Anthony Crivello (born August 2, 1955) is an American actor, known for his performances on both stage and screen. He appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including playing Grantaire and Inspector Javert in Les Misérables, Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Eddie Fuseli in Golden Boy, Dante Keyes in Marie Christine, and the Killer in The News. He also originated the title role in The Phantom of the Opera: The Las Vegas Spectacular and stayed with the cast through its closing six years later. He starred as Che in the original Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber Tim Rice’s Evita directed by Hal Prince. In 1993, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman also directed by Hal Prince.
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Early life
Crivello was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Josephine (née Mussomeli) and Vincent J. Crivello. He graduated from Saint Rita's Grade School on Milwaukee's East Side, and then Saint Thomas More High School in 1973. He was inducted into the Saint Thomas More Alumni Hall of Fame in 1995. Early in his career, he appeared in 12 community theatre productions, including three at Sunset Playhouse, directed by Alan Furlan and Mary H. Strong. He married actress/commercial talent agent Dori Rosenthal on May 14, 2005, and they have two children together.
Career
He is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio (NYC/LA). His former acting teachers include: Tony Greco, Estelle Parsons, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Bain, Martin Landau as well as Michael Howard, Terry Schreiber and Mary H. Strong. His vocal coach for over thirty years is Anne Perillo/DePaul University. He studied comic improv with Del Close at The Second City in Chicago.
Crivello is an Honored Member of Marquette University's Century of Scholarship. He was the recipient of Marquette University's College of Speech & Communications 2003 Communicator of the Year Award. He is listed in Who's Who in America, and is a member of the Saint Thomas More High School Alumni Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Marquette University Hall of Fame with his image displayed in Johnston Hall in the Diederich College of Communication on the campus of Marquette University.
In 2008, Crivello was the host of his own radio show on FOX SPORTS/ 920 AM Las Vegas called Tony Crivello and The Sicilians. Mr. Crivello has also moonlighted as a ring announcer & commentator for ESPN2's Kickboxing Championships, and owns stock with the NFL's Green Bay Packers.
Theater
Crivello got his Equity Card at age 19, playing Conrad Birdie in a production of Bye Bye Birdie by Milwaukee's Melody Top Theatre. He broke into the Chicago theater scene in 1979, originating the role of "Felix 'The Filth Fiend' Linder" in the original cast of John R. Powers' Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? at Chicago's Forum Theatre. Shortly thereafter, in 1980, he was cast in a national touring company of Evita by director Harold Prince, where he played "Che". Prince eventually cast Crivello replacing Mandy Patinkin in the original Broadway production of Evita in 1981; it was Crivello's Broadway debut .
After completing his “Evita” run, he appeared off-Broadway in Wendy Kesselman's The Juniper Tree as well as The Lincoln Center production of Shakespeare's Measure For Measure directed by Mark Lamos.
He appeared in the musical The News starring as “The Killer”, first in Jupiter, Florida receiving a Carbonelle Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor.” He performed that same role at Westport Country Playhouse, and then on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre. He was an original Broadway cast member of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg's Les Misérables for directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird and producer Cameron Mackintosh, first as Grantaire, and ten months later taking over the leading role of Javert. (He would later play Grantaire once again in a special tenth-anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London in “The Dream Cast/10th Anniversary Production of Les Miserables in Concert.)
He starred on Broadway as "Valentin" in the Kander and Ebb Terrence McNally musical Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1993 directed by the incomparable Harold Prince. For his performance, he was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award while in try-outs in Toronto. He then originated the same role in London's West End Production of “Kiss” prior to its Broadway engagement. For his portrayal, Crivello won Broadway's 1993 Tony Award as "Best Featured Actor in a Musical." In 1999, he starred in Michael John LaChiusa's Marie Christine directed by Graciela Daniele at The Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre on Broadway opposite Audra McDonald and Mary Testa. Two years later, he received a Los Angeles Ovation Award nomination, a Garland Award nomination, a Robby Award nomination, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award nomination for "Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical" for Do I Hear a Waltz? at the Pasadena Playhouse directed by David Lee.
Television and film
Crivello is slated to shoot a guest star spot on the acclaimed HBO MAX series The Pitt in 2026.
Crivello started his feature film work co-starring in two films: Crocodile Dundee II opposite Paul Hogan in 1988, and Shakedown opposite Sam Elliot. He then starred in director Janet Greek's MGM film Spellbinder with Kelly Preston and Tim Daly. He was featured in director James Ivory's comedy Slaves of New York in 1989 opposite Bernadette Peters.
Crivello co-starred in the Jim Abrahams film comedy Mafia! (1998), Texas Rangers (2001), Material Girls (2006), Independence Day, and Trade (2007). In 1992, Crivello starred in the short film The Bet for director Ted Demme. Crivello has also starred in the independent short films Petal Of A Rose, Henry Toy for director Anthony Engelken in 2014, and portrayed "Boonie" in director Taryn Kosviner's NYShorts Festival's The Mark in 2016.
In 2016, he starred in the Hallmark Television movie Emma's Chance. Director John Gray had him starring in his television movie The Lost Capone. In 1995 he starred in the Roger Corman produced Dillinger and Capone, opposite Martin Sheen and Monster Mash: The Movie. He also appeared in Dominic Dunne's 919 Fifth Avenue. In 1996 he followed with Alien Avengers. In 2000, he was featured in the Wonderful World Of Disney made-for-television musical Geppetto. In 1988, Crivello guest starred as Miguel Carrera in Miami Vice directed by Don Johnson.
