Michael Perrie Jr.
Actor (AEA) - singer
musician - writer
Press & Reviews
"The young leads, many of them looking fresh out of college, channeled Buddy and the Crickets convincingly with their vocals and playing their own instruments. Wearing the signature Holly glasses and with his stick-thin frame, Michael Perrie Jr. was a charming, sweet and believable Buddy, with his solid singing and lead guitar playing."
-Duluth News Tribune ("BUDDY")
"I also want to take a moment to note the powerful performance of Michael Perrie, Jr. as Malcolm McGregor. This is a sublime performance as Perrie captures the essence of a somewhat nerdy, lonely, repressed man who is dominated by his mother. His decision to strip actually raises him up as he finally has friends and is able to embrace his own sexual identity. Perrie has a stunning tenor and has the night’s most moving number, “You Walk with Me”". -Chris' Corner Missouri (on The Full Monty)
"Baltmore-based Perrie Jr. is a triple-threat actor/playwright/musician, so in addition to crafting the text — as well as the sound design — he takes center stage in the role of Jack. It can be quite compelling to see an actor perform his own writing, and Perrie, Jr is up for the challenge. The script — a love triangle between a sad young man, a busy young woman, and a lonely work of art — showcases many lovely, small moments of domestic tenderness. It also, rather lightly and elegantly, touches on some undercurrents of urban anonymity, young-professional anxiety, paranoia, and isolation."
-DC Theatre Scene "Sweet Painted Lady"
"Even in this dynamic cast of excellent local performers, there is still one standout. Michael Perrie, Jr is obviously destined for great things. His presence and ease on stage are at a distinctly professional level. He absolutely steals the show with his comedic, over-the-top and yet subtle, real portrayal of Schroeder and vocals, best highlighted in “Beethoven Day,” that are nothing short of perfection."
-ShowBizRadio.net on "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"
"In the Engeman's production,Michael Perrie, Jr. excellently stars as the rock and roll pioneer. You will find he is a natural in the role as he belts out some of Buddy's biggest hits including "Peggy Sue", "That'll Be The Day", and "Maybe Baby" among many others."
-BroadwayWorld
"Michael Perrie, Jr. plays Buddy Holly, and he is spectacular. He has incredible vocal talent and is a fantastic actor, truly bringing Buddy Holly back to life with his performance." -BroadwayWorld.com
"Buddy (played at FST by Michael Perrie Jr. with an enthusiasm and boyishness that quickly grows on you) is the sun around which all the planets orbit here." -SarasotaHerald-Tribune
"[Perrie's] Big Red Button is surprisingly funny while not being overtly political. It’s really about Adam and Marie and how they will ultimately define their relationship. The play is too conversation-dependent to hold the attention of young audiences, but it will certainly appeal to adults old enough to remember the Cold War or prescient enough to find the current rhetoric between Washington, D.C. and Pyongyang worrisome. Perhaps not for all tastes – this isn’t whacky slapstick comedy – optimists and pessimists alike will find much to chew on."
-Encore Michigan on "Big Red Button"
"Watching Michael Perrie Jr. in the title role is as close as many of us will ever come to seeing the legend [Buddy Holly] live." -Newsday, on "Buddy"
"Sara Gallo as Mrs. Wormwood and Michael Perrie Jr. as Mr. Wormwood are hilarious. While the two characters aren’t the best at parenting, Gallo and Perrie are pros at garnering laughs from the audience... Perrie’s vocals are strong on “All I Know,” known as “Telly” in the Broadway and London versions. He also does a wonderful job interacting with the audience toward the end of intermission." -TBR News on "Matilda'
"Perrie does a nice job of interweaving these characters’ desires, making her both a character to play against, but also an outgrowth of his own subconscious. When he begins to feel guilty for their trysts, his guilt is just as much tied to taking his drugs without telling Delia. Everything he feels has an analog that manifests itself in the painted lady.
That makes for the opportunity to say some interesting things about the nature of art right alongside the nature of addiction and relationships. Which may seem like reaching for a little too much for a one-hour Fringe show, but Perrie manages to get away with it, largely on the strength of the three performances."
-City Paper DC
Over 100 5 Star Reviews from audience members all over the country on Ticketmaster for his performance of Buddy Holly in 2016 National tour of BUDDY!
"There are two reasons to see this show. Emily Deveron Vere Nicoll (which is a lot of names) and Michael Perrie Jr. They play the Lady in Blue and Jack respectively (and Michael also wrote the piece). Their performances are fantastic.... Micheal sinks into madness with such small steps and around such tight corners that you take the journey with him without thinking there is really anything wrong. Until you realize that he’s lost it and you wonder how you hadn’t seen it coming. So go see these up and comers roll around the stage in this great new work."
-DC Metro Theater Arts on "Sweet Painted Lady"
"These performers pour their agonized soul into this song, each lost in their own grievous connection to the sin of the song. Along with four-part harmony we get harrowing emotional beauty from the duet “Heming and Hawing” featuring Harris and Perrie Jr. The pure sorrow of indecision flows from their voices like a dulcet river washing over the audience like slow floodwaters that rise up in the spring; the moment when their eyes lock in the song creates a great swell of feeling to the point of tears in their eyes....
A duet of a different energy hits the stage in “Make Me Happy” with Perrie Jr. facing off against Danielle Robinette. The pair has a vicious sarcasm about their words as they sing about how each partner truly makes them happy."
-DC Metro Theater Arts on "35mm"
"Michael Perrie, Jr. as “Charlie’s Head,” is magnetic. Tall, lean, with quirky, expressive features, and physically fluid, he recalls the charismatic goofiness of the young Tom Hanks. His commanding presence anchors the show. In this role divorced from reality, he seizes the opportunity to run rampant, but always with believability."
-Theatre-Scene.net on "Love Me"
"Rapunzel’s rescuer, Prince Brian, is thrilled to stumble upon the damsel in distress, as he is longing to be someone’s hero and find his own identity in the royal family. Michael Perrie, Jr. is fantastic, adding dimension to the role with great physical comedy. He is an audience favorite, eliciting giggles from the little ones with silly antics. Paired with Rapunzel, the duo shines. They have a sweet and convincing chemistry as they pair up and challenge their overbearing parents." -MD Theatre Guide on "Rapunzel The Musical"
Perrie IS Buddy Holly and practically reincarnates him in front of the eyes of the audience. Not only does Perrie bear a remarkable physical similarity to the late singer, but he also effortlessly emulates his look, assumes his accent and speech cadences, and even gets that unique hiccup in his voice when he sings.
Perrie brings some serious acting chops to the role. He manages to show Holly’s politeness and decency, but also his toughness as Holly wouldn’t back down from anyone when it came to his music. He also well plays Holly’s free-spirited nature. This was a man who always marched to his own beat no matter what anyone thought about his choices. He also expertly handles the heartache of Buddy’s life, shedding real tears when the Crickets abandon him and, more or less, yank the band name from him. -Chris' Corner Missouri on "BUDDY"
