David Alvarez (actor)
David Alvarez | |
|---|---|
 Alvarez in 2021 | |
| Born | David Alvarez-Gonzalez May 11, 1994 |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, actor |
| Years active | 2008–present |
David Alvarez(born May 11, 1994) is a Canadian dancer and actor, best known for being one of the original Billys in theBroadwayproduction ofBilly Elliot the Musicaland becoming one of the youngest winners of theTony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.[1]He trained as a dancer withAmerican Ballet Theatreand plays Bernardo inSteven Spielberg's 2021 film version ofWest Side Story.
Early life and education
[edit]Alvarez was bornDavid Alvarez-GonzalezinMontreal,Quebec, to Cuban parents. His father, David Alvarez-Carbonell, is a professor of biology and chemistry, while his mother, Yanek, is an actress and director of theater.[2]His first languages were French and Spanish. He moved toSan Diego,California, with his family when his father took a job atThe Scripps Research Institute.[citation needed]
Alvarez began takingclassical balletmore seriously at the California Ballet. In 2005, Alvarez received a full merit scholarship to theJacqueline Kennedy OnassisSchool at theAmerican Ballet Theatre(ABT), and his family relocated to New York City.[3]While at ABT, Alvarez danced feature roles inThe Nutcrackerat theKennedy CenterOpera House andThe Sleeping Beautyat theMetropolitan Opera House.[citation needed]He continued his ballet training at ABT until 2012.[citation needed]
Acting and dancing career
[edit]Billy Elliot
[edit]
Alvarez is one of the three boys originally cast to play Billy in theBroadwayproduction ofBilly Elliot the Musical,along withTrent KowalikandKiril Kulish.[4]He needed to study tap, acrobatics, voice and acting for the role and spent July 2007 through March 2008 preparing.Billy Elliot the Musicalbegan performances on October 1, 2008, and Alvarez's first preview performance was on October 2.[5]He played his final performance in the role on January 3, 2010.[6]
Alvarez's portrayal of Billy Elliot was highly praised by the critics, includingBen Brantley[7]and Claudia La Rocco ofThe New York Times[8]and Charles McNulty of theLos Angeles Times.[9]He was featured onLive with Regis and Kelly,The View,Sunday MorningonCBS News,The Today Show,Canada AMonCTV,CBC News,Despierta AmericaonUnivision,and at the 62ndTony Awardsceremony.[citation needed]
Jointly with Kulish and Kowalik, Alvarez won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical,becoming one of the youngest winners of the award.Billy Elliotwas nominated for 15 Tony Awards, includingBest Musical,and won ten.[10]
Alvarez joined the cast ofBilly Elliot: El Musical,a Spanish-language production of the musical inMexico City.[11]He was cast in the role of "Older Billy", which he played from February 10, 2017, to June 11, 2017.[12][13]
Later work
[edit]Alvarez left theater to serve in theUS Army.Following a service of two and a half years with the25th Infantry Divisionhe returned to Broadway, becoming aswingin a 2015 production ofOn the Town.[14]In 2016 in Mexico, Alvarez danced the role of adult Billy in the dream ballet pas de deux between Billy and his older self.[citation needed]
Since 2021, Alvarez portrays Isaac English inShowtime's television seriesAmerican Rust.
While attendingCase Western Reserve UniversityinCleveland,Ohio, in 2018, he auditioned forSteven Spielberg's 2021 film version ofWest Side Story.[15]He plays the role of Bernardo in this adaptation ofthe musical.[16]
Personal life
[edit]In 2008, Alvarez was listed as one of the top 10 young ballet dancers to watch byDance Spiritmagazine.[17]
To complement his dancing and acting skills, Alvarez trained in classical piano at the92nd Street YSchool of Music, where he was awarded the Recanati-Kaplan merit scholarship.[18]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | West Side Story | Bernardo |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2024 | American Rust | Isaac English | 19 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^Globe and Mail.Young Montrealer wins Tony Award.Printed June 7, 2009.Retrieved June 8, 2009.
- ^'Weird' Coincidence Links City Tech To Hit Broadway Show 'Billy Elliot'Newswise, 22 September 2009
- ^"David Álvarez, 14, goes Broadway".nydailynews.
- ^"Broadway Billys Announced",Official Billy Elliot website
- ^First PerformancePlaybill
- ^[1]"Broadway"
- ^Brantley, Ben.In Hard Times, Born to Pirouette (to Elton John) at the Imperial TheaterThe New York Times
- ^La Rocco, Claudia.An Array Of Styles, Assembled For a CauseThe New York Times
- ^"Theater review: 'Billy Elliot' on Broadway".Los Angeles Times.November 13, 2008.
- ^Tony Nominations[permanent dead link]
- ^Robertson, Campbell (June 5, 2019)."billy-elliot-ten-years-later.html".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 3,2021.
- ^"david-alvarez-se-une-billy-elliot".eluniversal.mx.RetrievedDecember 3,2021.
- ^"Meet The Cast of Billy Elliot Mexico".BETM Skykid.Skykid. February 8, 2017.RetrievedDecember 3,2021.
- ^Kourlas, Gia (April 24, 2015)."David Alvarez on 'Billy Elliot,' the Army, and 'On the Town'".The New York Times.
- ^Robertson, Campbell (June 5, 2019)."They Shared a Tony for 'Billy Elliot'. What Did They Do for an Encore?".The New York Times.
- ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 14, 2019)."Steven Spielberg'sWest Side StoryFinds Its Maria, Anita, Bernardo & Chino ".Deadline Hollywood.
- ^"All applause for Alvarez".winnipegsun.
- ^"David Alvarez: Finding Billy - 92Y Blog - 92nd Street y - New York, NY".Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2009.RetrievedMarch 3,2009.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1994 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Montreal
- Male actors from San Diego
- Canadian male child actors
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male stage actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male ballet dancers
- United States Army soldiers
- Francophone Quebec people
- Canadian people of Cuban descent
- Tony Award winners
- Theatre World Award winners