John Tartaglia
Encyclopedia
John Nicholas Tartaglia (born February 16, 1978) is an American
singer, actor
, dancer, puppeteer
.
Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey
, U.S.
. He joined Sesame Street's
puppetry
team at the age of 16 part-time, performing as a right hand and many minor characters, including Phoebe and being the backup for Kevin Clash's
Elmo
. He performed Ernie
for the second season of Play with Me Sesame
and Oscar the Grouch
for Sesame Street 4D. He became a full time part of Sesame Street at the age of 18.
Tartaglia created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton (the recent college grad) and Rod
(the closeted
Republican
-investment banker) in the Tony Award
-winning Broadway
musical Avenue Q
, which opened July 31, 2003. For the roles, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004
. He left the cast on January 30, 2005.
Tartaglia appeared in 2004 at the 14th annual Broadway Bares, which was a great success raising $525,000 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
.
Tartaglia reprised his roles as Princeton and Rod in the Las Vegas
sit-down production of Avenue Q, until December 11, 2005. He then appeared in the musical Newsical
2006: The Next Edition in New York City
. Tartaglia joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast
as Lumière on November 21, 2006 until early June 2007. He was replaced by David deVries.
Tartaglia is now working on his own television show for Playhouse Disney
entitled Johnny and the Sprites
as creator, executive producer, and star. While the episodes began as only 5 minute interstitials, the show began a full 30-minute series on January 13, 2007. The show began filming season two during mid 2007.
He recently played the roles of Pinocchio
and the Magic Mirror in Shrek the Musical, another musical in which Tartaglia also performed all of the puppets in the show. After a try-out in Seattle the show landed in New York at The Broadway Theatre
beginning December 14, 2008. He performed in the show until August 16, 2009 and was replaced by Wicked star, Robb Sapp
. He returned to the show on December 15, 2009 where he stayed until its closure on January 3, 2010.
Tartaglia is currently producing John Tartaglia's Imaginocean in New York City. A puppet show meant for children between the ages of 2 and 8 about fish. The fish glow in the dark while the actors are completely in black, giving the effect that the puppets are floating. The show plays Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Along with ImaginOcean, John is currently in L.A. performing at The Blank Theatre Company production of The Temperamentals. Showing April 9 - May 22, 2011 at the 2nd Stage Theatre.
In 2011, Tartaglia was named a Givenik Ambassador. Givenik.com
is the only place on the web where you can get Broadway tickets and 5% goes to your favorite charity. He discussed the incredible work of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, dancer, puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
.
Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He joined Sesame Street's
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
puppetry
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
team at the age of 16 part-time, performing as a right hand and many minor characters, including Phoebe and being the backup for Kevin Clash's
Kevin Clash
Kevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer and voice actor whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl...
Elmo
Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
. He performed Ernie
Ernie
Ernie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
for the second season of Play with Me Sesame
Play with Me Sesame
Play with Me Sesame is a children's television series spun off from Sesame Street, featuring Sesame Street characters such as Bert, Ernie, Grover, and Prairie Dawn. In the United States, from April 1, 2002 until September 2, 2007, the show has aired on the Nickelodeon-owned preschooler television...
and Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. He has a green body , has no nose , and lives in a trash can. His favorite thing in life is trash; evidence for this is the song "I Love Trash". A running theme is his compulsive hoarding of seemingly useless items...
for Sesame Street 4D. He became a full time part of Sesame Street at the age of 18.
Tartaglia created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton (the recent college grad) and Rod
Rod (Avenue Q)
Rod is a puppet and fictional character from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q. He was originally played on Broadway by John Tartaglia and then Barrett Foa, and on the West End of London by Jon Robyns. On Broadway, Foa was replaced in 2006 by Howie Michael Smith...
(the closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-investment banker) in the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
, which opened July 31, 2003. For the roles, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004
58th Tony Awards
The 58th Annual Tony Awards were held June 6, 2004 at Radio City Music Hall and broadcast on CBS television. Hugh Jackman was the host.-The ceremony:...
. He left the cast on January 30, 2005.
Tartaglia appeared in 2004 at the 14th annual Broadway Bares, which was a great success raising $525,000 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
.
Tartaglia reprised his roles as Princeton and Rod in the Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
sit-down production of Avenue Q, until December 11, 2005. He then appeared in the musical Newsical
Newsical
Newsical is a musical with music, lyrics and book written by Rick Crom. In ever-changing songs and sketches it lampoons current events, hot topics, celebrities, politicians and other well-known entities...
2006: The Next Edition in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Tartaglia joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
as Lumière on November 21, 2006 until early June 2007. He was replaced by David deVries.
Tartaglia is now working on his own television show for Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
entitled Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia . The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz...
as creator, executive producer, and star. While the episodes began as only 5 minute interstitials, the show began a full 30-minute series on January 13, 2007. The show began filming season two during mid 2007.
He recently played the roles of Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
and the Magic Mirror in Shrek the Musical, another musical in which Tartaglia also performed all of the puppets in the show. After a try-out in Seattle the show landed in New York at The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
beginning December 14, 2008. He performed in the show until August 16, 2009 and was replaced by Wicked star, Robb Sapp
Robb Sapp
Robb Sapp is an American actor and singer who has appeared in musicals, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Early life:...
. He returned to the show on December 15, 2009 where he stayed until its closure on January 3, 2010.
Tartaglia is currently producing John Tartaglia's Imaginocean in New York City. A puppet show meant for children between the ages of 2 and 8 about fish. The fish glow in the dark while the actors are completely in black, giving the effect that the puppets are floating. The show plays Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Along with ImaginOcean, John is currently in L.A. performing at The Blank Theatre Company production of The Temperamentals. Showing April 9 - May 22, 2011 at the 2nd Stage Theatre.
In 2011, Tartaglia was named a Givenik Ambassador. Givenik.com
Givenik
- Givenik.com :Established in 2007 by Jordan Roth , Givenik is a unique service allowing theatergoers to buy theatre tickets and give 5% of their ticket price to the charity of their choice....
is the only place on the web where you can get Broadway tickets and 5% goes to your favorite charity. He discussed the incredible work of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
.
External links
- John Tartaglia Puppetry Master Class
- John Tartaglia talks with Craft Ideas Weekly about how he started making puppets
- Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.orgAmerican Theatre WingThe American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement...