Michael was accepted into New Haven's Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School where he majored in Theatre, under the tutelage of Dana Sachs, and Music, led by Harriett Alfred.  He won leads in many school shows, competed in the Tech Theatre Olympics in Rhode Island with his class, and won regional awards with Co-Op's choir. Michael wrote and directed several productions at Co-Op, including collaborating on What Fairy Tale Is This, Anyway?!, which he would later adapt into his first musical. His junior year, he was accepted into NYU’s CAP21 Summer Program.

After graduating valedictorian, Michael was accepted into NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, attending their CAP21 studio for Musical Theatre performance.  There, he met friend and fellow collaborator, Rachel Bloom, with whom Michael would compose his first musical, When Push Comes to Shove.  When Push... would become the inaugural piece for Michael's children's theatre company, Trust Your Gut Productions, which brings eye-opening and discussion-inciting theatre to students on the topics of bullying, cyber-safety, and civic duty.

Both during and after his career at NYU, Michael continued to work regionally and off-Broadway, appearing with The Transport Group (Being Audrey), Vital Children's Theatre (Extraordinary!, Welcome to New Jersey), and New Jersey Repertory (Cupid & Psyche, NY Times reviewed). He also performed at Cernegie Hall with Pacific Opera Encores as a featured operatic soloist.

Michael moved back to the States in late 2015, staying in Connecticut to re-adjust to American life and spend time with his family.  He moved back to the City full-time in October of 2017, and has hit the ground running, booking roles at NY Winterfest (Waiting For the G), Symphony Space (My Life With Pablo Neruda), Theatre For the New City (Cyberbabies), and the National Black Theatre of Harlem (Still Can't Trust No One). Michael reprised his role of Mr. Trash in the French Peyrièras/Lombard musical, Paradise Market, recorded in Limoges, France.

He has become a permanent member of Sharon Klein Productions' Who Loves You?: The Music of Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, and Beyond as well as The Boys of Bandstand with future dates booked all across the US.  Thanks to the inimitable talents of his co-musicians, Michael has been able to cross "sing your parents' favorite music live with incredible singers" off of his bucket list!

Michael’s most recent original musical, Time It Is: To Music, played a successful run at Theatre For the New City in NYC. He is currently collaborating on multiple new projects, including Blax, an original funk jukebox musical with French R&B party group, Brown Sugar. He recently wrote the theme song to the upcoming short-film L’Audition by Maud Stievenard. “My Little Baby” was recorded with international performer and recording artist, Camille Mesnard.

From April to May 2021, Michael will be appearing in Florida Studio Theatre’s production of Three Pianos, a new piano-rock cabaret with fellow musicians Nygel D. Robinson and Madalyn McHugh.

Always the “work in progress”, Michael continues to train and refine his techniques with Andrew Stewart-Jones, Jamibeth Margolis, Andrew Wheeler, and more.   

Michael thanks, from the bottom of his heart, Mom, Dad, Robin, Dana, and all those who helped him, believe in him, and support him.  I'll make you proud!

De l'amour, de l'art, et du bonheur à tous!

About Michael

Michael is a Connecticut native, hailing from the picturesque town of Hamden as the only son to parents Carol and Michael (yes, like the Brady Bunch).  At age four, he began studying voice, piano, and organ with the Minotti Music School.  He was a part of Academic, Art, and Music TAG within the Hamden School systems and competed in the Regional Spelling Bee, placing 4th (by misspelling the word "convalescence). At age twelve, his friend's brother asked him to audition for "a little part" in the local high school's production of Rags.  The role ended up being one of the leads, and Michael caught the theatre bug with a vengeance.

Following that serendipitous production, Michael began studying voice with Robin Sellati, winning roles at Long Wharf Theatre (The Good Person of New Haven, directed by Bill Rauch), University of Bridgeport (Fatima: The Musical), and with the New Haven Arts Council (Runaways). 

Following the financial crash of 2009, Michael decided to pursue continued training abroad.  Upon recommendation from another serendipitous meeting, Michael taught himself French, and was accepted into Acting International in Paris, France, under the pedagogy of Robert Cordier.  At AI, Michael studied film acting technique, and even made some of his own films, two of which were shown at the Cannes International Film Festival.  

While in France, Michael wrote two musicals (Looking For the Little Mouse (Paris and Casablanca, Morocco), Panic! Chez le Psy), and was a permanent member of the reading series, Moving Parts, founded by Stephanie Campion.  

He appeared in many movies in France including The Landlady 3-D/Sur Une Nuit d'Hiver, Pleased to Meet You!, Fushiyama Dreams, and Dracula Reborn (no, not that Dracula Reborn...the other one.), which brought him to Romania and Hungary. He was the face of IB Remarketing, a tech refurbishment firm, and his voice can be heard singing gibberish while waiting for the Oz’Iris roller coaster in France’s Parc Asterix, with music composed by Molière award winning composer, Patrice Peyrièras, with whom Michael performed the opera Paradise Market.