Michael Berresse

Michael Berresse is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and director born on August 15, 1964, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, who was raised primarily in Joliet, Illinois. His father worked as a chemical engineer, and his mother, Cynthia Berresse Ploski, is an artist and author. He has an older brother and two older sisters. From the age of eight, Berresse trained as a nationally competitive gymnast and diver, and upon finishing high school he went directly into performing at Walt Disney theme parks in both Orlando and Tokyo before relocating to New York City.

Berresse made his Broadway debut in the 1990 revival of Fiddler on the Roof, launching a stage career that would span nearly three decades. His subsequent Broadway credits include Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees, Stage Door Charley, The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm, Chicago — in which he played both the murder victim Fred Casely and, later, the lawyer Billy Flynn — The Light in the Piazza, and A Chorus Line, in which he portrayed Zach. He also appeared in The Cher Show beginning in late 2018, playing the combined role of Bob Mackie, Robert Altman, and Artie. His performance as Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate earned him a 2000 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as well as a nomination for London's Olivier Award; the London production of Kiss Me, Kate ran from October 2001 to August 2002.

Beyond performing, Berresse has established himself as a director and choreographer. He directed and choreographed the Broadway musical [title of show], a production that starred his partner Jeff Bowen, who also co-created it. For that work, Berresse received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination, an Obie Award, and a nomination for the Lucille Lortel. In 2012, he reunited with the [title of show] creative team to direct the off-Broadway musical Now. Here. This., and in summer 2014 he directed the world premiere of Paul Gordon's Analog & Vinyl. His regional theatre work includes Jason Robert Brown's Parade at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

In 1992, Berresse appeared on Star Search as part of a dance group called The Boys Back East, which won the title of Best New Dance Group and a shared prize of $100,000. His film work includes a role as the Stage Manager in Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence, an assassin in Kevin Macdonald's State of Play opposite Russell Crowe, and an appearance in The Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner. He also appears as himself in the documentary Every Little Step, which chronicles the casting process of the A Chorus Line revival in which he starred. Berresse resides in Brooklyn, New York.