JOHN TARTAGLIA

'John Nicholas Tartaglia' (born February 16 1978) is an American singer, actor, dancer, and puppeteer.
Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey, USA. He joined ''Sesame Street's'' puppetry team at the age of 16 part-time, performing as a right hand and many minor characters, including Phoebe and being the backup for Kevin Clash's Elmo. He performed Ernie for the second season of ''Play with Me Sesame'' and Oscar the Grouch for ''Sesame Street 4D''. He became a full time part of ''Sesame Street'' at the age of 18.
Tartaglia created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton (the recent college grad) and Rod (the closeted Republican-investment banker) in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical ''Avenue Q'', for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004. He left the Broadway cast of ''Avenue Q'' on January 30, 2005.
Tartaglia appeared in 2004 at the 14th annual ''Broadway Bares'', which was a great success raising $525,000 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Tartaglia reprised his roles as Princeton and Rod in the Las Vegas sit-down production of ''Avenue Q'', until December 11, 2005. He then appeared in the musical ''Newsical 2006: The Next Edition'' in New York City. Tartaglia joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast as Lumiere, alongside Jonathan Freeman, who currently plays Cogsworth, on November 21 2006. He planned to stay with the show until it closed in July, but was replaced in early June by David Devries.
Tartaglia is now working on his own television show for Playhouse Disney entitled ''Johnny and the Sprites'' as creator, executive producer, and star. While the episodes began as only 5 minute interstitials, the show began a full 30-minute series on January 13, 2007. The show will begin filming season two during mid 2007. John Tartaglia, Jonathan Freeman to Join Beauty and the Beast John lives in Hell's Kitchen with his boyfriend of three years, Michael Shawn Lewis. They have a cocker spaniel, Dora and three cats, Mia, Kiesha, and Sebastian.

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★ 2007 interview with Tartaglia

★ 2004 article about Tartaglia

★ "Johnny and the Sprites" on Disney Channel

★ Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia - ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org