
BIOGRAPHY
Glenn Seven Allen is garnering critical acclaim on theatre, opera, and concert stages throughout the United States as a consummate singing actor, lauded for his dynamic interpretations of heroes and leading men, alike. Mr. Allen was hailed by Opera News as an “Edwardian matinee idol, giving by far the most detailed dramatic performance.”
This season, Allen performs in New York City Opera’s All Is Calm, with performances slated in both NYC and London. Last season, Mr. Allen created the role of John in the premiere of Southern Crossings at Barnard College, in addition to Rodolfo in Soo Theatre’s La boheme. Allen also performed as a soloist in both Opera Meets Broadway and the Romeo & Juliet Ball with Gulfshore Opera, and as tenor soloist in Kings, Giants & Robots at American Modern Ensemble.
Recently, Mr. Allen starred as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities at Bob Jones University, starred as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain with New York City Opera and subsequently returned as Freddy in Dear Erich, Il Padre in Piramo e Tisbe with The Little Opera Theater of New York, the Inquisitor in a one-night only Benefit Concert of Candide at Carnegie Hall, and Dan Goodman in Next to Normal with Syracuse Stage. He also performed as a soloist with Charlottesville Symphony in their Bicentennial Celebration of the Arts and The Americans concerts, performed as a soloist in The New Crew concert with the American Lyric Theatre, a solo with ALT Alumni: Composers and Librettists In Concert, sang the tenor solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Glacier Symphony, and was featured in a Mediacom commercial.
Due to the wild popularity of its first run, he reprised his role as Jerome in the Drama Desk-nominated Di Goldene Kale Off-Broadway at the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene, where he subsequently returned as Oppenheimer in Amerike The Golden Land. He also played the role of Pontius Pilate in Casa Mañana’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Lt. Cable in South Pacific with Annapolis Opera, Will in Middlemarch in Spring with Ash Lawn Opera, and performed in New York City Opera’s production of Candide and as The Faun in La campana sommersa, for which The New York Times hailed: “Standouts among the large cast include the tenor Glenn Seven Allen as bare-chested, greenish-colored Faun, complete with furry legs and cloven hooves.”
Other recent seasons’ engagements include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Featherstone Arts Center on Martha’s Vineyard; Jerry in Steven Burke’s new opera The Juggler, based on Joseph Caldwell’s play of the same title at The Park Avenue Armory; the tenor soloist in a concert honoring the music of Victor Herbert for the Victor Herbert Foundation; the leading role of Charles in the American Symphony’s world première and cast recording of the English language version of The Long Christmas Dinner at Alice Tully Hall; the Florida première of Libby Larsen’s Barnum’s Bird with Gloria Musicae; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Soo Theatre Project; and Camille in The Merry Widow at The Northern Lights Music Festival.
He also sang as a featured soloist in a Gala Concert with Jerry Steichen and Fiends in Tonkawa, OK; sang in American Lyric Theatre Alumni: Composers and Librettists in Concert at National Sawdust; a concert version of Sweeney Todd in a collaboration with Glacier Symphony and Alpine Theatre Project; Pontius Pilate in Casa Mañana’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar; Lt. Cable in South Pacific with Annapolis Opera; Will in Middlemarch in Spring with Ash Lawn Opera; and performed at New York City Opera in Hal Prince’s acclaimed new production of Candide and as The Faun in La campana sommersa, where The New York Times lauded his “standout performance.”
Gaining momentum for his work in contemporary opera, Mr. Allen regularly appears in roles such as Peter Quint in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw with Opera Moderne at Symphony Space. The New York Times praised Mr. Allen as “a mesmerizing Quint, singing with agility and a sweetness that grew appropriately cloying or menacing.”
