Andy Karl

Andy Karl (born August 27, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for performing in musical theatre specifically musicals adapted from successful movies. He has received several accolades including a Laurence Olivier Award and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for three Tony Awards. He is also known for playing Sgt. Mike Dodds on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' from 2015 to 2016.

Karl made his Broadway debut as a replacement in the musical '' Saturday Night Fever'' (1999). He went on to receive three Tony Award nominations for his roles in ''Rocky'' (2014), '' On the Twentieth Century'' (2015), and ''Groundhog Day'' (2017), the latter of which earned him the Olivier Award for his performance in the original London production. Karl originated the roles of Kyle in '' Legally Blonde'' (2007–2008), Joe in ''9 to 5'' (2009), Neville Landless / Mr. Victor Grinstead in ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' (2012–2013), and Edward Lewis in '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'' (2018–2019). Karl also was a replacement actor in the Broadway productions of ''Wicked'' (2010–2011), '' Jersey Boys'' (2011–2013), ''Into the Woods'' (2022), and ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2025).

Early life

Karl was born on August 28, 1974 in Baltimore, Maryland, to Walter Cesewski and Susan Weisman. He attended Towson High School, where he was on the football team and performed in theater. In high school, he played Jud Fry in ''Oklahoma!'' and General Bullmoose in ''Li'l Abner''. At age 16 he performed as the title role in ''Aladdin'' at the White Marsh Dinner Theatre. After high school, he attended Towson University, where he studied voice and music. Karl originally planned on becoming a voice teacher until the director of a show he was in at college told him he had what it took to be a professional actor. Karl continued to perform in shows while in college.
He changed his name to Karl to honor his late great-grandfather, Andrew Karl, a Baltimore fireman. In Winter 1993–1994, he played the 9-foot dragon in the children's musical ''The Reluctant Dragon'' at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland.

Career

1994–2006: Early roles and Broadway debut

Karl moved to New York in 1994. He was an understudy in the touring cast of '' The Who's Tommy'' and in 1998 played Rum Tum Tugger in the touring cast of ''Cats''. In February 2000 Karl was an understudy in the New York premiere of Stephen Sondheim's '' Saturday Night'' at the Second Stage Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 2000 as the replacement for Joey in '' Saturday Night Fever''. He continued with the production, this time in the role of Tony Manero, in its first national tour. In 2001 he performed in the musical stage production ''Me and Mrs. Jones'' at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia.

Karl was next seen as Dino Del Canto in the world premiere of the musical ''Romeo and Bernadette'' at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida. The show, which ran in January 2003, garnered Karl a Carbonell Award for Best Actor in a musical. He reprised the role at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey in February and March, 2003.

Karl was also seen at the Paper Mill Playhouse in June and July of that year, when he performed as Danny Zuko in '' Grease''. In January 2004 he performed in the musical revue ''Nights on Broadway II'' at Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In September 2004, Karl played Luke in the premiere of '' Altar Boyz'' at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He then left the New York area to tour in the original company of Disney's '' On the Record''. Karl returned to New York to play Luke in the Off-Broadway production of '' Altar Boyz'', which opened on March 1, 2005 at Stage 4 of Dodger Stages (now New World Stages).

On September 26, 2005, Karl performed in the Actor's Fund Concert production of '' On the Twentieth Century''. Karl's next role was the title character Adam Patterson in the Off-Broadway musical ''Slut'' at the American Theatre of Actors in Fall 2005. In January 2006 Karl was in the three-person cast of ''Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love,'' a celebration of the music of Elvis Presley, at the now-closed Au Bar. In June and July of that year, he starred as Tad in the musical '' Bright Lights, Big City'' at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia. He then joined the Broadway cast of ''The Wedding Singer'' at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, where he played the roles of Drunk Dave and Bad Haircut Guy until the show closed at the end of 2006.

2007–2015: Further Broadway roles and ''Law & Order: SVU''

Karl's next role was in '' Legally Blonde'', where he played Kyle "the UPS guy", Dewey, and Grandmaster Chad at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, where the musical had its pre-Broadway tryout from January 23 to February 24, 2007. He reprised his roles in the Broadway production, which started previews on April 3 and opened on April 29, 2007, at the Palace Theatre. He was also an understudy to Emmett and Professor Callahan. He left the show on July 20, 2008.

