He is a lifetime member of the
Actors Studio (NYC/LA). His former acting teachers include: Tony Greco,
Estelle Parsons,
Harvey Keitel,
Barbara Bain,
Martin Landau as well as
Michael Howard,
Terry Schreiber and Mary H. Strong. His vocal coach for over thirty years is Anne Perillo/
DePaul University. He studied comic improv with
Del Close at
The Second City in Chicago. Crivello is an Honored Member of Marquette University's Century of Scholarship. He was the recipient of Marquette University's College of Speech & Communications 2003 Communicator of the Year Award. He is listed in
Who's Who in America, and is a member of the Saint Thomas More High School Alumni Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Marquette University Hall of Fame with his image displayed in Johnston Hall in the
Diederich College of Communication on the campus of
Marquette University. In 2008, Crivello was the host of his own radio show on FOX SPORTS/ 920 AM Las Vegas called
Tony Crivello and The Sicilians. Mr. Crivello has also moonlighted as a ring announcer & commentator for
ESPN2's Kickboxing Championships, and owns stock with the NFL's
Green Bay Packers.
Theater Crivello got his
Equity Card at age 19, playing Conrad Birdie in a production of
Bye Bye Birdie by Milwaukee's Melody Top Theatre. He broke into the Chicago theater scene in 1979, originating the role of "Felix 'The Filth Fiend' Linder" in the original cast of
John R. Powers'
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? at Chicago's
Forum Theatre. Shortly thereafter, in 1980, he was cast in a national touring company of
Evita by director Harold Prince, where he played "Che". Prince eventually cast Crivello replacing
Mandy Patinkin in the original Broadway production of
Evita in 1981; it was Crivello's Broadway debut . After completing his “Evita” run, he appeared off-Broadway in
Wendy Kesselman's
The Juniper Tree as well as
The Lincoln Center production of Shakespeare's
Measure For Measure directed by
Mark Lamos. He appeared in the musical
The News starring as “The Killer”, first in Jupiter, Florida receiving a
Carbonelle Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor.” He performed that same role at Westport Country Playhouse, and then on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre. He was an original Broadway cast member of
Alain Boublil and
Claude-Michel Schonberg's
Les Misérables for directors
Trevor Nunn and
John Caird and producer
Cameron Mackintosh, first as
Grantaire, and ten months later taking over the leading role of
Javert. (He would later play Grantaire once again in a special tenth-anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London in “The Dream Cast/10th Anniversary Production of
Les Miserables in Concert.) He starred on Broadway as "Valentin" in the
Kander and Ebb Terrence McNally musical
Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1993 directed by the incomparable
Harold Prince. For his performance, he was nominated for a
Dora Mavor Moore Award while in try-outs in Toronto. He then originated the same role in London's West End Production of “Kiss” prior to its Broadway engagement. For his portrayal, Crivello won Broadway's 1993
Tony Award as "Best Featured Actor in a Musical." In 1999, he starred in
Michael John LaChiusa's
Marie Christine directed by
Graciela Daniele at
The Lincoln Center's
Vivian Beaumont Theatre on Broadway opposite
Audra McDonald and
Mary Testa. Two years later, he received a Los Angeles
Ovation Award nomination, a Garland Award nomination, a Robby Award nomination, and a
Los Angeles Drama Critics Award nomination for "Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical" for
Do I Hear a Waltz? at the
Pasadena Playhouse directed by
David Lee. Crivello starred in the
Goodman Theater of Chicago production of
The House Of Martin Guerre for which he received Chicago's
Joseph Jefferson Award for his portrayal of
Martin Guerre. In August 2005, he appeared at the
La Jolla Playhouse in
San Diego, California in a workshop production of
Zhivago, a musicalisation of the
Boris Pasternak novel by
Marsha Norman and
Lucy Simon, and directed by
Des McAnuff. He starred in the
Steve Martin adaptation of
The Underpants at
the Geffen Playhouse, directed by
John Rando, as well as
David Ives' adaptation of
A Flea in Her Ear for the
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre directed by
Gary Griffin for which he received his second
Joseph Jefferson Award nomination. He starred in the
John Caird and
Paul Gordon musical
Jane Eyre, first in 1994 while in development in Wichita, KS and then in the 1996 Toronto staging of “Jane Eyre.” Mr. Crivello received a second
Dora Mavor Moore nomination in Canada for his portrayal of
Edward Fairfax Rochester with that production. In 2006, he was cast by director
Hal Prince as one of two actors rotating in the title role in the
Las Vegas production of
The Phantom of the Opera. Subsequently, he was cast as “The Phantom", and by September 2012, he appeared in over 2,400 performances. He appeared in the Lincoln Center 75th Anniversary revival of Clifford Odets'
Golden Boy at the
Belasco Theatre in New York City, produced by
Lincoln Center Theatre in 2012–2013, acting alongside
Tony Shalhoub,
Seth Numrich, and
Yvonne Strahovski,
Michael Aronov and directed by
Bartlett Sher. In 2014, he appeared in the
Kevin Murphy /