Additionally, he appeared as Rodolpho in William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge with Vertical Player Repertory supervised by the composer; the title role in Huang Ruo’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen under the baton of the composer at the American Opera Center; Ferrando in the world première of Jonathan Dawes’ Cosi Farran Tutti conducted by Ryan McAdams; Avery Dick in Gordon Beeferman’s The Enchanted Organ directed by Beth Greenburg; Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and I Have No Stories to Tell You for Gotham Chamber Opera; and has been featured in American Lyric Theater’s Opera in Eden series. Also in demand for his creative portrayals of the leading men of operetta repertoire, Mr. Allen was featured as Camille in The Merry Widow with the Imperial Symphony, Alexius in The Chocolate Soldier with Bard Summerscape, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Ralf Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore with Opera Saratoga.
Known for his work on Broadway and in leading theatres throughout the country, Mr. Allen appeared as Giuseppe in the Tony-winning Broadway run of Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza. Other theatrical credits include Girl Crazy with City Center Encores, Casino Paradise with Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, Lancelot in Camelot at the Arvada Center, Rutledge in 1776 at Goodpseed Opera House, Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at North Carolina Theatre, the role of Assistant D.A. Kramer in the world première of Bonfire of the Vanities at The Process Studio Theatre, Carousel with the NY Philharmonic for PBS Great Performances, and Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where he received The Helen Hayes nomination for Best Actor.
Additional operatic engagements include his Carnegie Hall début as George Dibdin in Heinrich Marschner’s Der Vampyr, a début as Tonio in La fille du régiment with Connecticut Concert Opera, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette at Intermountain Opera, Il Duca in Rigoletto with Queens Symphony, Alfredo in La traviata with Long Island Opera, and Rodolfo in La bohéme, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Roméo in Roméo et Juliette all at New York Lyric Opera.
Mr. Allen holds a Master’s Degree in Acting from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theater from the University of Michigan School of Music Theatre and Dance. He is currently a member of the acting faculty at the Yale School of Drama and is a sought after clinician for his “Acting in Song” master classes. Mr. Allen has studied and coached with leading instructors including: George Shirley, Neal Goren, Francis Keeping, Fred Carama, John Mario DiCostanzo, Tyson Deaton, and Howard Watkins.
GLENN SEVEN ALLEN
VOCAL/ACTOR
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...he is electrifyingly the center of attention..." – Times Square Chronicles
Brokeback Mountain – "Tenor Glenn Seven Allen is solid and perfectly cast, embodying the rodeo swagger of handsome Jack Twist […] He is electrifyingly the center of attention on and off that mountain […] It’s an engaging and emotional performance that resonates lyrically and textually with an ease and power that gracefully jumps over the sometimes awkward lines that he has to sing."
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"...a powerful presence onstage..." – DC Metro Theatre Arts
South Pacific – "Glenn Seven Allen was wonderful as Lieutenant Joseph Cable. He had a powerful presence onstage, and his emotions shone through. His desperation to get back to Bali Ha’i and Liat (Vanessa Naghdi) gave him a touchingly vulnerable quality. In “Younger than Springtime” he is tender and loving with Liat, gently holding and caressing her while singing of his love for her. His inner conflict between wanting to stay with her and needing to complete his mission plays out on his face; he pulls Liat closer to him and also pushes her away. Allen displayed fine acting as well as his glorious voice."
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"...singing with agility and a sweetness..." – Boston Globe
Turn of the Screw – "Glenn Seven Allen was a mesmerizing Quint, singing with agility and a sweetness that grew appropriately cloying or menacing."
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"...one of the best things I’ve seen or heard on the opera stage for years..." – Observer
Brokeback Mountain – "Glenn Seven Allen’s performance as Jack Twist is one of the best things I’ve seen or heard on the opera stage for years. Everything from the timbre of his bright, engaging tenor to his sheer comfort in his own skin expressed Jack’s optimism and sweetness, and—no small matter—every word of the text landed perfectly."
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"...a tenor voice to die for..." – Salt Lake Tribune
Pirates of Penzance – "Pirate apprentice Frederic (Glenn Seven Allen) is a suitably comely youth, with a tenor voice to die for."