Michael returns to the Al. Ringling stage with the BTG after an absence of more than a decade since he portrayed the big, stinky, green ogre, Shrek, in Shrek The Musical.
He was first on this stage thirty three years ago in 1991 as the Duke/Knight of the Mirrors in Man of LaMancha. He followed that with Will in Oklahoma!, King Arthur in Camelot, Lord Evelyn in Anything Goes, Pharoah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Rueben in Escanaba in the Moonlight (DT), John Ringling in Ice Cream Seven Times a Day, and King Arthur in Camelot (again.)
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin (and proud recipient of the 1984 Baraboo Theater Guild scholarship…talk about a return on investment!) he marched and performed four years in the UW Marching Band, he was a founding member of the Onion Newspaper, and he proudly wore the red, white and fur of the university mascot, Bucky Badger.
He now lives in Baraboo, enjoying semi-retired life and adoring his beautiful bride of twenty years, Amber, with whom he shared their very first kiss after a BTG show. He is ridiculously proud of their three sons, Taylor (UW-Oshkosh,) Daniel (University of Northwestern-St. Paul,) and Noah (Sauk Prairie H.S.) Love to his mother, Carol, who is probably wearing a “Nostradamus’ Mom” sweatshirt somewhere in this theater.