Jonathan Stuart Cerullo (born December 21, 1960) is an American director and choreographer, executive producer, and former performer. Cerullo is known for his work on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, Off-Broadway, and regionally. He has also worked in circus, film, and television.

Personal life

Cerullo received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in directing from Emerson College in 1982. He is also the great, great nephew of the Italian operatic soprano

Erminia Frezzolini Erminia Frezzolini (27 March 1818 – 5 November 1884) was an Italian operatic soprano. She excelled in the coloratura soprano repertoire, drawing particular acclaim in the bel canto operas of Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini. She was marri ...

. Cerullo's home has been featured in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' with the article by Constance Rosenblum entitled, "Pocket-Sized on West 47th Street", the article was also selected to be part of her book entitled Habitats: Private Lives in the Big City published by NYU Press, March 25, 2013.

Career

1986-2014

Cerullo's first major role was in the US National III tour of the Broadway musical ''Cats'' as

Skimbleshanks Skimbleshanks is a character in T. S. Eliot's 1939 book of poetry ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical ''Cats'', which is based on Eliot's book. The character is portrayed as a bright and energetic ora ...

the Railway Cat, which ran from September 1986 to August 1988. He was Big Daddy in the West Coast production of Sweet Charity starring TONY award winner,

Donna McKechnie Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on ...

. Appeared at the

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

North Shore Music Theatre North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States. The theater is owned by Massachuset ...

, the

Ogunquit Playhouse Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater at 10 Main Street (United States Route 1) in Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theaters from the Summer Stock which still produces musical theatre. The Playhouse is lis ...

an
The Cape Playhouse
He was a voting member of the

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatre ...

for Off-Broadway productions, is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the Dramatist Guild and the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

. He made his Broadway debut in 1984, as a Production Assistant on the musical,

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...

directed and choreographed by TONY award-winning director,

Joe Layton Joe Layton (May 3, 1931 – May 5, 1994) was an American director and choreographer known primarily for his work on Broadway.Dunning, Jennifer. (9 May 1994). Page B7.'Joe Layton, Choreographer And Director, Is Dead at 64' Obituary. New York Ti ...

, also on Broadway, as a performer, Cerullo was a featured dancer in the 1988 Broadway musical ''Legs Diamond'', starring Peter Allen, and was also featured on the BMG-RCA Original Cast Recording for the musical. In 1992 he was the Dance Captain for

Circle in the Square The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extends ...

's Broadway production of ''Anna Karenina''. and the Broadway musical
Band In Berlin
based on the lives of the

Comedian Harmonists The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmony ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II. The group consisted of Harry Fromm ...

. Cerullo worked with the late Frank Gorshin on the Broadway production of, "Say Goodnight Gracie", by

Rupert Holmes David Goldstein (born February 24, 1947), better known as Rupert Holmes, is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). ...

at the

Helen Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theater (formerly the Little Theatre, New York Times Hall, Winthrop Ames Theatre, and Helen Hayes Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 240 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Named for actres ...

as his dance instructor and created the soft shoe routine for Gorshin as

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

. In 1992 in Los Angeles Cerullo worked with and taught

Uta Hagen Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a ...

, on what was to be her last stage performance for th
"Six Dance Lesson in Six Weeks"
by

Richard Alfieri Richard Alfieri (born April 9, 1948) to Sam and Nena Alfieri is an American playwright, screenplay writer, novelist, film producer, and actor. His awards include two Writers Guild Awards and an Emmy nomination. Career A graduate of Yale Univer ...

at the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...

David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and director of stage, film and television. He starred as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Scree ...

was her co-star, and the production was choreographed by Kay Cole. He later interviewed Kay Cole for TheaterMania. After working with him on the Broadway musical, ''Anna Karenina'', choreographer and director

Patricia Birch Patricia Birch (born October 16, 1934) is an American dancer, choreographer, film director, and theatre director. Early life Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Birch began her career as a dancer in Broadway musicals, including ''Brigadoon'', ''Goldi ...

began mentoring Cerullo. Through this partnership, Cerullo was hired as Associate Choreograph for Birch on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

'' for ''This Is The Moment'', starring Donny Osmond and

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...

, ''and Natalie Cole's Untraditional Traditional Christmas Special.'' Cerullo was also the Assistant Choreographer to Patrica on the films ''

The First Wives Club ''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retribution ...

'', starring Bette Midler,

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...

and

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Go ...

and '' The Cowboy Way' starring

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

'. Cerullo also worked with Pat Birch on the St. Ann's Warehouse production of Band in Berlin as the Assistant Director and Choreographer. Cerullo directed the original musical ''Fools' Paradise'', by

Jim Camacho James Emanuel Camacho is an American singer/songwriter and former front man for the rock group The Goods. The Goods (1989–1999) The Goods were an American rock band formed in Miami in 1989. The band comprised Jim Camacho (lead vocals/bass/guit ...