Laurence O'Keefe Heathers Off-Broadway in New York City at New World Stages, and directed by
Andy Fickman. In 2015 and 2016, Crivello starred in producer
Hershey Felder's production of
Louis and Keely Live at the Sahara directed by
Taylor Hackford, and written by Hackford,
Vanessa Claire Stewart and Jake Broder. The musical was performed at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago, as well as
the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Stewart played the role of
Keely Smith to Crivello's 'Las Vegas Lounge Legend'
Louis Prima and Crivello received this third Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for his work. In 2017, Crivello portrayed the
Marquette University Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame 1977 NCAA basketball championship coach /
NBC broadcaster
Al McGuire in the
Milwaukee Repertory Theatre one man play
McGuire, written by HOF broadcaster
Dick Enberg. Crivello received critical praise for his work in the show and won the 2017 Wisconsin Footlights Award for Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. An eight-minute presentation of
McGuire was presented at the 2017 Wisconsin Sports Awards on May 20, 2017, at the University of Wisconsin Field House. Crivello reprised his award-winning performance in
McGuire in a relaunched new touring production in 2022 at Milwaukee's Next Act Theatre, produced by Bob Rech and Rech Entertainment, and directed by Edward Morgan. In 2019, Crivello portrayed "The Old Man" Santiago in
Ernest Hemingway's
The Old Man and the Sea, adapted for the stage by
A. E. Hotchner and Tim Hotchner, presented at the
Pittsburgh Playhouse on the campus of
Point Park University, directed by
Ronald Allan-Lindblom and produced by RWS Entertainment Group of New York City/Long Island City, receiving critical praise for his work. In July 2019, Crivello made his
Hollywood Bowl debut as "The Mysterious Man" in
Stephen Sondheim's
Into the Woods directed by
Robert Longbottom. He has also performed comic improv Off-Broadway and is a resident company alumni of
Chicago City Limits in New York City. As a producer, he has co-produced the plays ''Hear What's In The Heart
and Mcguire
at the Next Act Theatre, as well as Please Leave
with Rob Sedgwick at The Theatre Center in New York City. He produced readings of his screenplays and plays Scouting Patti Style
, The Great Stupid
, Allegoria
, Lucrece
, and The Chicken Brothers'' and screenplays by Charles D. Zicari. He served as executive producer on Bobby Sheehan's documentary films
Mr. Prince and
The Talent Collector.
Television and film Crivello started his feature film work co-starring in two films:
Crocodile Dundee II opposite
Paul Hogan in 1988, and
Shakedown opposite
Sam Elliot. He then starred in director
Janet Greek's
MGM film
Spellbinder with
Kelly Preston and
Tim Daly. He was featured in director
James Ivory's comedy
Slaves of New York in 1989 opposite
Bernadette Peters. Crivello co-starred in the
Jim Abrahams film comedy
Mafia! (1998),
Texas Rangers (2001),
Material Girls (2006),
Independence Day, and
Trade (2007). In 1992, Crivello starred in the short film
The Bet for director
Ted Demme. Crivello has also starred in the independent short films
Petal Of A Rose,
Henry Toy for director Anthony Engelken in 2014, and portrayed "Boonie" in director Taryn Kosviner's NYShorts Festival's
The Mark in 2016. In 2016, he starred in the Hallmark Television movie ''Emma's Chance.
Director John Gray had him starring in his television movie The Lost Capone
. In 1995 he starred in the Roger Corman produced Dillinger and Capone
, opposite Martin Sheen and Monster Mash: The Movie''. He also appeared in
Dominic Dunne's
919 Fifth Avenue. In 1996 he followed with
Alien Avengers. In 2000, he was featured in the
Wonderful World Of Disney made-for-television musical
Geppetto. In 1988, Crivello guest starred as Miguel Carrera in
Miami Vice directed by
Don Johnson. Crivello has guest starred on the science fiction television series
Star Trek: Voyager,
Team Knight Rider, and
Babylon 5. He also co-starred in director Ron Krauss's
Sci-Fi Channel/
SONY film
Alien Hunter opposite
James Spader. He has appeared in numerous sitcoms, including
Seinfeld,
Frasier,
In-Laws and
Normal, Ohio, and TV police procedurals, including
CSI: New York and
Law & Order. In 2013, he appeared in the
Liberace biopic
Behind the Candelabra, directed by
Steven Soderbergh. Crivello appeared as British film director
David Lean in director/producer
Ryan Murphy's 2017 FOX miniseries
Feud opposite
Jessica Lange. In 2021, he appeared in
Black Easter. In 2022, Crivello completed principal photography, starring as "Joe" in the independent feature film
Children of God. In 2023, he recurred as a comedic officious butler “Sebastian” at “Snickering Mansion” in Disney's comedic anthology
Pretty Freekin Scary. Additionally in 2024, he starred as Police Chief D. W. Johnson in the independent film
The Omro Heist and also served as executive producer. And in 2025, he is set to be heard as "Franco Bertinelli” in the animated film
Batman: Knightfall Part One for Warner Brothers Animation. He starred in the
ABC Daytime series
One Life to Live as mobster
Johnny Dee Hesser from 1990 to 1991. He has also appeared on the daytime series
The Bold and The Beautiful and
The Guiding Light. == Stage credits ==