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George Abud

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George Abud
Abud in 2019
Born (1990-10-30) October 30, 1990 (age 34)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
EducationWayne State University
Occupation(s)Actor, musician, stage director
Years active2012–present
SpouseErica Knight
Websitewww.georgeabud.com

George Abud (born October 30, 1990) is a Lebanese-American actor, playwright, and musician. He is known for playing Filippo Marinetti in the Broadway musical Lempicka, as well as Camal in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of The Band's Visit,[1] receiving a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the show's NBC Today Show performance.[2]

Early life and education

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Abud was born in Detroit to Lebanese-American parents Gary and Paulette Abud. He attended Wayne State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre acting before moving to New York City in 2012.[3]

Career

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Abud first appeared in New York in the 2014 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro directed by John Doyle at Classic Stage Company.[4] His adaptation of "Children and Art" from Sunday in the Park with George was selected to be played live at New York City Center for Stephen Sondheim.[5] Jeanine Tesori recounted:

"Finally, George Abud sang his rendition of "Children and Art," gently accompanying himself on the Oud, his version exploring his own relationship to his father. Tears streamed down Steve's face. He ended up staying to see the performance of Tick, Tick...Boom! that night after all, his heart clearly broken, but also full."[6]

Abud made his Broadway debut in 2015 in John Kander and Fred Ebb's final musical, The Visit, starring Chita Rivera and Roger Rees.[7]

Later, he originated the role of Camal in the Off-Broadway and subsequent Broadway production of The Band's Visit. Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania wrote: "Playing the role of violinist Camal, George Abud consistently wows with both his comic timing and musical virtuosity. His voice gloriously rings through the theater in Itzik's Lullaby, during which he plays an oud."[8] After leaving The Band's Visit in late 2018, Abud was cast in the Off-Broadway production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui starring Raúl Esparza at Classic Stage Company. Sara Holdren of Vulture noted: "George Abud is a nimble, fast-talking delight...".[9]

In 2019, Abud portrayed Lewis Chapman in the musical version of August Rush directed by John Doyle at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois.[10] Next, he was cast in Annie Get Your Gun directed by Sarna Lapine at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York.[11]

In 2020, he starred as Nerd Face in the new pop musical Emojiland, Off-Broadway at the Duke on 42nd Street, about which Laura Collins-Hughes of The New York Times said: "But with the arrival of Nerd Face, played with wonderfully sweet dorkiness by George Abud, you can feel the air turn electric. There is a very good chance that you will be as instantly smitten with him as he is with Smize (Schein) in her polka-dotted fit-and-flare dress."[12] For his performance, Abud was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.[13]

It was announced in May 2022 that Abud would star as Italian Futurist Filippo Marinetti in the new musical Lempicka by Carson Kreitzer and Matt Gould at La Jolla Playhouse, directed by Rachel Chavkin.[14][15] The San Diego Union Tribune wrote: "George Abud is another ideal hand-in-glove fit for the role of Italian pro-fascist modernist Filippo Marinetti. His edgy performance of the high-flying song 'Perfection' is one of those moments in a show where thoughts of future Tony nominations dance in the head — for him, as well as for Espinosa and Iman."[16]

Abud returned Off-Broadway, in early 2023, in the world premiere musical Cornelia Street at the Atlantic Theater Company, opposite Norbert Leo Butz.[17] That spring he returned to Birdland Jazz Club, with duo partner Katrina Lenk, in an encore performance of Abud & Lenk: Swung.[18]

Following that, Abud portrayed Russian lyric poet Aleksandr Blok in the New York debut of Elizabeth Swados's The Beautiful Lady directed by Anne Bogart at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Of his performance, TheaterMania stated: "Abud's readings of Blok's poetry are particularly haunting: a persistent, slightly erotic cadence to his voice, his eyes heavy with the weight of too much seen."[19]

In 2024, Abud returned to Broadway in the original musical Lempicka, reprising his starring role as Marinetti. In his review for The New York Times, chief theater critic Jesse Green singled out Abud's performance as "excellent".[20]

It was confirmed in late 2024 that Abud would play Duane in the star-studded crime thriller film Caught Stealing directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz and Regina King.[21]

