Erik Liberman

Erik Liberman's work has been described by critics as "multifaceted, irreducible, and astonishing" and "a showcase of sheer star power."

He is best known for a distinguished career on and off Broadway, originating such roles as The Telephone Guy in Best Musical "The Band's Visit," opposite Tony winners Tony Shalhoub and Katrina Lenk; Revlon founder Charles Revson, nemesis of Tony winners Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole in "War Paint," directed by Michael Greif (Original Cast Recording); Clopin Trouillefou, King of the Gypsies, in Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (Original Cast Recording), and in Harold Prince's last original musical on Broadway, "LoveMusik," with Tony winners Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris (Original Cast Recording).

He has also played leading roles in major revivals, including Motel the Tailor in "Fiddler on the Roof," opposite Tony winner Harvey Fierstein and Topol, the Golden Globe-winning star of the film. Liberman was reviewed as "the best Motel I have ever seen, anywhere," prompting Hal Prince to recommended him for his first directing job, helming the 50th anniversary "Fiddler" celebration at New York's Town Hall with an all-star cast ranging from the legendary Chita Rivera to Grammy winner Joshua Bell.

Additional revivals include a 25th anniversary production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods," opposite original "Little Red," Danielle Ferland, and "Merrily We Roll Along," Carol Burnett's "Hollywood Arms," and The Who's "Tommy." Liberman has also played iconic comedian Groucho Marx twice off Broadway and at The White House, originated roles in onstage adaptations of cult films "Reefer Madness!" and "Somewhere in Time," and launched his New York career with choreography for the award-winning "Mabou Mines Dollhouse," which played off Broadway twice, toured the world, and was filmed for television.

Liberman has appeared in concerts at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Town Hall, Symphony Space, Joe's Pub, 54 Below, Largo at the Coronet, Shakespeare & Co., and more, and on the "The Beatles Complete on Ukelele" album, and is proud to have developed new works at venues such as Sundance Theatre Lab, American Repertory Theatre, Vineyard Arts Center, The Actors Studio, Lincoln Center Directors Lab West, The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, and New Dramatists, with artists ranging from Robert De Niro and Sally Field, to Moisés Kaufman, Mark Brokaw, Tina Landau, and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Jackie Sibblies Drury. Most recently, he played young Albert Einstein in "Mrs. Einstein" at Durango PlayFest.

On television, where Liberman began acting as a child, he developed and guest starred on the series finale of Amazon's Golden Globe Award-winning "Transparent," which received a GLAAD Award, on "Modern Family," Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger's "Vinyl" with Ray Romano, A & E's "Unforgettable," "Get Real," with Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eiseinberg, and on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spin-off series, "Angel." On the big screen, he will soon appear as Rabbi Joseph in "Our Lives After," directed by Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal, and played an addled junkie in "American Dream" with Alfred Molina, which debuted in Cannes (2023) and received citations at more than 30 major film festivals.

As a writer, Liberman has contributed to periodicals (The New York Times, Huffington Post, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Billboard), books (Wisdom from an Empty Mind, endorsed by Eckhart Tolle and Ram Dass, Luminous Life, Performance of the Century), and is a Moth storyteller. He has been profiled in Forbes twice, in London's Cinematic Journal, in Greece's Lady-Like, and is preparing multiple projects about the late American actress Jayne Mansfield.

Liberman is a winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers, and is a Kurt Weill Foundation, YoungArts, Helen Hayes, Connecticut Critics Circle, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Ovation, and Garland Awardee. A sought-after guest artist and master teacher, during the pandemic, he produced and hosted the 90-episode online master class series "Bridge to Broadway" with a roster of luminaries including Alan Menken, Lea Salonga, Joe Mantello, Chita Rivera, Joel Grey, André De Shields, Stephanie Hsu, Jelani Alladin, Judith Light, and Ann Reinking in her final interview. He was recognized with an Encore Award from The Entertainment Community Fund for his efforts.

A first-generation American born in Miami, Liberman was mentored by Maureen Stapleton and attended New World School of the Arts high school. He later trained at The Groundlings, Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project, London's Royal National Theatre Studio (where he came under the wing of Dame Judi Dench), Complicité, and École Philippe Gaulier, where he studied with the last living clown master.

In a former life, Erik was also a professional organizer, drawing order from chaos in the homes and offices of a panoply of extraordinary individuals. He remains an avid backpacker, swimmer, and photographer, who also works in the healing arts.