. At

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, he choreographed the productions of ''Picturesque'' and ''Carnevale!'' for the

Big Apple Circus The Big Apple Circus is a circus based in New York City. Opened in 1977, later becoming a nonprofit organization, it became a tourist attraction. The circus has been known for its community outreach programs, including Clown Care, as well as its ...

. and received a

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

2003 Voice Choices Best Dance Pick. His work for the production was detailed in Backstage, Theatre Artists Take on Challenges of the Circus, by Simi Horwitz. In 2003, Cerullo choreographed

Orpheus Descending ''Orpheus Descending'' is a three-act play by Tennessee Williams. It was first presented on Broadway on March 17, 1957 but had only a brief run (68 performances) and modest success. It was revived on Broadway in 1989, directed by Peter Hall an ...

for Great Performance
Evening At Pops
with the

Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Sym ...

conducted by maestro,

Keith Lockhart Keith Alan Lockhart (born November 7, 1959) is an American conductor. He is the Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center in North Caro ...

. He was Special Effects Movement Consultant to Bette Midler on the film "The Stepford Wives" in 2004. He also conceived directed and produced the video tribute to Mr. George Abbott for the "Mr. Abbott Award" for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre presented annually by the Stage Director and Choreographers Society. Cerullo received the Newhouse Scholarship from Career Transition for Dancers to form his production company called JSCTheatricals, LLC. In October 2013 he made his debut as Producer under his newly formed company for the Grand Central Terminal's Centennial Celebration presentation of ''Orphan Train, The Musical'' directed by Patricia Birch.

2015-present

Cerullo directed the world premiere of ''Windywoo and Her Naughty Naughty Pets'' a new musical for children of all ages, for the 2015 NY Musical Festival. Cerullo directed ''Fictitious'', a new musical by Paul Cozby and Tom Hyndman, for the Theatre Now New York SOUND BITES 3.0 annual 10-minute musical festival, for which he received the award for Best Director. In 2016, he directed the NYC premiere of ''RISE'', written and performed by Scott Barry at the

Museum of Sex The Museum of Sex, also known as MoSex, is a sex museum located at 233 Fifth Avenue at the corner of East 27th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It opened on October 5, 2002. History Founder Daniel Gluck wanted to start a museum dedicated t ...

. Cerullo also had the honor of working on the 30th anniversary of the Easter Bonnet Competition at the Minskoff Theater by conceiving, directing and choreographing the Bucket Brigade Tribute. In 2016, for the New York Musical Festival, Cerullo choreographed the production of ''Lisa and Leonardo'' written by Donya Lane and Ed McNamee. Cerullo was interviewed by Bob Rizzo for BroadwayWorld.com, Also in 2016 Cerullo directed the NY premiere o
CHANCE, the musical
written by Richard Isen for the

Fresh Fruit Festival The Fresh Fruit Festival was founded as a summer arts festival presented by All Out Arts, and featuring the work of LGBTQ artists as the primary expression of the All Out Arts mission of "Fighting prejudice and homophobia through the arts." It ha ...

. His received positive reviews for his work in OUTERSTAGE. Finally in 2016 he directed and staged the NY Premiere o
The Fifth Dentist In Search Of Sid's Treasure A Tribute to the Sultan Of Striptease
at the NY International Fringe Festival. Cerullo was quoted in ''

'' about his involvement with this production. He also produced ''Conrack, The Musical'' based on Pat Conroy's the " Water is Wide", featuring Tony Award nominees Vivian Reed and Ernestine Jackson and Drama Desk nominee A.J. Shively at

York Theatre Company York Theatre is an off-Broadway theatre company based in East Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In its 50th year, York Theatre is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each se ...

Development Reading Series By Granville Burgess and music By Emmy Award-winning composer

Doug Katsaros Doug Katsaros is an American keyboardist, arranger, composer, and conductor. Biography In 1978 he played on Paul Stanley's debut album, followed by working on albums by Richie Havens, Michael Bolton, Arc Angel, Bon Jovi and his band Balance ...

directed by Stuart Ross. Cerullo is preparing
Willie & Me
The

Emmett Kelly Emmett Leo Kelly (December 9, 1898March 28, 1979) was an American circus performer, who created the clown figure "Weary Willie," based on the hobos of the Great Depression in the 1930s. According to Charles W. Carey, Jr.: :Kelly’s creation of ...

Story''. This was written by Cerullo and Stephen Woodburn. Cerullo is the producer and director of the Broadway musical ''

Legs Diamond Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as Gentleman Jack, was an Irish American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootle ...

'' at Feinstein's 54 Below with original cast members, two-time Tony Award nominee

Christine Andreas Christine Andreas (born October 1, 1951) is an American Broadway actress and singer. Biography Andreas was born in Camden, New Jersey, to James Francis Andreas, a systems analyst, and Teresa Cecilia Genovese Andreas. She graduated from Suffern ...

