Brad Giovanine

Brad Giovanine grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois—and he won’t hesitate to tell you! Like other Illinoisans, Brad is very proud of his Midwestern roots. The city of Chicago is also where he got his first taste of the theatre. As a kid, his parents took him to see A Christmas Carol at the famed Goodman Theatre annually; this was the production that Brad claims, to this day, as his personal catalyst into the art world. Ironically, A Christmas Carol was also the first production Brad was a part of while he was still a “boy soprano” (although, not at the Goodman…and his voice has changed since then). Brad was singing long before he ever appeared onstage, however. Always a ham, while en route to visit his pregnant mother in the hospital he would serenade his grandma to the “Alphabet People” cassette tape in the car (later introducing himself to the nurses as such: “Hi, I’m Brad. And this is my grandma. She is 65.). He was anything but shy growing up. Soon after A Christmas Carol, Brad catapulted into the world of community theatre playing roles such as “Louis” in The King & I, “Oliver” in Oliver!, and “Patrick Dennis” in Mame. A notable group he worked with on numerous occasions was the Tempo Players (who played their final performance as a company in 2010). Keith Cornell, Verna Esposito, and Andrea Gough (among others) became huge artistic inspirations for this growing professional, and he still remains close friends with much of the original company. What soon followed were stints in the professional world with such companies as Drury Lane, Oakbrook, and the Pheasant Run Dinner Theatre (now the Noble Fool). Parallel to his work in the theatre, Brad was also cultivating his abilities on the clarinet. Not only did he excel vocally, but instrumentally as well. In his ten years of formal clarinet training, Brad won many awards and was honored to play first clarinet in the Illinois Music Educators Association Honor Band his Junior year of High School. Many, including his high school band director Mark Hengesh, thought he would pursue a career in the instrumental world. It was in his senior year of High School that Brad ultimately decided on a career in theatre, after a solid run as “Leading Player” in Pippin. Brad thought, “I really love playing the clarinet…but I just can’t see myself in a practice room for eight hours every day. I need to be rehearsing with people.” Now the challenge wasn’t deciding which path to take, but which school would lead him to the success he deserved. There was only one university Brad could think of that would do this: NYU. “In all honesty, it was my stretch school. I never thought I would get in because the competition is so incredible,” he says. So one can imagine his adrenaline rush as he saw the large, promising envelope sitting in his mailbox on April 1, 2006. He was the only one home when he got his acceptance letter, and called his mom screaming into the phone—she thought the house was burning down. In the months to follow, Brad packed up his life in Chicago and began spreading out on the East Coast. While at NYU, Brad trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and the CAP 21 Musical Theatre Studio. He says of his training, “Not only was I able to develop a solid groundwork for my career as an actor, I really learned about who I was as a person. To take four years and discover your body, your voice, and your emotional life is something that is so valuable. NYU, while setting me back quite a lot of money, really prepared me as an artist and gave me the tools I need to continue developing on my own.” Notable professors: Lola Cohen, Eliza and Frank Ventura, and Molly Goforth. Notable NYU performances include: “Beethoven” in Dog Sees God, “Susan” in an all-male production of Company, and originating the role of “Tyler” in Once Removed (this play was developed with members of the Strasberg Institute and conceived by friend and playwright Lindsey Ferrentino). Brad now lives in New York City and has been very active in the cabaret scene, performing many of the concerts featuring the music of up-and-coming composer Tyler Phillips. In his (very little) free time, Brad likes to go to the gym, sing and annoy his neighbors in his apartment, and get coffee at his favorite coffee house. He has an incredibly supportive family, and always gives unending thanks to his mom, dad, grandma Jackie, and his aunt Catherine. Brad still plays the clarinet.