Crivello has guest starred on the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, Team Knight Rider, and Babylon 5. He also co-starred in director Ron Krauss's Sci-Fi Channel/SONY film Alien Hunter opposite James Spader. He has appeared in numerous sitcoms, including Seinfeld, Frasier, In-Laws and Normal, Ohio, and TV police procedurals, including CSI: New York and Law & Order.
In 2013, he appeared in the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Crivello appeared as British film director David Lean in director/producer Ryan Murphy's 2017 FOX miniseries Feud opposite Jessica Lange.
In 2021, he appeared in Black Easter.
Discography
Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular (The Phantom Of The Opera)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (Original Broadway Cast)
Marie Christine (Original Broadway Cast)
Jane Eyre (Toronto, Canada – Original Cast)
Les Misérables (Original Broadway Cast)
Les Misérables – 10th Anniversary 'The Dream Cast' in Concert-live from Royal Albert Hall, London
Do I Hear a Waltz? (Pasadena Playhouse)
Heathers: The Musical (Original Off-Broadway Cast)
Cabaret Noel: A Broadway Cares Christmas
Living Water: Wasser Fur Die Welt (Germany)
Andreas Vollenweider's Dancing With The Lion (Guest Artist)
Lucid Structure: Measures (vocals on "Village of Sand")
The Prince of Egypt – Playing with the Big Boys Demo (with Stephen Schwartz) 1998
Cry To Heaven by Matthew Wilder – Demo
Lucky Lucy and The Fortune Man by Corinna Manetto and Ronald Bazarini – Demo
"Love Is Worth It If Together We've Cried" co-written with Eric Allaman, from the soundtrack from the film "Midnight Blue"
Filmography
1979: Bog - Hunter
1988: Crocodile Dundee II - Subway Hitman
1988: Shakedown - Punk on the Roller Coaster
1988: Spellbinder - Aldys Rule
1989: Slaves of New York - Hairdresser
1990: The Lost Capone - Frank Capone
1992: The Bet - Carbo
1995: Dillinger and Capone - Lou Gazzo
1995: Monster Mash: The Movie - Count Vladimir Dracula
1996: Alien Avengers - Jesse Sharp
1996: Independence Day - Lincoln
1997: Twisted - Eddie
1998: Jane Austen's Mafia! - Luigi Cortino
2001: Texas Rangers - Ringmaster
2003: Alien Hunter - Pilot
2006: Material Girls - Surly Man
2006: Trade Detective Henderson
2014: Henry Toy (Short) - Henry Toy
2016: Emma's Chance - Wade Thompson
2016: The Mark (Short) - Boonie
2021: Black Easter Ram's Father
2022: Children of God - Joe
Television
1988 – Miguel Carrera, "Hostile Takeover," Miami Vice, NBC
1990 – Celine, "Prisoner of Love," Law & Order, NBC
1990 – Johnny Dee, One Life to Live, ABC
1995 – 919 Fifth Avenue (also known as Dominick Dunne's 919 Fifth Avenue)
1996 – Adin, "Warlord," Star Trek: Voyager, UPN
1996 – Grantaire, Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert – Live from London's Royal Albert Hall, Great Performances PBS
1997 – Linder, "Everything to Fear," Team Knight Rider
1998 – John, "No Compromises," Babylon 5
1998 – Maxwell, "The Maid," Seinfeld, NBC
2000 – Reverend Burns, "Just Another Normal Christmas," Normal, Ohio, Fox Broadcasting Company
2002 – Band Leader, "Love Is the Key," In-Laws, NBC
2003 – Albert DiSalvo, "Strangled," Crossing Jordan, NBC
2003 – Maître d', "The Placeholder," Frasier, NBC
2005 – Ringmaster, "Blood, Sweat, and Tears," CSI: NY, CBS
2013 – Stage Hand, Behind the Candelabra HBO
2015 – Valentin, Great Performances Kiss of the Spider Woman, PBS – Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' to Do
Other work
Voice overs
"Jethro" in The Merry Beggqars 40 part series/audio production of "THE EXODUS"
"Alessandro Serenelli" in The Merry Beggars’ 5 part series/audio production of MARIA GORETTI “The Saints"
Nobody Studios/Promotional-Parentipity
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend/Looping-CW Network
Mistresses/Looping-ABC
NASCAR/VO / TV Spot-NBC
The Black List (Promo)-NBC
Domino's/"Braveheart" Manager
Atlantic Bell Telephone/Pizza Restaurant Owner
Video games
Raven/WB ‘’Quiddich’'
Witches/Formosa Interactive
Midnight/Formosa Interactive
Ubisoft/Company CEO 'Tony'/Ubisoft
Hot Shots Golf Fore!/SONY PlayStation
Commercials
Peugeot (UK/Europe)/Principal Performer
Silo Audio/Video NYC
Cherry 7-up /Leo Burnett
Security Force/ "Monsters"/Frankenstein
FIAT 500 "Tony Fixes It" SUV 2015 /Tony
FIAT / Various TV- Internet/ Funny or Die
FIAT 500 "Tony Fixes It" SEDAN 2015 /Tony
FIAT / Various TV- Internet/ Funny or Die
Audio books
Calvin The Christmas Tree
Christmas Is
Christmas Is Special Things
Grandma's Spooky House
Winston Has Lunch
