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Robert Petkoff is an American
stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
known for his work in
Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
productions and more recently on the
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, moveme ...
stage. Petkoff has performed 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 Stre ...
, the West End, regional theatre, and done work in film and television. Petkoff was featured as "Perchik" in the
Tony award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-nominated 2004 revival cast of ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'' but is perhaps best known for his role as "Tateh" in the 2009 revival of ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...
'' on Broadway. Petkoff has also provided the voices for over two dozen audiobooks, winning awards for his reading of
Michael Koryta Michael Koryta (pronounced ) (born September 20, 1982) is an American author of contemporary crime and supernatural fiction. His novels have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, and have won o ...
's ''So Cold the River''. Married to actress Susan Wands, Petkoff has lived in New York City for the last twenty years, and often performs in benefit concerts for theater-district-related charities.


Early life and career

Robert Petkoff is the son of Carolyn and Peter Petkoff, the fifth of seven children, and was born in
Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
. His father was an officer in the Air Force and Robert grew up living all over the United States. He graduated from
Princeton High School (Illinois) Princeton High School (officially Princeton Township High School) is a high school located at 103 S. Euclid Ave in Princeton, Illinois. It generally has an attendance close to 600 students. History Princeton High School was founded in 1867 an ...
and attended
Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...
, studying theater. After finishing college, he began acting with the
Illinois Shakespeare Festival The Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) is held in Bloomington, Illinois, United States at Ewing Theatre and in Normal, Illinois, United States at the Center for Performing Arts Theatre at Illinois State University. The Festival began in 1978 and c ...
, then continued his career in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, working with the Oak Park Festival Theatre and
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare ...
. While in Chicago Robert was cast in the TV pilot "Mona", a spin-off from ''
Who's The Boss? ''Who's the Boss?'' is an American sitcom television series created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, that aired on ABC from September 20, 1984, to April 25, 1992, with a total of 196 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. It was produce ...
''. He moved to Los Angeles and lived there for five years, where along with television work, he also worked in local theaters. Petkoff performed in Los Angeles-area stage productions including ''Julius Caesar'' at the
Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighborin ...
directed by a young
Oskar Eustis Oskar Eustis (born July 31, 1958) has been the Artistic Director at the Public Theater in New York City since 2005. He has worked as a director, dramaturg, and artistic director for theaters around the United States.Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which is collec ...
in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. In 1993, Petkoff was cast by Michael Kahn as the Duke of Aumerle in Kahn's production of
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
at the
Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, performing twice more for the company in 1994. After returning to Chicago to perform under Barbara Gaines at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater as Troilus in ''Troilus and Cressida'' and as Hamlet in ''Hamlet'', Petkoff worked with director Mark Lamos, who cast him as Romeo in ''Romeo and Juliet'' at the Hartford Stage Company, with
Calista Flockhart Calista Kay Flockhart (born November 11, 1964) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying the title character on the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997–2002), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 1998 and w ...
as Juliet.


