About Brett

Brett was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan where he attended Grand Ledge High School. After graduation, he moved to Kalamazoo and earned a BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. Upon earning his degree, Brett moved to New York City where he has been an actor and performer for the last 7 years. 2 years ago, Brett returned to the academic world and received his Masters in Music from New York University with an Advanced Certification in Vocal Pedagogy. Brett has toured the US Virgin Islands with his one man show “New York State of Mind” for the last several years. Recently he wrote and toured his show “What You’d Call a Dream,” which was the motivation for his new album “A Minute: The Songs of Craig Carnelia.” Theatrically, Brett has been seen at NYU playing J.J. Hunsecker in The Sweet Smell of Success as well as Buldgewater in the New York Musical Theater Festival sensation, Fantasy Football: A Bromantic Comedy. Regionally he has been seen as Jean in Umbrellas of Cherbourg at Two Rivers Theatre in New Jersey, Anthony in Sweeney Todd at the Laura V. Parish Theatre in Michigan, Sparky in Plaid Tidings at the Theatre on the Square in Illinois, Fred E. Smith in the world premiere of The Last Days of Cleopatra at the Players Theatre in New York, as well as supporting roles in Evita and Sweeney Todd at Sacramento Music Circus in California. For more than 2 years Brett played Ernie Logan on the CBS Soap Opera Guiding Light. He also appeared on NBC’s Mercy as well as numerous commercial spots for Friday Movie Show Night on TV Land. He is a proud member of AEA and AFTRA.

Vocal Studio

Work

AEA / AFTRA

Brett’s Actors Access Profile

Listen to Brett sing New York State of Mind

BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University

• Masters in Music from New York University in Music Theatre Performance, 2012
• Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy
• BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University
• Voice:Mathew Shepherd Smith, Stan Tucker, Dennis Castellano, David Sabella-Mills, VP Boyle, Craig Carnelia, Michael Lavine, Matt Doebler, Darren Cohen, Brian Usifer, Nathan Hurwitz, Richard Fracker, Charlie Barnett
• Acting: Meg Bussert, Glen Casale, Jonathan Strauss, Bill Westbrooks, Judy Bowman, Rob Decina, Jonathan Fox
• Dance:
  • Modern – Beginner/Intermediate
  • Ballet – Beginner
  • Jazz – Intermediate

• Just finished my album A Minute: The Songs of Craig Carnelia, currently available on iTunes
• Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Racquet ball, Hockey, Football, Snow skiing
• 14 years of Voice Training, Music Theatre, Barbershop, Choral, Madrigal, Jazz, Opera
• I can do a brilliant impression of Aaron Neville (yeah, the guy from SNL and the cotton commercials)

Schedule

THE WANDERERS - Come see Brett as the role he has created in a brand new doo wop musical in Sarasota, Florida. Brett has joined the cast of Let’s Twist Again: With The Wanderers at The Florida Studio Theatre this winter. Singing songs like “My Girl,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and “Come and Go with Me,” Brett and the other Wanderers celebrate the golden doo wop era! Performances begin October 17 and run through February 10, 2013. For tickets and more info click HERE!

HORSE PLAY - Brett has joined the cast of Horseplay, a new musical reading taking place on September 12, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in New York City. Come watch Brett perform the role of Rocky, working with creators Mitch Kess and Ariel Fintzi to bring their rock musical to life. For show information, click HERE.

POOL BOY - Come see Brett play sleazy record producer Rodney Duval in Barrington Stage’s hit new musical, Pool Boy. With music and lyrics by Niko Tsakalakos and Janet Allerd, this musical will not disappoint. Performances begin March 22, 2012 at The Provincetown Playhouse in NYC. For tickets call 212.352.3101.

WHAT YOU’D CALL A DREAM (Behind The Scenes) - Behind the scenes footage of Brett shooting his music video “What You’d Call a Dream” from his new album, A Minute: The Songs of Craig Carnelia. This is definitely good for a laugh! Click HERE to watch.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS - Brett will be playing the role of infamous gossip columnist, J.J. Hunsecker in New York University’s upcoming production of Sweet Smell of Success. This in the first time the production has been fully staged since its original run on Broadway in 2001. Working with the creators Marvin Hamlisch, John Guare, and Craig Carnelia, Brett will be recreating the role originated by John Lithgow on Broadway and Burt Lancaster in the 1957 film. Performances begin September 29, 2011 at the Loewe Theatre in NYC. For tickets call 212.352.3101

FIRST SOLO ALBUM - Brett has been recording his debut album A Minute: The Songs of Craig Carnelia at Pyramid Studios in New York City over the past 4 months.

Click HERE to check it out on iTunes and let him know what you think!

FANTASY FOOTBALL - Brett will be playing the role of Buldgewater in the hilariously wrong NYMTF sensation Fantasy Football: A Bromantic Comedy. Who knew music theatre could be so manly!?! Come and find your inner sports geek at NYU’s Provincetown Theatre in NYC. Performances begin March 24, 2011. For tickets call 212.352.3101

MERCY - Don’t miss NBC’s Primetime drama “Mercy” at 8pm on October 7, 2009 to see Brett play a heroic paramedic, saving the lives of a group of young girls caught in a horrific nightclub fire.

ALL MY CHILDREN - After patrolling the streets of Springfield on CBS’s “Guiding Light” as their recurring EMT, Brett has managed to attract the townspeople of Pine Valley who were in need of an able bodied paramedic.  So beginning on October 21, 2009, Brett will also be treating and curing even the most serious of injuries on ABC’s “All My Children.”  Please tune in weekdays at 1pm Eastern Time.

BEST LITTLE WHORE HOUSE GOES PUBLIC - Brett plays the role of Sam in the Opening Doors Theatre Company’s production of The Best Little Whore House Goes Public. This updated and reinvented take on the older and not-so-well received musical is going up for only 4 performances at the Duplex. Don’t miss it! For more information click HERE.

SACRAMENTO MUSIC CIRCUS - For July and August, Brett is heading to the Sacramento Music Circus to join the 2008 summer season productions of Sweeney Todd starring Mark Jacoby and Mary Gordon Murray, and Evita starring Julia Murney and Eric Kunze. For tickets and more info. Click HERE.

GUIDING LIGHT - Brett is joining the cast of CBS’s long time soap opera, “Guiding Light.” Playing the role of EMT Ernie Logan, Brett will appear in numerous episodes of the show, treating and saving the people of Springfield from their severe and often unusual ailments. “Guiding Light” airs on CBS at 10 a.m. EST. Please tune in!

FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS - Brett will soon be appearing as Sparky in fun, quartet musical, Plaid Tidings at The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois.

FRIDAY MOVIE SHOW NIGHT - Tune in to “TV Land” (Time Warner Cable Channel #85) starting July 7, 2006 at 4pm and 10pm, running the entire month of July to see Brett on “Friday Movie Show Night.” New spots will air each week, so be sure to tune in!

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND - Brett is taking his one-man cabaret act, A New York State of Mind to the U.S. Virgin Islands during the last two weeks of August (August 19-28). This fun new show is written by Brett and his wonderful accompanist, Brandon Straub. Check out footage from the Cabaret HERE.