Eric Michael Gillett

Eric Michael Gillett’s film and television appearances include The Producers, Maid in Manhattan, Good God, Out of Order, The Third Testament, The Judge, My Brother, "The Mysteries of Laura", "The Blacklist", multiple episodes of "Daredevil" and "Law & Order" (SVU & Mothership), and "Ed." Broadway credits include original casts of Sweet Smell of Success, The Frogs, and Kiss Me, Kate (revival).  His other major NYC credits include principal soloist turns with New York City Opera in Cinderella, Pirates of Penzance and Candide, as well as New York City Ballet’s Seven Deadly Sins.  Most recently, he appeared in the new developmental workshop, Queen Mother (directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett), and in Dirty Little Songs at 54 Below.  

 

A MAC and Bistro Award winning vocalist (2012 MAC-Major Male Artist/1995 MAC-Outstanding Male Vocalist), Eric Michael Gillett’s cabaret shows have included Man About Town: The Wit and Wisdom of Noel Coward (Laurie Beechman Theatre), Careless Rhapsody: The Lyrics of Lorenz Hart (54 Below), Widescreen (Feinstein’s), Hooray for Love: Gillett Sings Arlen (Feinstein’s), Nothing to Lose But Your Heart: An Ahrens and Flaherty Songbook (Feinstein’s), Best of My Love (Metropolitan Room), Cast of Thousands-The Songs of Craig Carnelia (Laurie Beechman Theatre), It Takes Two-The Duets of Stephen Sondheim (Don’t Tell Mama), and his critically lauded collection of radio songs of the past forty years, Hook, Line & Singer (Helen’s).   The New York Times has called Gillett’s shows “an intimate portrait of a man in the thrall of show business dreams, for whom popular standards are platforms for unguarded confessions.”  In reviewing Cast of Thousands, Stephen Holden, in the Times, said, “The verb ‘sings’ is really inadequate to evoke the acute empathy with which Eric Michael Gillett transformed theatre songs by Craig Carnelia into lived experience.  Not only do you see the world through the characters’ eyes, but you also feel it through their nervous systems via Mr. Gillett’s theatrical shamanism.”  He was a triple 2015 MAC Award nominee (Major Artist, Director, Revue-Dirty Little Songs), while winning his third Outstanding Director award from the organization this year.  In addition to six MAC Awards in varying categories, Eric Michael is the recipient of the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 2009 Dick Gallaghar Award, and the 2010 Spirit Award, bestowed by Cabaret Cares for his work on behalf of children living with HIV/AIDS.  

 

Eric Michael is currently developing Some Say Love: The Amanda McBroom Project for regional theatres.  As a director, he has developed concert acts for Broadway's Jarrod Spector (Jersey Boys, Tony Nominee for Beautiful) both as a soloist and in partnership with Kelli Barrett, as well as Tony Award Winner Jessie Mueller. Other clients include Karen Akers, KT Sullivan, Tovah Feldshuh, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Carolyn Montgomery Forant, Marieann Meringolo, and a host of others.  He is most proud, however, of his work on behalf of Robin's Nest: A Benefit for HelpUsAdopt.org, and for Benjamin House, a home for mentally disabled adults in North Carolina.  

 

Mr. Gillett was the ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1987-1998, and in 2010, he conceived a directed New York's own Big Apple Circus' Dance On.

 

His new CD, Careless Rhapsody, is currently being played nationwide and is available at iTunes, Amazon, and CDBaby.