Corbin Bleu
| Corbin Bleu | |
|---|---|
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Bleu at the Broadway theatre, Godspell in New York City, April 11, 2012
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| Born | Corbin Bleu Reivers February 21, 1989 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Flight 29 Down High School Musical One Life to Live Dancing with the Stars Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical |
| Spouse(s) | Sasha Clements (m. 2016) |
| Parent(s) | David Reivers Martha Callari |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2006–2009 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
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| Website | www.corbinbleu.com |
He has also pursued a music career, and released his debut album Another Side on May 1, 2007, which included the single "Push It to the Limit." The album debuted at number thirty-six on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 18,000 copies in its first week.[4] Bleu released his second album, Speed of Light, on March 10, 2009.[5] He returned to television, starring in the short-lived Ashton Kutcher-produced CW series, The Beautiful Life: TBL (2009), and the movie Free Style (2009).
In 2010, Bleu played Usnavi in the Broadway company of In the Heights.[6] In 2012, he returned to Broadway in the revival of Godspell.[7] In 2013, he was cast as Jeffrey King in the short-lived online revival of the daytime soap One Life to Live. In 2016, Bleu played Ted Hanover in the Broadway company of Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical.[8][9] He subsequently signed a recording contract with The Ghostlight Records to distribute his Holiday Inn soundtrack music, released in 2017.[10]
He has contributed to many charities, including Starlight Children's Foundation, and Make-A-Wish Foundation, and served Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Eve lunch at a Los Angeles homeless shelter in 2005 and 2008.
Contents
[hide]Early life and education[edit]
Bleu was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Martha (née Callari) and David Reivers (born 1958), an actor.[11][12][13] His mother is Italian American and his father is Jamaican American.[14][15] He has three sisters: Jag, Phoenix, and Hunter. As a child, Bleu studied dance for several years, focusing on ballet and jazz.[16]Bleu appeared in television commercials starting at the age of two, for products such as Life cereal, Bounty, Hasbro, and Nabisco.[17][18] He began taking jazz and ballet classes, usually being the only boy in the class. By the age of four he was a model with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York.[19] He appeared in print ads for stores such as Macy's,[20] Gap, Target, and Toys R Us, and appeared in fashion spreads in Child, Parents, and American Baby magazines, as well as having his image on toys and game packaging.[21] At age six Corbin appeared in his first professional theater production off Broadway, at The Town Hall.[22] This three-concert series, created, written, and hosted by Scott Siegel, took place over one weekend and included a tribute to David Merrick.[23] Corbin Bleu played an abandoned homeless mute in the play Tiny Tim is Dead.[24]
Bleu graduated from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.[25][26] He trained in dancing at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York as a theater major, following in his mother's footsteps.[27] Bleu presents an appealing combination of star quality and adolescent normality.[28] He graduated from high school in 2007 and was admitted to Stanford University, but declined to matriculate because of scheduling commitments.[29] As of 2007 he continued to live at home with his parents and three younger sisters.[30]
Acting career[edit]
1996–2005: Early career[edit]
Bleu moved with his family from New York to Los Angeles in 1996. He worked steadily in episodic television and feature film roles, including a recurring role on the short-lived ABC police drama High Incident and a guest star appearance on ER. He also appeared in some films Beach Movie (1998),[A] the sci-fi thriller Soldier (1998). His feature films from this period include the Tim Allen comedy Galaxy Quest (1999), and the comedy Mystery Men (1999), which starred Ben Stiller, and the drama Family Tree (1999).[31] Bleu also had roles in Malcolm & Eddie, as Matthew, and Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (2000), as Nick Elderby.[32] He also had small role in television series like The Amanda Show. Additionally, Bleu was developing his dance skills and in 2001 began intensive training at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in the Los Angeles area. There he undertook a full gamut of dance instruction, including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip-hop, African, break dance, salsa, flamenco, and ballroom. Allen, the famous choreographer who starred in the TV series Fame, told Dance Spirit magazine, "I think [Bleu] really has a career. Success is one thing, but a career is a much longer, broader journey".[33]Bleu attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, a magnet school like the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which was portrayed in the movie and television series Fame, and which Bleu's mother had attended.[34] During his freshman year, he won his first sizable film role in the teen action caper Catch That Kid (2004) about a girl and her friends who decide to rob a bank after learning that money is needed to aid her dying father, alongside Kristen Stewart and Max Thieriot.[35] Although it was a box office flop, having only grossed $10 million, it served as an important step for Bleu, who was still building his acting career at the time.[36] During high school, he performed in such student productions as Footloose and Grease, winning the honor of Theatre Student of the Year.[37]