, Tony Award nominee Brenda Braxton, and two-time Tony nominee Bob Stillman and Randall Edwards. He directed and choreographed an all-male version of

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart' ...

musical comedy,

The Boys From Syracuse ''The Boys from Syracuse'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play ''The Comedy of Errors'', as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporar ...

for Musicals Tonight! Off-Broadway at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row. John Soltes Interview Rediscovering Rodgers and Hart's "". Jonathan staged Amas Musical Theatre'
No Foolin' A Musical Confection
Honoring Tony Award winner, Grammy Award winner,

Micki Grant Micki Grant (born Minnie Louise Perkins, June 30, 1929 – August 22, 2021) was an American singer (soprano), actress, writer, and composer. She performed in '' Having Our Say'' (as Sadie Delaney), '' Tambourines to Glory'' and '' Jericho-Jim Cr ...

Hosted by

Brad Oscar Brad Oscar (born September 22, 1964) is an American musical theatre actor, known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as '' The Producers'' and ''Jekyll and Hyde''. He has earned two Tony Award nominations: one for ''The Producers'' as ...

. Bob Ost, executive director, president, and co-founder o
Theatre Resources Unlimited
TRU, hired Cerullo to direct their 2018 TRU LOVE benefit honoring John Chatterton,

Baayork Lee Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author. Early life and career Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...

, and her National Asian Artists Project. The event featured Tony Award winner

Priscilla Lopez Priscilla Lopez (born February 26, 1948) is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one o ...

, and Brenda Braxton. Amas Musical Theatre hired Jonathan to write and direct Amas@50 Anniversary Concert. Honorary Chair ~

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

, Hosted by

Lillias White Lillias White (born July 21, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is particularly known for her performances in Broadway musicals. In 1989 she won an Obie Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical ''Romance in Hard Times''. In ...

and featuring

Leslie Uggams Leslie Marian Uggams (born May 25, 1943) is an American actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child in the early 1950s, Uggams is recognized for portraying Kizzy Reynolds in the television miniseries ''Roots'' (1977), earning Golden Globe ...

, Vivian Reed, Christopher Jackson actor, Lance Roberts,

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor and stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', for which he won the Tony Award ...

, N'Kenge, Soara-Joye Ross, Elijah Ahmad Lewis and a Special video appearance by

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

. The gala is honoring

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

, Sharleen Cooper Cohen, Donna Trinkoff, and Shelly Berger manager of

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

. In 2019 he was made a
Artistic Associate
at Amas Music Theatre. He produced the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award honoring

Dr. Ruth Westheimer Karola Ruth Westheimer ( Siegel; born June 4, 1928), better known as Dr. Ruth, is a German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper. Westheimer was born in Germany to a Jewish fam ...

and Bishop Curry in 2019. The event was hosted by

Mo Rocca Maurice Alberto Rocca (born January 28, 1969) is an American humorist, journalist, and actor. He is a correspondent for ''CBS Sunday Morning'', the host and creator of ''My Grandmother's Ravioli'' on the Cooking Channel, and also the host of '' Th ...

. 2020 Cerullo directed Jen Chapin's ''Essential Stories''. Jen Chapin is the daughter of the late singer-songwriter

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy A ...

. He also conceived, produced, and directe
With Love, Now and Forever!
CATSCOVIDRELIEF for

Broadway Cares Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is an American nonprofit organization that raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States, headquartered in New York City. It is the theatre community's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ...

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for

Actors Fund of America The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. S ...

. After 34 years the third National Touring Company of Cats (musical) reunited for this special event hosted by Broadway and TV star Brian Stokes Mitchell and Tom Viola. He also appears on

Stars in the House ''Stars in the House'' is a daily live streamed web series created and hosted by Seth Rudetsky and his husband James Wesley to support The Actors Fund and its services. Created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ''Stars in ...

as well as Broadway Network Podcast Cerullo, in 2021, made his Los Angeles directorial debut at the award-winning theatre, The Blank Theatre with Scott Barry's Hard On Love starring Los Angeles Drama Critics Award-winner

Rob Nagle Rob Nagle is an American actor, director, teacher, and acting coach. He is a professor at the Theatre of Arts Hollywood Acting School and the Art of Acting Studio. Early life and education Nagle was born in Eugene, Oregon, then raised in DeKalb, ...

and from

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

Brita Filter Brita Filter, the stage name of Jesse Carl Havea, is an American drag queen who has appeared on ''Shade: Queens of NYC'' and the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 12), twelfth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', ultimately placing 8th. Early life and car ...

aka Jesse Havea. Cerullo wrote the script for Amas Musical Theatre's 2021 gala AMAS YOU LOVE, a Heart to Heart Celebration. Directed by Maria Torres, hosted by Justina Machado, and receiving the 2021 Rosie Award was Tony Award-winner Lillias White.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * *
JSCTheatricals, LLC

www.willieandme.com

www.thenaughtynaughtypetsmusical.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerullo, Jon 1960 births Living people American choreographers American theatre directors American male actors Actors from Mount Vernon, New York