Stage career

Petkoff first appeared on Broadway in ''
Epic Proportions ''Epic Proportions'' is a play by Larry Coen and David Crane. Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona desert to work as extras in the Biblical epic film ''Exeunt Omnes'', directed by the mysterio ...
'' starring
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
, and shortly after he was cast in Sir Peter Hall's production of ''Tantalus'', which was a co-production of The Denver Center for The Performing Arts and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The production opened in Denver and then toured in the UK, with a final performance at the
Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings an ...
in London. The production of ''Tantalus'' was the subject of a TV documentary, which examined the turbulent collaboration with John Barton and Sir Peter Hall. Petkoff would go on to work with Sir Peter Hall in two other productions: as Perry Stewart in
The Royal Family (play) ''The Royal Family'' is a play written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. Its premiere on Broadway was at the Selwyn Theatre on 28 December 1927, where it ran for 345 performances to close in October 1928. It was included in Burns Mantle's ' ...
with
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
, Toby Stevens and
Emily Blunt Emily Olivia Laura Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Emily Blunt, several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition t ...
in London's
Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
, and as Algernon in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' with
Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was a British and American actress. During a career that spanned five decades, she won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Em ...
in a national tour. Petkoff's first professional musical role was with the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare ...
, when he starred as George in ''Sunday in the Park with George'', directed by Gary Griffin in 2002. Although not trained as a musical theater singer, he had been trained as a stage actor at Illinois State University, this was the first of his musical theater roles. Petkoff's first Broadway musical was as Perchik in the Broadway revival of ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'' starring
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British and American actor. He is known for his leading roles and character actor roles on the stage and screen. In a career spanning over five decades he has received a Drama Desk Award ...
and
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...
. Petkoff was cast as Sir Robin in the National Tour of ''
Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot: A Musical (Lovingly) Ripped Off from the Motion Picture ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail) is a musical theatre, stage musical with score by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, with lyrics and book ...
'' in 2007 replacing David Turner in the role. After a year on tour, he was invited to join the Broadway company and in 2008 replaced Martin Moran in the role until Clay Aiken took over. Petkoff reclaimed the role again after Clay's first departure. Petkoff returned to Broadway in ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...
'', as Tateh, in the 2009 revival directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, which opened at the Neil Simon Theater in November 2009 and closed January 10, 2010. The revival was nominated for seven 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival; and was also nominated for nine 2010 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. Pekoff performed the role of Buddy in ''Follies'', with the Chicago Shakespeare Festival, directed by Gary Griffin in October 2011. In 2012, Petkoff starred in the Roundabout Theatre production of ''Anything Goes'', as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, love interest for Reno Sweeney, played by Stephanie J. Block, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. In 2014, he starred on Broadway as Hubert Humphrey in ''All the Way'' opposite Bryan Cranston as LBJ. In 2015, Robert appeared as Richard Hanny in ''39 Steps'' at the Union Square Theater in New York City. He then went on to play the title role in Sweeney Todd at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. At the end of 2016 and throughout 2017, Robert played the role of Bruce Bechdel in the first national tour of the Tony award-winning musical ''Fun Home''.


Musical theater

Petkoff's first musical was with the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare ...
, when he starred as George in ''
Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...
'', directed by Gary Griffin in 2002. Petkoff's first appearance on Broadway in a musical was as Perchik in the 2004 production of ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'', starring
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British and American actor. He is known for his leading roles and character actor roles on the stage and screen. In a career spanning over five decades he has received a Drama Desk Award ...
. Directed by David Leveaux, the revival was nominated for the 2004 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical. In 2007, he joined the national tour of ''
Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot: A Musical (Lovingly) Ripped Off from the Motion Picture ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail) is a musical theatre, stage musical with score by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, with lyrics and book ...
'' as Sir Robin for a year, and then played the role on Broadway, replacing Martin Moran in the role before Clay Aiken took over and then returned when Clay departed. In 2009, Petkoff appeared in ''Happiness'' at
Lincoln Center Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...
, directed by
Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. Her notable theater productions include ''Oklahoma!'', ''The Music Man'', ''Crazy for You (musical), Crazy for You'', ''Contact (musical), Co ...
, playing the part of Neil. Petkoff has also worked with several musical theater workshops, including a reading of new musical version of ''Enchanted April'' in the role of Mr. Briggs in March 2010. Petkoff also appeared as Guy Fawkes in the New York Stage & Film's Powerhouse Theater production of ''Bonfire Night'', directed by Alex Timbers. Petkoff appeared in the ''Like Water for Chocolate'' musical workshop with Tony Award winner
Chita Rivera Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024), known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awa ...
at the
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...
's 2011 Theatre Lab in Alberta, Canada, in April 2011. In addition to Chita Rivera (''Kiss of the Spider Woman'', ''Chicago'', ''The Rink''), and Robert Petkoff (''Ragtime'', ''Spamalot'', ''Fiddler on the Roof''), the cast included Nicholas Rodriguez (''Tarzan'', ''One Life to Live'').


Selected works


Recordings


Theater


Filmography


Film and television


References


External links

* Robert Petkof
official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Petkoff, Robert Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American male stage actors Male actors from Sacramento, California