Michelan Sisti

Michelan Sisti, born Michael Alan Sisti on May 27, 1949, is an Italian-American actor, puppeteer, director, and musician. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where his family was stationed while his father, Frank, served in the US Army. His mother's name was Mildred.

Sisti built a theatrical career spanning roughly two decades, which included four Broadway productions between 1981 and 1987. He originated the role of Motel the tailor in the 1981 revival of Fiddler on the Roof and went on to play Panda in Raggedy Ann in 1986. His Broadway work also encompassed Peter Pan and the 1987 revival of Cabaret, in which he played Bobby and served as understudy for the Emcee. During the pre-Broadway tour of that production, he understudied Joel Grey in the role of the Emcee. When Grey lost his voice during a performance, Sisti delivered the character's sung and spoken lines from offstage while Grey continued to perform the role physically in front of the audience.

Following his stage career, Sisti gained wide recognition for portraying Michelangelo in the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and reprising the role in its sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. After those films, he relocated from New York City to Los Angeles and continued working in film and television, including projects with The Jim Henson Company and Walt Disney Studios. He served as an additional Muppet performer for The Muppets Take the Bowl, a live show held at the Hollywood Bowl from September 8 through 10, 2017, and returned in that capacity for The Muppets Take the O2 in London, performed July 13 and 14, 2018.