David Alvarez | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Alvarez-Gonzalez (1994-05-11)May 11, 1994 (age 30) |
| 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 theBroadway production ofBilly Elliot the Musical and becoming one of the youngest winners of theTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[1] He trained as a dancer withAmerican Ballet Theatre and plays Bernardo inSteven Spielberg's 2021 film version ofWest Side Story.
Alvarez was bornDavid Alvarez-Gonzalez inMontreal, 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 ballet more seriously at the California Ballet. In 2005, Alvarez received a full merit scholarship to theJacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at theAmerican Ballet Theatre (ABT), and his family relocated to New York City.[3] While at ABT, Alvarez danced feature roles inThe Nutcracker at theKennedy Center Opera House andThe Sleeping Beauty at theMetropolitan Opera House.[citation needed] He continued his ballet training at ABT until 2012.[citation needed]
Alvarez is one of the three boys originally cast to play Billy in theBroadway production ofBilly Elliot the Musical, along withTrent Kowalik andKiril 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 Musical began 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 Morning onCBS News,The Today Show,Canada AM onCTV,CBC News,Despierta America onUnivision, and at the 62ndTony Awards ceremony.[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 Elliot was 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]
Alvarez left theater to serve in theUS Army. Following a service of two and a half years with the25th Infantry Division he returned to Broadway, becoming aswing in 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 University inCleveland, 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]
In 2008, Alvarez was listed as one of the top 10 young ballet dancers to watch byDance Spirit magazine.[17]
To complement his dancing and acting skills, Alvarez trained in classical piano at the92nd Street Y School of Music, where he was awarded the Recanati-Kaplan merit scholarship.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | West Side Story | Bernardo |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2024 | American Rust | Isaac English | 19 episodes |
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