Michael Piontek, a handsome 6'2" California native, spent 3 years knocking the audiences dead as the romantic lead, Raoul, in the record-breaking Los Angeles production of Phantom of the Opera. His acclaimed Broadway debut as Cinderella's Prince/Wolf in the Stephen Sondheim hit Into the Woods paved the way for lauded performances in The 3-Penny Opera starring Sting, and Tommy Tune's wildly successful Grand Hotel.

Michael was a member of Off-Broadway's highly regarded repertory company, Circle REP, where he has worked with some of this century's most successful playwrights and directors: Marshal Mason, Lanford Wilson, John Bishop, Craig Lucas and Norman Rene. He starred in productions of Reckless, Florida Crackers, and Dalton's Back among others. Additional Off-Broadway credits include Seven Menus at Manhattan Punchline, You Can't Trust the Male at the John Houseman, and The Pajama Game at the legendary Equity Library Theater.

Mr. Piontek made his feature film debut in Craig Lucas' highly praised Longtime Companion. Television audiences remember him from his co-starring role on Knot's Landing, and his special guest appearances on Cybill and Nightstand. Recordings include Jerome Kern in London and Hollywood and Life's a Funny Present for Shadowland Music; he can also be heard on his wife's first solo album Loving You: Paige O'Hara Sings Jerry Herman for Varese Sarabande records.

Michael earned his undergraduate degree at Florida State University. After graduation, he was accepted by the esteemed Asolo Conservatory in Sarasota, Florida where he earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree in theater. While there, he appeared in The Little Foxes, Amadeus, and Death of a Salesman.

Other regional and international credits include lead roles in One Touch of Venus at Connecticut's Goodspeed Opera House, Cole Porter's Can-Can at ArtPark in upstate New York, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Gigi at Northshore in Beverly, Mass., and a Japanese tour of The Fantasticks in which he co-starred as El Gallo with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt (on piano).

For 2 1/2 years he was featured in EFX starring Tommy Tune at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Current regional credits include starring as Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, as Petruchio/Fred in Kiss Me Kate at the Pittsburgh CLO, and as Tommy in Brigadoon at the Sacramento Music Circus.

An avid sports fan, Michael indulges his passion for diving and golf. He and his wife, Paige O'Hara, herself a seasoned Broadway performer best known for supplying the voice of Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, tour their own concert act in which the co-star as husband and wife ... roles they've been playing since 1990.

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