Karl briefly left ''Legally Blonde'' in June 2007 to work on ''9 to 5'' in its week-long workshop. After leaving ''Legally Blonde'', Karl continued working on the musical ''9 to 5''. He played Joe, the love interest of Allison Janney's character, in the pre-Broadway tryout in Los Angeles. The show played at the Ahmanson Theatre from September 3 to October 19, 2008. The show opened on Broadway on April 30, 2009, at the Marquis Theatre, and closed on September 6, 2009.

Karl took over the role of Fiyero from Kevin Kern in the Broadway production of '' Wicked'' on February 2, 2010 and played the role until January 2, 2011. He took over the role Tommy Devito in the Broadway production of '' Jersey Boys'' on October 11, 2011.

Karl played Neville Landless in the Broadway revival of '' The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' which opened on November 29, 2012, at Studio 54. For this performance, he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.

Karl and Margo Seibert were featured as Rocky Balboa and Adrian in the new Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical '' Rocky the Musical'', which opened on Broadway in February 2014. In order to get into shape to play Rocky Balboa, Karl put on 12 pounds of muscle and worked with a trainer to get to a heavyweight fighter's weight. Karl received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for this performance.

Karl played the role of Bruce Granit in the 2015 Broadway revival of '' On the Twentieth Century'' alongside Kristin Chenoweth in the role of Lily Garland/Mildred Plotka. He received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance. In 2015, Karl joined the recurring cast of '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' as the unit's new sergeant, Mike Dodds, who is the son of Peter Gallagher's Chief William Dodds. The role reunites Karl and Gallagher after working together on '' On the Twentieth Century''. He left his role on ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', when his character died.

2016–present: ''Groundhog Day'' and other work

On January 28, 2016, it was announced that Karl would be playing the starring role of Phil in the musical adaptation of ''Groundhog Day'', the role played in the 1993 movie by Bill Murray. The musical ran at The Old Vic in London from Monday 11 July 2016 until Saturday 17 September 2016. Karl then reprised the role in the Broadway production of ''Groundhog Day'', which opened on April 17, 2017. For his performance in ''Groundhog Day'' in London, he received the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. On August 15, 2017, the producers of ''Groundhog Day'' announced it would end its Broadway run on September 17, 2017, but that a national tour and a possible return to London would follow.

In May 2018, it was announced that Karl would star as Edward Lewis in the Broadway production of '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'', following Steve Kazee's departure. In February 2020, he was in an Off-Broadway 50th anniversary concert version of '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' as Potiphar, he played opposite his wife Orfeh as Potiphar's Wife.

In 2021, he reprised his ''Jersey Boys'' role in a ProShot taping of the musical opposite Nick Jonas.PHOTO: Nick Jonas Poses With His Jersey Boys Co-Stars, Including Andy Karl, Matt Bogart
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On August 12, 2022, it was announced Karl would play the roles of the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella's Prince from September 6-15 in the Broadway revival of ''Into the Woods'' filling in for Gavin Creel at the St. James Theatre. On September 22, it was announced he would return to the production for a limited run from October 11-November 23 (a run that was later extended to December 2), this time filling in for Joshua Henry as Rapunzel's Prince. He reprised the role of Rapunzel's Prince during the opening weekend of the U.S. national tour's engagement in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center this time filling in for Jason Forbach who went on for the Baker in the place of Sebastian Arcelus.

From May to August 2023, he reprised the role of Phil in ''Groundhog Day'' at The Old Vic in London. From January to April 2024, he reprised the role again at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia.

From January to July 2025, Karl joined the cast of ''Moulin Rouge! The Musical'' as The Duke of Monroth at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway.

Personal life

Karl met his former wife Orfeh while in the musical for '' Saturday Night Fever''. They were married in January 2001 and resided in Manhattan. In addition to ''Saturday Night Fever'', Karl and his former wife have performed together in ''Me and Mrs. Jones,'' ''Nights on Broadway II,'' '' Bright Lights, Big City,'' '' Legally Blonde,'' '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'', and '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''. In May 2024, he announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. Shortly after, Karl confirmed his relationship with ''Groundhog Day'' co-star Elise McCann.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

External links

AndyKarl.com
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Star File: Andy Karl

Fresh Face: Andy Karl

Video Feature: In Rehearsal: ''Altar Boyz''

Video Feature: Opening Night: ''Altar Boyz''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karl, Andy
American male musical theatre actors
1974 births
Living people
Towson High School alumni
Towson University alumni
Male actors from Baltimore
American male film actors
American male television actors
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
American people of Polish descent
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Singers from Baltimore
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century American male singers