Stage credits

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Theatre

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Year[22] Production Role Location Category
2012 Oliver Twist Toby Crackit Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Regional
Man of La Mancha José, a Muleteer Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Regional
2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck Geva Theatre Center Regional
Fiddler on the Roof The Fiddler Loft Theatre, Human Race Theatre Company Regional
2014 Allegro Charlie Townsend Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway
2015 The Visit Karl Schell Lyceum Theatre Broadway
Nathan the Wise Al-Hafi Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway
2016 Peer Gynt The Bridegroom Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway
The Band's Visit Camal Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway
2017–2019 The Band's Visit Camal Ethel Barrymore Theatre Broadway
2018 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Clark, Ted Ragg Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway
2019 Lolita, My Love Clare Quilty York Theatre Company Off-Broadway
August Rush Lewis Chapman[23] Paramount Theatre (Aurora, Illinois) Regional
1776 James Wilson The Muny Regional
Annie Get Your Gun Charlie Davenport Bay Street Theater Regional
2020 Emojiland Nerd Face The Duke on 42nd Street Off-Broadway
2021 Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show Fred, Young Scrooge Old Globe Theater Regional
2022 Lempicka Filippo Marinetti La Jolla Playhouse Regional
2023 Cornelia Street William Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway
The Beautiful Lady Aleksandr Blok La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club Off-Broadway
The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical Nixon La Jolla Playhouse Regional
2024 Lempicka Filippo Marinetti Longacre Theatre Broadway
Anything Goes Lord Evelyn Oakleigh The Muny Regional

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
TBA Caught Stealing Duane In production

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Role Show Result
2019 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program (with the cast of The Band's Visit) Camal The Band's Visit Won
2020 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nerd Face Emojiland Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Green, Jesse (November 1, 2017). "Broadway's Comic Chameleon Writes a Heartfelt New Tune". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 4, 2019). "The Band's Visit Wins Daytime Emmy Award for Today Show Performance". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Brush, Mary Anne (October 17, 2018). "North graduate lands on Broadway". Grosse Pointe News. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Brantley, Ben (November 19, 2014). "Allegro, A Rarely Staged Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Levy, David (August 1, 2014). "Interview George Abud Sondheim Remix challenge". Stephen Sondheim tumblr.
  6. ^ Tesori, Jeanine (December 1, 2021). "A Heart Broken Also Full What Sondheim Gave Us". American Theatre. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Fuller, Sally Henry (June 14, 2015). "BWW Flashback: Final Kander & Ebb Musical The Visit Concludes Broadway Run Today". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Stewart, Zachary (August 6, 2018). "The Band's Visit Gets a New Conductor in Sasson Gabay". Theater Mania. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Holdren, Sara (November 14, 2018). "Theater Review: Raúl Esparza Makes a Hard-to-Resist Arturo Ui". Vulture. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (March 26, 2019). "The Band's Visit's George Abud Set for World Premiere August Rush Musical Directed by John Doyle". Broadway.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  11. ^ Wild, Stephi (June 20, 2019). "Alexandra Socha, George Abud Among Stars of Bay Street's Annie Get Your Gun". BroadwayWorld.
  12. ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (January 20, 2020). "'Emojiland' Review: There's a Rom-Com in Your Phone. With Music". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Seymour, Lee (April 21, 2020). "2020 Drama Desk Awards: Complete List Of Nominees". Forbes. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  14. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (May 4, 2022). "George Abud Victor E Chan Eden Espinosa Amber Iman More to Star in Lempicka". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Gans, Andrew (June 17, 2022). "Listen to George Abud Sing Perfection from New Musical Lempicka". Playbill.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  16. ^ Kragen, Pam (June 27, 2022). "Review La Jolla Playhouses Lempicka an Eye Popping Study of Enigmatic Baroness with a Brush". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (December 16, 2022). "George Abud, Norbert Leo Butz, Mary Beth Peil & More to Star in Cornelia Street World Premiere". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (February 7, 2023). "George Abud and Katrina Lenk to Present Encore Performance of Swung at Birdland Theater in March". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Stewart, Zachary (May 8, 2023). "Review: The Beautiful Lady Musicalizes the Doomed Russian Intellectuals of the Last Century". Theater Mania. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  20. ^ Green, Jesse (April 14, 2024). "Review: It's No Sunday in the Park With 'Lempicka'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Pinheiro, Ariadna (September 21, 2024). "Caught Stealing: Plot, official cast". Spoiler Bolavip. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  22. ^ "George Abud theatre profile". About The Artists. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  23. ^ Oxman, Steven (May 6, 2019). "Regional Theater Review: 'August Rush'". Variety. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
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