Robert Westenberg
Encyclopedia
Robert Westenberg is an American
musical theatre
actor
and acting teacher. He married actress and singer Kim Crosby
on June 19, 1991, and the couple now have three children.
, but raised in Fresno, California
with his seven siblings. Westenberg graduated Bullard High School
in 1971, where he was active in sports, specifically football. He then attended California State University, Fresno
.
debut in the 1983 revival of Zorba, in which he won the Theatre World Award. He received a Tony Award
nomination and won a Drama Desk Award
for his performance as Prince Charming and the Wolf in Stephen Sondheim
's Into the Woods
, It was during this show where he met his wife, Kim Crosby
, who played Cinderella. He took over the role as George in "Sunday in the Park with George" and played opposite Bernadette Peters. He also starred with Mandy Patinkin
, Daisy Eagan
, Alison Fraser
and Rebecca Luker
in the original Broadway production of The Secret Garden
.
. He has made guest appearances on Third Watch
, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, and the short-lived series Aliens in the Family
. He played Prince Raymond on the soap opera, One Life to Live
from 1989 to 1990.
in 2002. Westenberg has been in several MUNY
productions. He played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady
back in 2001 opposite his wife, Kim Crosby
as Eliza Doolittle. He also played the roles of both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook in the St. Louis MUNY
production of Peter Pan
in July 2007. He reprised these roles in another production in Branson, Missouri
with Cathy Rigby
as Peter Pan.
Westenberg is now living with his wife, daughters Emily and Katie, and son Joel in Springfield, Missouri
, where he is Chair of the Theatre Dept. at Drury University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
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 acting teacher. He married actress and singer Kim Crosby
Kim Crosby (singer)
Kim Crosby is an American singer and actress, primarily on the stage and in concerts. She was the original Cinderella in the Sondheim-Lapine musical Into the Woods, where she met her now-husband Robert Westenberg. The couple married on June 19, 1991. She currently lives in Springfield, Missouri...
on June 19, 1991, and the couple now have three children.
Early Life
Born in Miami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, but raised in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
with his seven siblings. Westenberg graduated Bullard High School
Bullard High School (Fresno, California)
Bullard High School is a public secondary school located in Fresno, California, USA.. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Fresno Unified School District, and as of 2011 has around 2,650 students on roll in grades 9-12 with approximately 500 students in each grade.-Ethnic composition:As of...
in 1971, where he was active in sports, specifically football. He then attended California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
.
Broadway Career
He 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 in the 1983 revival of Zorba, in which he won the Theatre World Award. He received 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...
nomination and won 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...
for his performance as Prince Charming and the Wolf in Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's 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...
, It was during this show where he met his wife, Kim Crosby
Kim Crosby (singer)
Kim Crosby is an American singer and actress, primarily on the stage and in concerts. She was the original Cinderella in the Sondheim-Lapine musical Into the Woods, where she met her now-husband Robert Westenberg. The couple married on June 19, 1991. She currently lives in Springfield, Missouri...
, who played Cinderella. He took over the role as George in "Sunday in the Park with George" and played opposite Bernadette Peters. He also starred with Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
, Daisy Eagan
Daisy Eagan
Daisy Eagan is an American actress.In 1991 she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden...
, Alison Fraser
Alison Fraser
Alison Fraser is an American actress and singer who has appeared in concert at such venues as Carnegie Hall, The White House, Town Hall, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Tisch Center for the Arts, The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Wilma, The Emelin, Joe's Pub and Symphony space.Fraser is a two...
and Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker is an American musical theatre actress and soprano who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions.-Life and career:...
in the original Broadway production of The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was initially published in serial format starting in the autumn of 1910, and was first published in its entirety in 1911. It is now one of Burnett's most popular novels, and is considered to be a classic of English children's...
.
Television and Film Credits
Westenberg's film credits include Mr. & Mrs. Bridge and The Ice StormThe Ice Storm (film)
The Ice Storm is a 1997 drama film directed by Ang Lee, based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody.The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Sigourney Weaver...
. He has made guest appearances on Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, and the short-lived series Aliens in the Family
Aliens in the Family
Aliens in the Family is an American sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC, conceived as part of its TGIF lineup.-Premise:The show was about single dad Doug Brody , who is abducted by single alien mom Cookie . The two fall in love, get married, and try to live a normal life on Earth as a mixed...
. He played Prince Raymond on the soap opera, One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
from 1989 to 1990.
Current Career
Westenberg was in the national tour of The Full MontyThe Full Monty (musical)
The Full Monty is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek.In this Americanized musical stage version adapted from the 1997 British film of the same name, six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club...
in 2002. Westenberg has been in several MUNY
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
productions. He played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
back in 2001 opposite his wife, Kim Crosby
Kim Crosby
Kim Crosby is a NASCAR Busch Series driver and professional driving instructor. Before she became a NASCAR driver, she served as a middle school principal, resigning in December 2004 to focus full-time on her racing career.Crosby originally was a drag racer, competing in the NHRA and IHRA for...
as Eliza Doolittle. He also played the roles of both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook in the St. Louis MUNY
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
production of Peter Pan
Peter Pan (1954 musical)
Peter Pan is a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and Barrie's own novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Mark "Moose" Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty...
in July 2007. He reprised these roles in another production in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
with Cathy Rigby
Cathy Rigby
Cathleen Roxanne Rigby , best known as Cathy Rigby, is a former gymnast, actress and speaker.-Early life:Rigby was born in Los Alamitos, California in 1952....
as Peter Pan.
Westenberg is now living with his wife, daughters Emily and Katie, and son Joel in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, where he is Chair of the Theatre Dept. at Drury University
Drury University
Drury University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri.The university enrolls about 1,550 undergraduates, over 2,000 adult part-time undergraduates and around 400 graduate students in six master's programs...
.
Additional Broadway credits
- Zorba
- Sunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
- Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
- 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...
- The Secret GardenThe Secret Garden (musical)The Secret Garden is a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon...
- Abe Lincoln in IllinoisAbe Lincoln in Illinois (play)Abe Lincoln in Illinois is a play written by the American playwright Robert E. Sherwood in 1938. The play, in three acts, covers the life of President Abraham Lincoln from his childhood through his final speech in Illinois before he left for Washington. The play also covers his romance with Mary...
- CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
- 17761776 (musical)1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence...
Muny Credits
- Professor Henry Higgins (My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
; 2008) - Captain James Hook (Peter PanPeter Pan (1954 musical)Peter Pan is a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and Barrie's own novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Mark "Moose" Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty...
; 2007) - Mr. Brownlow (Oliver!Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
; 2006) - Captain George von Trapp (The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
; 2005) - Professor Henry Higgins (My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
; 2001) - Captain George von Trapp (The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
; 2000) - John AdamsJohn AdamsJohn Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
(17761776 (musical)1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence...
; 1999) - The King (The King and IThe King and IThe King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
; 1999)