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In the summer of 2004 Bleu landed a starring role in the television series Flight 29 Down, alongside Allen Alvarado, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Jeremy James Kissner, Johnny Pacar and Kristy Wu,[38] which aired for three seasons on the Discovery Kids network. The program, a juvenile version of the ABC series Lost, concerned a group of teenagers stranded on a tropical island after their plane crashes. Bleu played as Nathan McHugh, a Boy Scout whose leadership skills do not quite measure up to his self-confidence.[39]
2006–2008: High School Musical and breakthrough[edit]
Bleu performing during High School Musical: The Concert in 2006
He joined co-stars on the 51-date High School Musical: The Concert (2006–2007) tour to promote the film,[41] work on the second film in the High School Musical series began, and Bleu was confirmed to be returning for the sequel. High School Musical 2 (2007) was released on August 17, 2007. The premiere was seen by a total of over 17.2 million viewers in the U.S., which is almost 10 million more than its predecessor, making it the highest-rated Disney Channel Movie of all time.[42] Disney Channel aired a weekly program called Road to High School Musical 2, beginning on June 8, 2007, and leading up to the premiere of High School Musical 2 in August. The show offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the production of the movie. The world premiere of the opening number "What Time Is It" was on Radio Disney May 25, 2007,[43] and similarly The song "I Don't Dance" premiered on August 14, 2007.[44] The film was generally well received by critics, gaining a score of 77/100 at Metacritic,[45] while it received a generally mixed response of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes.[46] The film broke opening weekend records and grossed over $250 million worldwide.[47] The soundtrack for the film, featuring numerous contributions from Bleu, went on to sell over three million copies in the United States alone.[48] The song "I Don't Dance" (2007), a duet with Lucas Grabeel, became him first top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[49] It was named as the official theme song for the 2007 Little League World Series.[50] During this time, Bleu began song on soundtracks for the Disney Channel, and released a cover of "Two Worlds" (2007) to promote Tarzan.[51]
In 2007, Bleu starred in his next film, another Disney Channel original entitled Jump In! (2007), which aired on January 12, 2007. Directed by Paul Hoen, the television movie revolved around a young boy named Izzy Daniels who trains regularly in order to try to follow in his fathers footsteps and win the Golden Glove, an amateur boxing tournament. While Bleu played the lead role of Daniels, Keke Palmer portrayed the role of Mary, his friend who has a crush on Daniels. Again, Disney scored a crossover hit with the Jump In! soundtrack album, was released in January 2007, on which Bleu sings the track, "Push It to the Limit" (2006).[52] Reaching the screens on the Disney Channel that January, Jump In! was a major hit amongst young viewers and quickly became the highest rated premiere the network has ever since, breaking the previous record set by The Cheetah Girls 2 in 2006. Similar to High School Musical, its soundtrack was also a commercial hit, having achieved gold status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) three months after its release.[13]
He guest starred as Johnny Collins in the premiere two episode of Disney's Hannah Montana (2006–2008).[53] He also had a small role as Spencer on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, appearing in the episodes entitled Guide to: The School Play and Guide to: Revenge & School Records.[54] and Mother Goose Parade as Grand Marshal in 2006 and 2007.[55] While with Disney Channel, Bleu also participated in the first ever Disney Channel Games and co-captained the blue team along with Jake T. Austin, Maiara Walsh, Cole Sprouse and Kiely Williams. A year before, he returned to repeat his captaincy of the blue team with Brenda Song, Vanessa Hudgens, Monique Coleman and Jason Earles.[56] In August 2007, Bleu starred in Flight 29 Down: The Hotel Tango, an teen drama film version of the television series of the same name.[57] Also in 2007, he is voice in The Secret of the Magic Gourd (2007), He appeared on The Tyra Banks Show in 2008.[58]
Bleu went on to reprise his role of Chad Danforth in High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), the first film in the High School Musical franchise to receive a theatrical release. It opened at number one at the North American box office in October 2008, earning $42 million in its first weekend, which broke the record previously held by Mamma Mia! for the biggest opening by a musical.[59] The film finished with $252 million worldwide, which exceeded Disney's expectations.[60] The song "The Boys Are Back" (2008), a duet with Zac Efron, became him second top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[61][62] The phenomenon of High School Musical has changed Bleu's life, delivering him to the heights of media celebrity while still in his teens. For his role as Chad Danforth, the team captain of the school’s basketball team, he was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and a Young Artist Award and Teen Choice Awards in 2007 and 2009 respectively.[63] Bleu's 2008 commercial for Activision's Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades was deemed too sexy to dance.[64][65][66]
2009–2014: Free Style and One Life to Live[edit]
Bleu at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2007.
