Dirk Weiler

Dirk Weiler was born in Neunkirchen (Saar), Germany. He showed an interest in the performing arts from a very early age on. He participated in school and community theatre productions. Dirk's first part in a production at a bigger theatre was the role of the bartender and prisoner Pudritzky in Der Hauptmann von Köpenick at the Saarländisches Staatstheater in Saarbrücken, Germany. While enrolled at the Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbruecken in German literature, linguistics and phonetics, he worked as an extra at the Saarländisches Staatstheater. He then studied Musical Theater at the Folkwang Academy in Essen, Germany from 1990 to 1994 and graduated with a Diplom as Bühnendarsteller.

Having already worked for two years as performer with the dance theater group of Claudia Lichtblau (he was one of the lead performers in her pieces: Rothegang/Untergrund; Sequenzen; Chrom-Rauten; Gewoell; Rus-Rums-Ravas), he then enrolled in the dance department of the Folkwang Hochschule where he studied for another year with Jean Cébron. He worked with Claudia Lichtblau until 1999 while teaching tap dance at Musical Theatre Department of the Folkwang Hochschule.

In 1999, he went to New York City where he studied voice at Manhattan School of Music, City College of New York, and finally at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, where he received his Master of Music in 2001.

He was selected to participate in master classes with Walter Berry and Cord Garben. In 1999 he won 2nd prize at the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers in the United States and became known as an excellent Kurt Weill interpreter (Three Penny Opera, Johnny Johnson, Wall to Wall Marathon Kurt Weill at Symphony Space New York)and was a member of the Kabarett Kollektif which won the 2006 Nightlife Award for Most Unique Cabaret Performance.

His teachers include Judy Ann Bassing, Walter Nicks, Noelle Turner, Bennes Mardenn, Bernice Loren, Cornelius Reid, Ira Siff, and Ted Puffer.

An active and versatile performer, he performed musical theater, opera as well as dramatic plays and cabaret shows in Germany, New York City, Australia and London.

He is a founding member of thedramaloft, an entertainment incubator located in New York City, as well as an avid tap dancer and instructor. In New York, he has taught at the Alvin Ailey School (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Steps on Broadway, and at the Bridge for Dance.

He played among many other roles Macheath in the Three Penny Opera, Psychiatrist in Johnny Johnson, Danilo in The Merry Widow, Schaunard in La Bohème, Papageno in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts The Magic Flute, Dutch Schultz in theUS Concert Premier ofEric Salzmann's The True Last Words Of Dutch Schultz, als Understudy Dr. Dillamonth and The Wizard of Oz in Wicked, as Understudy Joey and Monsignore O'Hare in Sister Act, King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar.

From 2010 unto late 2011, he played Frex/Ozian Official and Dr. Dillamond (u/s) as well as the Wizard (u/s) in the German production of Wicked in Oberhausen, Germany.

He is currently performing in theaters in Germany as actor, singer and in Musical Theatre and works as freelance coach for actors and singers. Credits since 2011 include The Full Monty (Harold Nichols), Chess (Anatoly Sergievsky) and BLOND GIRL UNDERCOVER (Dr. No), SISTER ACT (Ernie-Ensemble, u/s Joey, u/s Monsignore O'Hara), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Albin) and CRAZY FOR YOU (Bobby Child).