American actor, singer, and dancer
Joel Perez
is an American actor, singer, and dancer known for his work in several theatrical performances and television appearances.
Early life
[
edit
]
Perez was born in
Boston
, and grew up in
Lawrence, Massachusetts
. His father is a Pentecostal minister, and he was first introduced to singing at a young age in church.
[1]
He graduated from
Central Catholic High School
in Lawrence in 2004.
[2]
In eighth grade, Perez starred in the Fellowship Christian Academy's production of
Cinderella
as The Herald.
[3]
He later starred in his high school's production of
Bye Bye Birdie
as Conrad Birdie.
[4]
Perez attended
Tufts University
, graduating in 2008. There, he performed in productions of
Children of Eden
and
Hair
. He studied for a semester at the
British American Drama Academy
in London. He also studied at the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
his junior year of college.
[5]
Career
[
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]
After graduating from college in 2008, Perez was accepted into the
American Theater Wing
Program Springboard NYC. During this time, Perez was involved with Stage Source and auditioned for
In the Heights
and the
Williamstown Theater Festival
. He also received a call-back audition a year and a half later for
In the Heights
. After six auditions, Perez joined the play on its national tour.
[6]
When he returned to NYC, he acquired his real estate license and began working as an agent, before working a number of other jobs including as a PA for the
PBS
show
History Detectives
.
[6]
Perez began his career in 2010 with a role in the national tour of the
Tony Award
-winning musical
In the Heights
.
[7]
[8]
While touring for
In the Heights
he appeared in the film
BoyBand
.
[9]
In 2013, Perez played Mark, Pete, Roy, and Bobby Jeremy, one out of only two parts for men, in the world premiere
Public Theater
off-Broadway
production of
Fun Home
. Perez became involved with the work in its earliest stages.
[6]
While at the Sundance Theater Lab in
Jacksonville, Florida
, Perez met with Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, creators of the adaption of Alison Bechdel's work.
[6]
At the time, Perez was working on
Stuck Elevator
.
[6]
He quickly befriended the two, and they asked him to be in the play.
[6]
In April 2015, Perez travelled with the show to
Broadway
at the
Circle in the Square Theatre
, where it won five Tony Awards.
[7]
[10]
[11]
Most recently, Perez played the roles of Vittorio Vidal, Daddy Brubeck, and Herman in The New Group's off-Broadway revival of
Sweet Charity
.
[12]
Perez also starred in Broadway Sings, an annual concert started in 2011 by Corey Mach that celebrates and reinvents pop icons' music.
[13]
Perez also co-wrote the short film
Beautiful, FL
with his husband, Adrian Ferbeyre, for
Disney
's
Launchpad
series. In addition to co-writing the short, he starred as Copernicus Cruz, the judge in the main protagonist's ice cream competition. The film was directed by Gabriel Ortega and was released on
Disney+
on September 29, 2023.
[14]
Broken Box Mime Theater Company
[
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]
Perez has been a member of the Broken Box Mime Theater Company in New York since its inception in 2011.
[15]
[16]
Broken Box finds its roots in a student-run mime troupe named HYPE at
Tufts University
.
[17]
Perez's work as a mime serves as a "home-base" away from the glitz and glamour of Broadway.
[16]
Creating a skit is a collaborative process between actors and not primarily guided by a playwright.
[16]
Most of the company's pieces are accompanied by contemporary music, which helps establish a mood for a given performance.
[16]
Broken Box won the 2014 New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Ensemble.
[18]
Critical reception
[
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]
Perez was praised by Jay Barmann in his role as Marco in
Stuck Elevator
. Barmann writes in SFist, "Joel Perez deserves praise as well for his role as Guang's coworker Marco, and for adding layers of rap and rhythm to the piece."
[19]
He was also well received for his work in
Fun Home
's on-Broadway production. Jesse Green writes for
Vulture.com
, "Joel Perez, with three small roles?including two different young men the father tries to seduce?nails all of them. (He's also a hoot as the bespangled lead singer in a
Partridge Family
takeoff called 'Raincoat Made of Love'."
[20]
Green described
Fun Home
at the Public Theater in 2013, which Perez acted in as well, as "hilarious and crushing," which also remained true for his viewing of its Broadway production.
[20]
In his role in
Sweet Charity
as Vittorio Vidal, Michael Dale describes Perez as "marvelously hot-headed, but gracious in the role and sings the sweeping ballad 'Too Many Tomorrows' with elevated movie star passion."