Corbin Bleu made his Broadway stage debut in 2010 as the lead character, bodega-owner Usnavi, in the critically acclaimed musical In the Heights.[75] and guest starred in one episode of The Good Wife as DJ Javier Berlin in October 2010.[76] in 2010, Corbin starred in the short comedy film I Owe My Life to Corbin Bleu, alongside Andrew Caldwell, Drake Bell, Sarah Hyland, Ryan Pinkston, Sterling Knight, Matt Prokop, Matt Shively and Josh Sussman.[77] In 2011, he performed the voice Lou in The Little Engine That Could (2011),[78] From August 5–7, Bleu performed in the musical Hairspray as Seaweed at the Hollywood Bowl, alongside Nick Jonas, Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Drew Carey and Darlene Love.[79] and he performed the voice Flip in Tonka Chuck and Friends: Big Air Dare.
In 2012, Bleu also had a role in and co-produced the indie horror anthology Scary or Die (2012), a collection of five short horror films.[80] In 2012, he join the cast of Godspell as Jesus beginning April 17 at the Circle in the Square Theatre.[81] He guest starred in one episode of Blue Bloods as Officer Blake in 2012.[82] In 2012, he performed the voice Drew in Twinkle Toes, Bleu starred in the drama film To Write Love on Her Arms (originally titled Renee[B]) in 2012, with Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray and Rupert Friend. The film began production in Orlando, Florida, in February 2011.[83][84]
Bleu at the Kids' Inaugural: "We Are the Future", January 2009.
2015–present: Further success[edit]
Bleu’s only release in 2015 was the moderately successful Megachurch Murder (2015), in which he played a Marcus King, with Tamala Jones, Shanica Knowles and Romeo Miller.[95] In addition, Bleu appeared in Family Shots with The Human Race Theatre Company.[96] Bleu did made a guest appearance in an episode of the family drama, The Fosters in 2016 playing the role of Mercutio, a character who appears in a school musical production of Romeo and Juliet.[97] Bleu and fellow guest-star Ashley Argota also co-starred in a production of Romeo and Juliet: Love Is a Battlefield at Rockwell Table and Stage, Produced by The Fosters co-creator Bradley Bredeweg.[98] He also had a small role as Spencer on Castle in 2016.[99] Bleu was considered as host for Fake Off.[100]
In January 2016, he join the cast of The Dodgers as Simon, the rational voice amid the habitually stoned chatter, and beginning January 21 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre.[101] In October 2016, Broadway is also where Bleu currently hangs his hat. The actor originated the leading role in Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical (originally titled Holiday Inn), a musical based on the 1942 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.[102] Returning to his tap dancing roots was "like riding a bike".[103] His former Disney co-stars appear to be big fans of Bleu's new endeavor Lucas Grabeel and Zac Efron sent '90s kids' hearts aflutter when they stopped by a performance in October 2016.[104] The Broadway alum and High School Musical favorite is grabbing a camera as Broadway websites’s newest vlogger.[105] Get ready for Bleu Skies: Backstage at Holiday Inn with Corbin Bleu. Bleu, who plays Ted in the new Irving Berlin musical, will give us a glimpse of backstage life at Studio 54, where he and his co-stars (including former vlogger Bryce Pinkham, Lora Lee Gayer, Megan Lawrence and Megan Sikora) celebrate an entire year’s worth of special occasions eight times a week. Bleu Skies will launch off on August 23 and run every Tuesday for eight weeks.[106] and he was nominated for an Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography in 2017, for his outstanding dancer in a broadway show,[107] and he was won for a Chita Rivera Awards for his performance.[108]
While with ABC, Bleu also participated in the first ever Battle of the Network Stars,[109] and he joined the red team along with Joey Lawrence, Nolan Gould, Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields, the series premiered on June 29, 2017.[110] From July 28–30, Bleu performed in the musical Mamma Mia! as Sky at the Hollywood Bowl, alongside Dove Cameron, Lea DeLaria and Jennifer Nettles, the theatre premiered on July 28, 2017.[111] Corbin Bleu’s career also includes voice over work (or voice acting) with Breathe Bible.[112] In December 2017, Corbin Bleu as host for the 2017 Looking Ahead Awards, presented by The Actors Fund.[113]
Upcoming projects[edit]
In 2016, Bleu filmed an upcoming independent movie entitled, Ovid and the Art of Love,[114] Filmed partially at the old St. Agnus Church in Michigan, the project also stars John Savage, Tamara Feldman and Tara Summers.[115] Bleu also working on an upcoming passion project, The Day I Died, about the consequences of bullying.[116]Dancing with the Stars[edit]
