Bio
Ah, Understudies...now, they’re a shifty bunch. The substitute teachers of the theatre world.
-Cosmo Kramer
A multi-hyphenate performing artist, Joe originally hails from the mean streets of Wauwatosa, WI. After spending some time in law school, Joe opted for a more stable career in Theatre. Since making that move, Joe’s performed in 9 Broadway shows, as well as in productions all across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Joe’s had the great pleasure of performing leading roles opposite various luminaries such as Rebecca Luker, Idina Menzel, Jessie Mueller, Jodi Benson, John Lithgow, Jonathan Pryce, John McMartin, Martin Short, Hal Linden, Frank Langella, John Cullum, Len Cariou, Tony Roberts, Dakin Matthews, Terrance Mann, Didi Conn, Roger Daltrey, Brent Spiner, Joanna Gleason, and Elaine Stritch. Along with his five fellow cast mates, Joe proudly holds a Drama Desk Award for his work in The Prospect Theatre’s 2013 production of Working.
In the world of Voiceover, Joe’s voice can be heard in several national, regional, and internet commercial campaigns hawking anything from fried chicken to pharmaceuticals. He voiced SCOTUS Chief Justice Roberts on Stephen Colbert’s animated series: Our Cartoon President on Showtime, and can be heard early on as “The Great Chronicler” in the Apple Arcade game: Oceanhorn 2, as well as its sequel, Chronos’ Dungeon. Joe also narrated the audiobook version of the John I. Leggett novel, Diamonds In The Rough, available at Audible.com.
Joe has taught and coached both privately and in formal institutions of learning. Most recently he’s subbed in to teach classes in Music Theatre performance and Audition Technique at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Joe was also on the faculty at AMDA(NYC) where he taught courses in song interpretation, scene to song, as well as leading classes in Music Theatre History. Joe’s taught master classes all over the United States at theaters and schools, working with students varying from beginner to the working professional for both stage and film. He can also be reached here to set up private coaching sessions for Music Theatre, Stage, and On-Camera audition coaching.
Joe’s had the good fortune of working with so many of the most sought-after directors and choreographers working on Broadway today including Sam Gold, Diane Paulus, Michael Greif, Jack O’Brien, Jerry Mitchell, Josh Rhodes, Alex Timbers, Rob Marshall, Des McAnuff, Jason Moore, and the legendary Hal Prince to name a few. Joe’s branched out from performing, also working as a director for several stage and theatre projects both in New York and regionally in the US. He has also appeared in network television in A Murder At The End Of The World; The 12 Days of Christmas Eve; Evil; The Code; The Good Fight; Madam Secretary; Blue Bloods; Elementary; A Very Nutty Christmas; and Law & Order as well as in the independent short films, Brando, and Freefall. Please check out his IMDB page here. He trained as an actor in New York City under the tutelage of acclaimed acting teacher, Allen Savage. As a singer, Joe’s trained with several great teachers, Bob Quint, Marlena Malas, Joyce Hall, and Sally Wilfert, as well as with one of the nation’s leading experts on Voice and Vocal Therapy, Joan Lader.
He has recorded and performed as a soloist in several Pops symphonic concert series and under the batons of the late Lorin Maazel (New York Philharmonic), Jack Everly (Principal Pops Conductor of the Indianapolis, National Arts Centre, Naples, & Detroit Symphonies), Robert Moody and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as New York Pops principal conductor Steven Reineke. Also an accomplished musician, Joe plays guitar and piano and has performed in some of NYC’s leading venues such as Feinstein’s 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, Birdland, The Metropolitan Room, The Bitter End, and and Ars Nova. A highlight was reuniting in NYC with old friend and a legendary guitarist, Greg Koch, for a Joe Cassidy: Rock Star evening as well as on-air with WKLH’s Dave and Carol show in Milwaukee, WI for an impromptu jam session while he was on the national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
In addition to the clips on this website, you can hear hear Joe on his Christmas CD, entitled Simply Christmas. It’s available for download at iTunes!