[21]
Awards
[
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]
Perez won the Goddard Rhetorical Prize in 2008,
[5]
and won the 2017
Lucille Lortel Award
for Outstanding Featured Actor in Musical for his work in
Sweet Charity
.
[22]
[23]
Personal life
[
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]
Perez has been an out gay man since 2007.
[11]
He has been married to his husband, Adrian Ferbeyre, since 2019.
Acting credits
[
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]
Theatre
[
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]
Film
[
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]
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
Notes
|
2010
|
The Last Harbor
|
Luis
|
|
BoyBand
|
Jordan
|
2011
|
Today __cks
|
Asshole
|
Short film
|
2012
|
Marranos
|
Gabriel
|
|
2014
|
Family With Fire
|
Bill Cassidy
|
Short film
|
2015
|
Strange Past
|
Tom
|
Short film
|
2021
|
Tick, Tick… Boom!
|
Lincoln
|
|
Television
[
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
"Joel Perez Lives in a Broadway Musical
Fun Home
"
. Latinheat.com
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
Flynn, Shannon (June 10, 2015).
"Lawrence actor having 'Fun (away from) Home'
"
.
The Eagle Tribune
.
- ^
"Broadway's Best Like You've Never Seen! Stars of the Stage Share Pics and Memories of Their Favorite High School Performances (Slide 20)"
.
Playbill
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
"Broadway's Best Like You've Never Seen! Stars of the Stage Share Pics and Memories of Their Favorite High School Performances (Slide 18)"
.
Playbill
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Theater Profile | Tufts drama major begins the next step in pursuit of a dream - The Tufts Daily"
.
The Tufts Daily
. May 17, 2008
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Up Close ? Joel Perez from "Fun Home"
"
.
Broadway Bullet
. August 6, 2015
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Flynn, Shannon (June 10, 2015).
"Lawrence actor having
Fun (away from) Home
"
.
The Eagle-Tribune
. Retrieved
February 17,
2017
.
- ^
"
Fun Home
: Who's Who in the Cast"
.
Playbill
. 2015
. Retrieved
February 17,
2017
.
- ^
Perez, Joel.
"Joel Perez"
(PDF)
.
Hellohola.org
.
- ^
"
Fun Home
"
.
Playbill
. 2015
. Retrieved
February 17,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Ferri, Josh (August 10, 2016).
"Five Burning Questions with
Fun Home
Star Joel Perez"
.
BroadwayBox.com
. Retrieved
February 17,
2017
.
- ^
"Joel Perez Theatre Credits"
. BroadwayWorld.com
. Retrieved
April 23,
2017
.
- ^
"BROADWAY SINGS"
. BroadwaySingsConcert.com
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
Ortega, Gabriela (September 29, 2023),
Beautiful, FL
(Short, Drama, Family), Dariana Alvarez, Lynette Coll, Eileen Galindo
, retrieved
March 15,
2024
- ^
"Joel Perez"
. Broken Box Mime Theater
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Weinert-Kendt, Rob (October 16, 2014).
"Top of the Pods"
. American Theatre
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
"Joel Perez"
.
American Theatre Wing
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
"Broken Box Wins New York Innovative Theater Award!"
. Broken Box Mime Theater
. Retrieved
April 17,
2017
.
- ^
"SFist Reviews:
Stuck Elevator
At A.C.T."
SFist
. Archived from
the original
on November 5, 2017
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Theater Review: Fun Home in Its New Round House"
.
Vulture.com
. April 20, 2015
. Retrieved
April 26,
2017
.
- ^
Dale, Michael.
"BWW Review: Leigh Silverman and Sutton Foster Discover Fresh Nuances In Intimate SWEET CHARITY"
. BroadwayWorld.com
. Retrieved
April 23,
2017
.
- ^
BWW News Desk.
"Breaking News:
HADESTOWN, SWEENEY TODD, INDECENT, OSLO
and More Top 2017 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations"
. BroadwayWorld.com
. Retrieved
April 23,
2017
.
- ^
Cox, Gordon (April 4, 2017).
"Lucille Lortel Nominations 2017:
Dear Evan Hansen
,
Oslo
,
Indecent
Vie for Top Awards"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
April 23,
2017
.
- ^
Mullinax, Hope (October 14, 2023).
"
'Hazbin Hotel' Teaser Reveals Dazzling Cast for Animated Series at NYCC"
.
Collider
. Retrieved
October 14,
2023
.
External links
[
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]