author. She co-founded luxury fashion brand The Row and the more affordable line Olsenboye with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen and started her own fashion company called Elizabeth and James...
and Lord Farquaad
Lord Farquaad
Lord Farquaad is the primary antagonist from the 2001 animated feature film Shrek. He is voiced by John Lithgow.-Shrek:Lord Farquaad is the comically short-in-stature, ruthless ruler of the huge castle of Duloc. Several times in the film it is commented that, in Duloc's towering height, Farquaad...
in Shrek the Musical. Christopher studied acting and musical comedy at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Sieber has appeared in Broadway
Broadway 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...
musicals, including Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, Monty Python's Spamalot
Spamalot
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
(as Sir Dennis Galahad) and he's a two-time Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominee.
Stage
Sieber made his 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...
debut as Agis in the musical Triumph of Love
Triumph of Love
Triumph of Love is a musical with a book by James Magruder, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jeffrey Stock.Resembling a chamber musical more than a traditional book musical, it is based on the 1732 Pierre de Marivaux commedia dell'arte play Le Triomphe de l'Amour and centers on Spartan...
with Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley
Betty Lynn Buckley is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.-Early life:...
and F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
. Following this role, he appeared as a replacement in the roles of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical)
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for...
and Billy Flynn in Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
. Sieber played the role of Rapunzel's Prince and shared the role of the Wolf with Gregg Edelman
Gregg Edelman
Gregg Edelman is an American movie, television and theatre actor.Edelman was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended Niles North High School, where he starred as Lil' Abner opposite future soap star Nancy Lee Grahn, and was trained at Northwestern University...
in the revival of Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
in 2002.
In March 2005, Sieber originated the role of Sir Dennis Galahad in the Broadway musical Monty Python's Spamalot
Spamalot
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
. Sieber was nominated for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. After leaving the musical in July 2006, he made his London debut in the same role in October 2006, before leaving in early 2007. On June 1, 2007, Sieber sang tenor in the world premiere of Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
's Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
Not the Messiah is a Monty Python comedic oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian. It was written by former Python Eric Idle and collaborator John Du Prez, and commissioned by the Luminato festival....
in Toronto. On January 18, 2008, Sieber returned to Broadway to resume his role as Sir Dennis Galahad in Monty Python's Spamalot.
One of his most notable roles was Lord Farquaad
Lord Farquaad
Lord Farquaad is the primary antagonist from the 2001 animated feature film Shrek. He is voiced by John Lithgow.-Shrek:Lord Farquaad is the comically short-in-stature, ruthless ruler of the huge castle of Duloc. Several times in the film it is commented that, in Duloc's towering height, Farquaad...
in Shrek the Musical
Shrek (musical)
Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks film Shrek and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!. After a tryout in Seattle, the original Broadway production opened in December 2008, and closed after a run of...
which opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, after an out-of-town tryout in Seattle. For this role Sieber was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, an 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 Best Featured Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
, and the Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
for Distinguished Performance. He played his final performance in this role January 3, 2010, when the Broadway production closed.
On March 11, 2011, Sieber replaced Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
as Georges in the Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles
La Cage aux Folles
La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. Based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, it focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic...
opposite Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Forbes Fierstein is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the...
. Tambor left the role due to hip problems after only one month. Sieber will star opposite George Hamilton
George Hamilton (actor)
George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
in the 1st national touring production of La Cage Aux Folles, this time playing Albin.
Sieber's off-Broadway credits include the revival of The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band (play)
The Boys in the Band is a play by Mart Crowley. The off-Broadway production, directed by Robert Moore, opened on April 14, 1968 at Theater Four, where it ran for 1,001 performances, an extremely healthy run for both an off-Broadway production, and one not geared to a mainstream audience...
and Avow. He also appeared in the New York Philharmonic's production of Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
.
Television
Sieber has starred in two television series: Two of a Kind with the Olsen twins and It's All RelativeIt's All Relative
It's All Relative is an ABC sitcom about a man who dates the adoptive daughter of a gay couple, which forces their very different families to learn to coexist.- Overview :...
with John Benjamin Hickey
John Benjamin Hickey
John Benjamin Hickey is an American actor with a career in stage, film and television. He won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart....
and Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris , often credited as "Harriet Harris" is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on Frasier and Felicia Tilman on Desperate Housewives. She won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Featured Actress in a Musical for playing the evil white slaver Mrs. Meers in...
.
In early 2007, Sieber was scheduled to film a pilot episode for an NBC comedy, Wildlife, playing an eccentric zoologist. The pilot did not make the final cut and was not picked up for the fall season.
Sieber has also guest-starred in Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
, Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and The Good Wife
The Good Wife
The Good Wife is an American legal drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2009. The series was created by Robert King and Michelle King. It stars Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Archie Panjabi, Matt Czuchry and Josh Charles. Executive producers are the Kings, Ridley and Tony Scott,...
.
Personal life
While It's All Relative was being produced, Sieber came out as gay and said that he was happily partnered to actor and chef Kevin Burrows. They married on November 24, 2011, in New York City.Sieber is involved with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
(BC/EFA) and has appeared in several of its Broadway Cares
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
revues, among other events the charity produces.
Christopher Sieber was inducted into the Forest Lake Schools Hall of Fame (Forest Lake, Minnesota) in June, 2011.
Sieber frequently attends shows in New York and teaches classes on drama and performance. He lives on an island on Lake Tamarack, New Jersey.
Broadway Theatre
- Triumph of LoveTriumph of LoveTriumph of Love is a musical with a book by James Magruder, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jeffrey Stock.Resembling a chamber musical more than a traditional book musical, it is based on the 1732 Pierre de Marivaux commedia dell'arte play Le Triomphe de l'Amour and centers on Spartan...
.... Agis - Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast (musical)Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
.... Gaston - Thoroughly Modern MillieThoroughly Modern Millie (musical)Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for...
.... Trevor Graydon - ChicagoChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
.... Billy Flynn - Into the WoodsInto the WoodsInto the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
.... Rapunzel's Prince/Wolf - SpamalotSpamalotMonty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
(2005) .... Sir Dennis Galahad - Shrek the Musical (2008–2010) ..... Lord Faarqaad
- The Boys in the BandThe Boys in the Band (play)The Boys in the Band is a play by Mart Crowley. The off-Broadway production, directed by Robert Moore, opened on April 14, 1968 at Theater Four, where it ran for 1,001 performances, an extremely healthy run for both an off-Broadway production, and one not geared to a mainstream audience...
- The KidThe Kid (musical)The Kid is a musical with a book by Michael Zam, music composed by Andy Monroe and lyrics by Jack Lechner. The comic story concerns an open adoption process by a same-sex couple. It is based on the 1999 non-fiction book by Dan Savage, The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go...
(2011) .... Dan - La Cage aux Folles (2011) ..... Albin
Discography
- "What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up" by Scott Alan, singing the track Nothing More (2010)