In September 2013, Bleu runners-up the seventeenth-season of ABC's dancing competition Dancing with the Stars. He partnered with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff.[117] Bleu and Smirnoff are one of six couples still in the running to be crowned Dancing with the Stars, seventeenth-season champions.[118] Bleu wrote in his People blog. "It's nice to be able to see the finish line, but it's also very motivating. We don't want to lose any moment. We really want to make sure we end strong".[119]Bleu dancing a Viennese waltz to the Game of Thrones theme music — while dressed as the Dothraki, Khal Drogo. Bleu revealed during rehearsals that Game of Thrones is his very favorite show, and his passion came through in his performance. However, while the judges liked the intense, epic feeling of the dance, Len felt there was not enough technical substance in the routine 23 Score.[120] Bleu noted the jazz dance should be "pretty sick" and has hints of Michael Jackson in it. Bleu also revealed it will feature a little "tap section" at the end, and because Smirnoff had never tapped before, he was thrilled to be able to teach her something for once.[121] On October 18, 2013, appeared with his professional dancer Karina Smirnoff on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to give a fiery performance-and take a turn in the splash tank, will then perform a Cha-cha-cha, Foxtrot or Contemporary routine, vying for America's vote for the first time.[122] The partners scored high with the judges, earning a 27/30, making them the first safe couple of the night.[123] Keyshawn Johnson and Sharna Burgess, however, were the first to be eliminated this week, leaving 11 couples in the ballroom.[124] Bleu and Smirnoff also won the week's "Dance-Off Challenge" and therefore received three bonus points.[125] Corbin and his partner made it to the finals, but became the runners-up behind Amber Riley.[126]
In November 2017, Bleu returned to 25th season in Week eight,[127] to participate in a trio Salsa with Jordan Fisher and his professional partner Lindsay Arnold.[128] Bleu and Fisher they have some startling similarities in their personalities, so they were very excited to finally get to work together,[129] After the trio delivered their Salsa to audiences, They ended with 30 Score from the judges,[130] and Bruno Tonioli said "it was one of the best dances in the show’s history".[131]
Performances[edit]
| Week # | Dance/song | Judges' score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Contemporary / "If I Lose Myself" | 8 | 8 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Kiss You" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Diga Diga Doo" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Zorongo" | 9 | 9* | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "My Wish" | 9 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Theme from Game of Thrones" Switch-Up Challenge / Various | 8 Awarded | 7 4 | 8 Points | Not Eliminated |
| 7 | Cha-cha-cha / "Pumpin Blood" Team Freestyle / "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" | 10 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 8 | Argentine Tango / "Welcome to Burlesque" Cha-cha-cha Dance-Off / "Woman's World" | 9 Awarded | 9* 3 | 9 Points | Safe |
| 9 | Waltz / "Apologize" Jazz (Trio Challenge)* / "Yeah!" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 | Tango / "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" Rumba / "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" (acoustic version) | 9 10 | 8/9* 10/10* | 9 10 | Safe |
| 11 | Quickstep / "Diga Diga Doo" Samba Relay / "No Scrubs" Freestyle / "Smooth Criminal" Cha-cha-cha & Foxtrot / "All Night" | 9 Awarded 10 9 | 9 5 10 9 | 9 Points 10 9 | Runner Up |
| 1In week four, score was given by Julianne Hough. 2In week eight, score was given by Cher. 3The dancer Bleu and Smirnoff chose for the Trio Challenge was Witney Carson. 4Additional score for Week 10 was awarded by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. | |||||
Awards and achievements[edit]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Zendaya & Valentin Chmerkovskiy | Dancing with the Stars runner up place contestant Season 17 (Fall 2013 with Karina Smirnoff) | Succeeded by Amy Purdy & Derek Hough |
Music career[edit]
2006–2008: Another Side and High School Musical[edit]
Bleu's first professionally recorded song was titled "Circles" or "Circles in My Mind" for his then TV show, Flight 29 Down. Bleu signed a contract with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned label.[C] His debut album Another Side, was released in May 2007.[1][132] The album debuted at No. 36 on the Billboard 200 album charts, selling 18,000 in its first week.[133] The album fuses rhythm and blues with hip-hop and other pop genres in an upbeat, wholesome commercial blend. Bleu, who admires Prince, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake, cowrote five songs on the album. In 2007 he toured in support of Another Side with the teen sister duo Aly & AJ.[134].jpg)
Blue worked with Ne-Yo on "I Get Lonely," and with other performers such as Matthew Gerrard and Eric Hudson. A music video for his first single, "Push It to the Limit", premiered on the Disney Channel, and was used to promote the movie Jump In! "Push It to the Limit" reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his second single, "Deal With It",[D] was originally written and sung by Jay Sean. He later gave it to Corbin Bleu, whose version of the song features background vocals by Jay Sean. The song earned Jay Sean a BMI Songwriter Award.[135] peaking at No. 15. He sings the duet "Still
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