Jason Danieley
Encyclopedia
Jason D. Danieley is an American
actor, singer, concert performer and recording artist. He is married to fellow Broadway star, Marin Mazzie
called Danieley “The most exquisite tenor
on Broadway
”. After classical voice training, Danieley, at the age of 25, made his Broadway debut in the Harold Prince-directed revival of Candide
, as the title character. Prince was quoted in The New York Times as saying "It's unusual in the world of musical theater to find someone who can sing as well as he can act, mark my words: Jason has an extraordinary future ahead of him."
Just prior to his Broadway debut Danieley made a huge splash in the New York theatre community in a show written by Richard Rodgers
’s grandson, Adam Guettel
. The show was Floyd Collins, based on the tragedy of caver Floyd Collins
. With a mixture of Appalachian and classical music, this was a good vehicle for Danieley's talents, having a classical background, but being raised on old-time, country and gospel music.
Danieley has starred in other Broadway hit shows like The Full Monty
, also in London's West End
and the Kander & Ebb musical Curtains
. Composer John Kander
wrote the song I Miss The Music specifically for him. He also starred at Carnegie Hall
, as Lt. Joseph Cable, in the Emmy nominated concert version of South Pacific
, which was filmed and aired on PBS’ Great Performances
.
Danieley's career on and off Broadway combined with his classical background led to a natural crossover into singing with most of the country's leading symphonies and pops orchestras. A frequent guest artist with Boston
, Philadelphia
and New York Pops
and The San Francisco Symphony
he’s also appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
(at the Hollywood Bowl), St. Louis, Utah, Minnesota and Buffalo Symphonies.
Danieley met his wife, Marin Mazzie
, in an off-Broadway
play that they performed together called Trojan Women: A Love Story. In 2005 Danieley and Mazzie recorded their first album Opposite You on PS Classics. The Variety critic wrote "When they sing, the heart seems to beat a little faster…emotional strength to envelop the listener and melt the heart… This is one savvy pair...". The San Francisco Chronicle labeled them "Broadway's golden couple”.
Danieley launched his solo recording career with the self titled album Jason Danieley & The Frontier Heroes, combining Americana music from the Great American Songbook
and Broadway repertoire. His other recordings include the cast albums of Curtains, Floyd Collins, Candide, The Full Monty, Dream True, the compilation CDs of Jule Styne
in Hollywood, The Stephen Schwartz
Album and two Boston Pops albums, A Splash of Pops and My Favorite Things.
Danieley joined the cast of Broadway's Next to Normal, replacing Brian d'Arcy James
in the role of Dan as of July 19, 2010, opposite Mazzie, who replaced Alice Ripley as Diana, making them a real-life couple portraying an onstage fictional married couple.
since October 19, 1997.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, singer, concert performer and recording artist. He is married to fellow Broadway star, Marin Mazzie
Marin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...
Biography
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Danieley “The most exquisite tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
on 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...
”. After classical voice training, Danieley, at the age of 25, made his Broadway debut in the Harold Prince-directed revival of Candide
Candide
Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best ; Candide: or, The Optimist ; and Candide: or, Optimism...
, as the title character. Prince was quoted in The New York Times as saying "It's unusual in the world of musical theater to find someone who can sing as well as he can act, mark my words: Jason has an extraordinary future ahead of him."
Just prior to his Broadway debut Danieley made a huge splash in the New York theatre community in a show written by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
’s grandson, 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...
. The show was Floyd Collins, based on the tragedy of caver Floyd Collins
Floyd Collins
William 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...
. With a mixture of Appalachian and classical music, this was a good vehicle for Danieley's talents, having a classical background, but being raised on old-time, country and gospel music.
Danieley has starred in other Broadway hit shows like The Full Monty
The 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...
, also in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and the Kander & Ebb musical Curtains
Curtains (musical)
Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....
. Composer John Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
wrote the song I Miss The Music specifically for him. He also starred at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, as Lt. Joseph Cable, in the Emmy nominated concert version of South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
, which was filmed and aired on PBS’ Great Performances
Great Performances
Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
.
Danieley's career on and off Broadway combined with his classical background led to a natural crossover into singing with most of the country's leading symphonies and pops orchestras. A frequent guest artist with Boston
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
, Philadelphia
Philly Pops
The Philly Pops is an orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Led by two time GRAMMY Award-winningpianist Peter Nero, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops is an entity that consistently brings an enthusiastic response from its audience...
and New York Pops
The New York Pops
The New York Pops is the largest independent symphonic pops orchestra in the United States, and the only symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular American music...
and The San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
he’s also appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
(at the Hollywood Bowl), St. Louis, Utah, Minnesota and Buffalo Symphonies.
Danieley met his wife, Marin Mazzie
Marin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...
, in an 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...
play that they performed together called Trojan Women: A Love Story. In 2005 Danieley and Mazzie recorded their first album Opposite You on PS Classics. The Variety critic wrote "When they sing, the heart seems to beat a little faster…emotional strength to envelop the listener and melt the heart… This is one savvy pair...". The San Francisco Chronicle labeled them "Broadway's golden couple”.
Danieley launched his solo recording career with the self titled album Jason Danieley & The Frontier Heroes, combining Americana music from the Great American Songbook
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is a hypothetical construct that seeks to represent the best American songs of the 20th century principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musicals, from the 1920s to 1960, including dozens of songs of enduring popularity...
and Broadway repertoire. His other recordings include the cast albums of Curtains, Floyd Collins, Candide, The Full Monty, Dream True, the compilation CDs of Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
in Hollywood, The Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell , Pippin and Wicked...
Album and two Boston Pops albums, A Splash of Pops and My Favorite Things.
Danieley joined the cast of Broadway's Next to Normal, replacing Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , 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...
in the role of Dan as of July 19, 2010, opposite Mazzie, who replaced Alice Ripley as Diana, making them a real-life couple portraying an onstage fictional married couple.
Family
Jason Danieley was born in St. Louis to Larry and Carole Danieley. He has been married to actress Marin MazzieMarin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...
since October 19, 1997.
Awards
- 1997: Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe 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 for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, Candide - 1997: Drama League AwardDrama League AwardThe 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...
, Candide - 1997: Theatre World AwardTheatre World AwardThe Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
, Candide - 2005: Backstage West Award, Honorable Mention, "110 In The Shade"
- 2005: Helen Hayes AwardHelen Hayes AwardA Helen Hayes Award is a theater award named for the famed actress Helen Hayes to recognize excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are managed by Linda Levy Grossman. and presented by the Washington Theatre Awards Society.-Awards:The Helen Hayes...
for Best Actor in a Musical, The Highest Yellow - 2007: Outer Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardThe 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...
nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, CurtainsCurtains (musical)Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....