Shuler Hensley

Infobox actor
name = Shuler Hensley

---

imagesize = 180px
caption =
birthname = Shuler Paul Hensley
birthdate = birth date and age|1967|3|6
birthplace = Atlanta, Georgia, USA
occupation = Actor
spouse =
yearsactive =
website = http://www.shulerhensley.com
academyawards =
tonyawards = Best Featured Actor in a Musical
2002 "Oklahoma!"
awards =

Shuler Paul Hensley (born March 6 1967) is a American singer and actor.

Biography

Early life

Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley, Jr., is a former Georgia Tech football star, retired civil engineer and former state senator. His mother, Iris Antley Hensley, was a ballerina and the Artistic Director of the Georgia Ballet. [cite web | title=Shuler Hensley Biography | url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/5/Shuler-Hensley.html | work=filmreference | date=2008 | accessdate=2008-07-06] [ [http://www.shulerhensley.com/tribute.htm Tribute to Iris Hensley ] ] Hensley had an early start in show business at the age of four when he appeared as Fritz in her production of "The Nutcracker".

He was educated at The Westminster Schools and attended the University of Georgia on a baseball scholarship. After attending a recital by Jessye Norman and being cast as Judge Turpin in a college production of "Sweeney Todd", he decided to leave university after his sophomore year in order to study voice at the Manhattan School of Music where he majored in opera and graduated in 1989. From there he went to the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, and obtained his Master's Degree in 1993.

Career

His stage career began in the early 1990s with roles such as Pitkin in "On the Town", Joe in "The Most Happy Fella", and Miles Gloriosus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", He has also sung in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas "Pirates of Penzance" and "Patience" and in the operas "Carmen", "Faust", "La bohème" and "Don Giovanni". And in addition to an early "Oklahoma!" casting as Jud Fry at the North Shore Music Theatre, Boston, Shuler also played Curly at the Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee.

In 1996, he went to Hamburg, Germany to perform the title role in "The Phantom of the Opera" in German.

In 1998, he was cast as Jud Fry for London's National Theatre production of "Oklahoma!". The revival was a huge success and Hensley received wonderful personal notices as well as the Olivier Award.

He continued to play the role when the show transferred to the West End (1999), the only United States native in the cast, and then to Broadway (2002-2003) where he won the Tony for his performance. He also won the 2002 Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for the same role.

Personal life

Hensley is married to Paula DeRosa and they have two children.

Work

tage productions

* "Les Misérables" Nov 9, 2006 - Jan 6, 2008
* "La Cage aux Folles" Dec 9, 2004 - Jun 26, 2005
* "Funny Girl" Sep 23, 2002 - Sep 23, 2002
* "The Producers" (Mar 21, 2001 - Apr 24, 2003)
* "Beauty and the Beast" Apr 18, 1994 - Jul 29, 2007
* "Doonesbury" Nov 21, 1983 - Feb 19, 1984
* "The Moony Shapiro Songbook" May 3, 1981 - May 3, 1981
* "Annie" Apr 21, 1977 - Jan 2, 1983
* "Something's Afoot" May 27, 1976 - Jul 18, 1976
* "1776" Mar 16, 1969 - Feb 13, 1972

Filmography

* "Oklahoma!" (1999)
* "Someone Like You" (2001)
* "A Wedding for Bella" (2001)
* "Van Helsing" (2004)
* "Opa!" (2005)
* "The Legend of Zorro" (2005).
* "Monday Night Mayhem" (2002)
* ""
* "Ed"

References

External links

* [http://www.shulerhensley.com Shuler Hensley official website]
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* [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#h TonyAwards.com Interview with Shuler Hensley]