Danny Burstein

Danny Burstein (born June 16, 1964) is an American actor and singer, most known for his work on the Broadway stage.

A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Burstein won the 2020 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Harold Zidler in ''Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway. He also received Tony nominations for ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006), ''South Pacific'' (2008), '' Follies'' (2011), '' Golden Boy'' (2013), ''Cabaret'' (2014), and ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (2016). Burstein has also won two Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received three Grammy Award nominations. Burstein's performance in ''Moulin Rouge!'' also earned him the 2020 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. His other Broadway credits include ''The Seagull'' (1992), '' Saint Joan'' (1993), and ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' (2010).

Burstein's television work includes a feature-length episode of the BBC sitcom '' Absolutely Fabulous'' (2002) and a Staten Island father in the first season of '' Louie'' (2010). He appeared as different characters in six episodes of the original NBC drama series ''Law & Order'' (1995–2010), and also recurred as Lolly Steinman on the HBO series ''Boardwalk Empire'' (2010–11) and as D.A. Lewis Cormier on the CBS series ''Evil''. His film appearances include '' Transamerica'' (2005), ''Deception'' (2008), ''The Family Fang'' (2015), and ''Indignation'' (2016).

Early life and education

Burstein was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, and was raised in New York City. Danny's parents separated when he was two months old. He was raised by his mother, Virginia (Vega), a painter, and his stepfather, Harvey Burstein, a professor of Greek philosophy. His mother, who is from Costa Rica, is Catholic and of Spanish descent, and his stepfather is Jewish. He was not raised in any particular faith and celebrated both Jewish and Christian holidays.

Burstein attended the High School of the Performing Arts. While in high school, he performed in community theatre and summer stock in New Hampshire for which he was paid $200 for the entire season. He graduated from Queens College in New York City, during which time he obtained his first professional acting job in the chorus of ''The Music Man'' at The Muny in St. Louis. He received an MFA from the graduate acting program at the University of California, San Diego in 1990. During his time in drama school at UCSD, he appeared in ''Macbeth'' at La Jolla Playhouse.

Career

On Broadway, Burstein's eighteen appearances, which have garnered him seven Tony Award nominations, have included ''A Little Hotel on the Side'' (1992), Yakov in ''The Seagull'' (1992–93), in '' Saint Joan'' and '' Three Men on a Horse'' (both in 1993), Paul in ''Company'' (1995), 1st Officer William Murdoch in ''Titanic'' (1997–99), Aldolpho in ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006–07), Luther Billis in ''South Pacific'' (2008–10), Taxi Driver in ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' (2010–11), Tokio in '' Golden Boy'' (2012–2013), Max in the Sharr White play ''The Snow Geese'' (2013), Herr Schultz in the 2014 revival of ''Cabaret'' (2014–15) and Tevye in ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (2015–2016).

Burstein's Off-Broadway credits include Rajiv Joseph's ''Describe the Night'' at the Atlantic Theater Company; ''Talley's Folly'' opposite Sarah Paulson at The Roundabout Theater Company for which he was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama League Award; the world premieres of A. R. Gurney's ''Mrs. Farnsworth'' (2004), opposite Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow, at The Flea Theater and ''Psych'' (2001) at Playwrights Horizons. He also starred in ''I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'' (1996 and 2002) at the Westside Theatre; as Ru/Floor Monitor/Pianist in '' Merrily We Roll Along'' (1994) at the York Theatre at St. Peter's Church; ''All in the Timing'' at the Houseman; as Daniel in Alan Menken and David Spencer's ''Weird Romance'' at the WPA; as Solomon in '' The Rothschilds'' and ''Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh'', both at Circle in the Square; ''The United Way'' at Ensemble Studio Theater; and '' A Class Act'' at Manhattan Theatre Club. He appeared in four concerts at Carnegie Hall including: the Ira Gershwin centennial, as Steward in '' Sail Away'' (1999), and in ''Candide'' (2018)."BursteinBiography"
BroadwayWorld.com, accessed June 27, 2012 He appeared in the Encores! (New York City Center) staged concert productions of '' DuBarry Was a Lady'' (1996), as Romeo Skragg in ''Li'l Abner'' (1998), as Tailor-Merchant in ''The Boys from Syracuse'' (1997) and as Mister Mister in ''The Cradle Will Rock'' (2013).

He played the role of Buddy Plummer in the Kennedy Center production of '' Follies'', which ran from May 7, 2011, through June 19, 2011, at the Eisenhower Theater, co-starring with Bernadette Peters, Ron Raines, and Jan Maxwell. He reprised that role in the Broadway engagement of ''Follies'' at the Marquis Theatre from August 7, 2011 (in previews) through January 22, 2012, and continued with the production in its engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California from May 3, 2012, through June 9, 2012. He won the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and was nominated for the Tony Award, Best Actor in a Musical.

Burstein can be heard on the cast recording of many of these musicals. Among his many recordings is the musical ''Sweet Little Devil'' in which he introduced three George Gershwin, Buddy DeSylva songs. The score originally went unrecorded in 1924 and was finally recorded by PS Classics, with Burstein playing the role of Sam in 2012.

Burstein's film roles include ''Duane Incarnate'' (2004), '' Transamerica'' (2005), ''Deception'' (2008), ''Nor'easter'' (2013), ''Trust, Greed, Bullets and Bourbon'' (2013), ''American Milkshake'' (2013), ''Autumn Whispers'' (2013), ''Affluenza'' (2014), '' Blackhat'' (2015), directed by Michael Mann, ''The Family Fang'' (2015), opposite Nicole Kidman and directed by Jason Bateman, ''Construction'' (2015), ''Indignation'' (2016), written and directed by James Schamus, and ''The Sounding'', written & directed by Catherine Eaton. His many television credits include recurring on ''The Good Fight'', recurring on '' Dr. Death'', recurring as D.A. Lewis Cormier on ''Evil'', guest starring on the animated series ''Central Park'' as Dick Flake, and guest starring on '' Tales of the City'' (2019), '' Fosse/Verdon'' (2019), '' The Blacklist'' (2019), '' Madam Secretary'' (2018), '' NCIS: New Orleans'' (2018), ''Instinct'' (2018), ''Elementary'' (2017), all the ''Law & Order'' series, the BBC's '' Absolutely Fabulous'' (2002), the FX series '' Louie'' (2010), and '' The Good Wife'' (2015). He was cast in HBO's ''Boardwalk Empire'' after director Martin Scorsese saw him in ''South Pacific'', and after auditioning for three different characters, he landed the part of Lolly Steinman.

Burstein has lent his voice in a number of video games, including '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', '' Manhunt 2'', '' Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ''Neverwinter Nights 2''.

He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Frosch in '' Die Fledermaus'' (2013–14 season).

Burstein serves on the Artists Committee of the Kennedy Center Honors and has been a guest lecturer teaching at many universities such as Yale, NYU, Juilliard, UCSD and Queens College.

Burstein played the role of Tevye in the 2015 Broadway revival of ''Fiddler on the Roof'', at the Broadway Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher. The revival began in previews on November 20, 2015, and officially opened on December 20, 2015, and closed on December 31, 2016.

In the summer of 2017, he played the role of Nick Bottom in the New York Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''.

He appeared as Alfred P. Doolittle in the Broadway revival of ''My Fair Lady'' at Lincoln Center Theater from January 8, 2019. He also originated the on-stage role of Harold Zidler on Broadway in ''Moulin Rouge!'' in 2019. ''Moulin Rouge!'' played its pre-Broadway performances at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston from July 10, 2018, to August 19, 2018. In 2021, Burstein received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for ''Moulin Rouge!''

In 2021 he was nominated for an Audie Award for his narration of Stephen King's ''If It Bleeds''.

Personal life

Burstein was married to actress Rebecca Luker from June 2000 until her death on December 23, 2020. He has two sons, Alexander and Zachary, from a previous marriage, and lives in Morningside Heights, Manhattan.

In March 2020, following the shutdown of all Broadway theatrical productions including ''Moulin Rouge!'', in which he was starring, Burstein, along with several other cast members, contracted COVID-19. He was subsequently hospitalized at St. Luke's in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan and recovered. Burstein discussed his experience with the disease in a column published in ''The Hollywood Reporter''. He wrote in August 2020 of continued challenges with his post-COVID recovery while caring for his wife, who had ALS.Burstein, Danny
"Broadway Star Danny Burstein on His Struggles After COVID-19: 'I'm Not Really Sure How I'm Doing' (Guest Column)"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', August 10, 2020

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Panarello, Joseph F. "Behind the Stage Door with Danny Burstein", July 6, 2006 (Broadway World.com)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burstein, Danny
1964 births
American male film actors
American male singers
American male musical theatre actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Audiobook narrators
Drama Desk Award winners
Living people
People from Mount Kisco, New York
Male actors from New York City
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
Queens College, City University of New York alumni
University of California, San Diego alumni
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American people of Costa Rican descent
American people of Spanish descent
Tony Award winners