Avi Hoffman – Bio

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n2c9bP2wZycZwvPn-Y76ly5_8_nZkTtH/view?usp=drivesdk

Avi Hoffman was recently awarded Congressional recognition, was invited to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis and was inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame for his lifetime work advancing Jewish culture, Yiddishkayt and Holocaust awareness through the charity he founded the Yiddishkayt Initiative, Inc. (YILoveJewish.org). As an actor, he was nominated for a NY Drama Desk Award for his Yiddish language portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He and his mother, retired Columbia University Professor Miriam Hoffman are the founders of Yiddishkayt Initiative, Inc. and YILoveJewish.org - A global resource for Jewish culture and entertainment.

Avi was born 'Avrum Ber', son of Mendl and Miriam Hoffman, in 1958 in The Bronx, NY.  A child of Holocaust survivors, Avi was taught at an early age to appreciate the beauty and depth of the Jewish culture, literature, music and tradition.  At age 10, he was featured in his first professional production - "Bronx Express" - at the Yiddish Folksbiene Theater on East Broadway.  The New York Times review said: "Avremele Hoffman displays a sense of humor."

By 1969 his family had moved to Israel, and over the next 9 years Avi continued to perform in dozens of Hebrew and English plays, as well as two Israeli television series and a film - BLOOMFIELD - directed by and starring Richard Harris.  In 1977, he returned to the US and got his BFA in Drama from the U. of Miami, graduating cum laude.  He acted in regional theater in Florida, returning to NY in 1980, honing his craft by working for years in JCC's, Y's and senior citizen centers, performing for the elderly who couldn't make it to the theater.

On TV, Mr. Hoffman is currently featured as Sid Raskin in the Starz Network series MAGIC CITY, was recently seen on the Netflix series BLOODLINE and as Ted the Pawnbroker on A&E’s THE GLADES. His voice will soon be heard on the HBO series MAGNIFICA ’70 as Manolo the producer. His one man shows TOO JEWISH? And TOO JEWISH, TOO! have been broadcast nationally on the PBS system.  He was featured as 'Teddy Wayne' in the NBC series LAW AND ORDER.  He starred in the motion picture - THE IMPORTED BRIDEGROOM, which received critical acclaim nationwide and was featured at the Montreal and Boston Film Festivals.   Avi was also seen in the Amram Nowack PBS documentary THEY CAME FOR GOOD: A HISTORY OF THE JEWS IN THE U.S.

As a stage actor he has performed in several Off-Broadway productions including his hit one man shows TOO JEWISH? & TOO JEWISH TWO!, both of which were highly acclaimed and for which he was named Performer of the Year '95 by NY Press Magazine, as well as receiving the prestigious Los Angeles OVATION award as Best Actor In a Musical 2001 .  He was also nominated for both the NY Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.  He directed and performed in the Joseph Papp production of SONGS OF PARADISE at the NY Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater, which was also featured at major festivals in Munich and Amsterdam.  He was seen in the revival of Jerry Herman's MILK AND HONEY, the title role in THE RISE OF DAVID LEVINSKY (opposite Lawrence Luckinbill and Larry Kert), A RENDEZVOUS WITH GOD (his other one-man show), THE GOLDEN LAND and FINKEL'S FOLLIES with the Emmy award winning veteran actor Fyvush Finkel (Picket Fences, Boston Public) and is now developing the world-premiere of JOE PAPP AT THE BALLROOM - a recreation of the theatrical icon’s 1978 NYC concert.

Regionally, he most recently performed in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre production of Brighton Beach Memoirs  and starred and directed in the World Premiere of UNLIKELY HEROES, he performed in the Daryl Roth tour of STARS OF DAVID, portrayed Dr. Einstein in the Fl. Rep production of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, multiple roles in MY NAME IS ASHER LEV (Carbonell Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and Vanya in VANYA, SONIA, MASHA AND SPIKE at Gablestage, Milt Manville in the Plaza Theatre production of Murray Schisgal’s LUV, and novelist Eric Weiss in Donald Margulies’s BROOKLYN BOY at the Studio Theatre in Boca Raton. He played Wilbur Turnblad in the Actors Playhouse musical production of HAIRSPRAY (Carbonell award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), the lead role in Tracy Lett’s SUPERIOR DONUTS at Gablestage (Broadway World Award for Best Featured Actor, and Carbonell award nomination for Best Actor in a Play), and was seen as Kolenkhov in the Florida Rep production of YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU. He starred in the world premiere of 2 JEWS WALK INTO A WAR at Florida Stage, as well as the GableStage productions of THE QUARREL, ADDRESS UNKNOWN (Best Actor '06 - Miami SunPost), A BAD FRIEND and as Johnny in FRANKIE & JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE (Carbonell award nomination for Best Actor in a Play), and the award winning Palm Beach Dramaworks production of JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL...He directed and starred in the English language revival of SONGS OF PARADISE at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, and was seen as TEVYE in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (for which he received the Curtain Up award and was nominated for a Carbonell award - Best actor in a musical) and CLOSER THAN EVER  at the Hollywood Playhouse,  in the world premiere of THE MARRANO (directed by Mark Bramble), and has been featured at the Penguin Repertory Co. in Stony Point, NY - where he performed in THE IMMIGRANT, ONLY THE SKY WAS BLUE and EPIC PROPORTIONS.  

In Florida, he has been seen in PERFECT HARMONY - THE BARRY SISTERS STORY, Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, AWAKE AND SING, FORTUNE AND MEN'S EYES, SLY FOX and DEAR WORLD.

In the music and recording industry, Avi was the lead singer of the 10 piece Don Byron Klezmer Orchestra (Elektra/Nonesuch).  Playing the music of Mickey Katz, they have performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brian (NBC), at Avery Fisher Hall, Summerstage in Central Park, the Montreal, Quebec and JVC Jazz Festivals as well as 2 major European tours.

His other directorial credits include the Off-Broadway productions of BETWEEN A & B, SHEPHERD - a new musical at the Village Gate, JUNKYARD - a new musical at AMAS Musical Theater and BULLS AND BEARS at the Quaigh Theater.  Regionally he has directed the world premieres of UNLIKELY HEROES, MILLIONS OF MILES, POKERFACES AND CASTANETS at the Odyssey Theater and KING OF SCHNORRERS at the Westwood Playhouse, both in Los Angeles, as well as STARS OF DAVID, THE IRISH CURSE (Carbonell Award – Best Ensemble), DEATH & THE MAIDEN, LIES & LEGENDS, MILLIONS OF MILES, THE RISE OF DAVID LEVINSKY, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, ENTER LAUGHING, LUCID MOMENTS, ANNE FRANK & ME, FORTUNE AND MEN’S EYES and THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND in South Florida.

As the artistic director of 'The New Raft Theater Company' in New York, Avi was responsible for the development and production of several projects as well as dozens of staged readings at the Houseman Theater and the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center.  As the artistic director of the Joseph Papp Yiddish Theater, Avi promoted and preserved the rich heritage of the Yiddish language and culture through original theatrical productions.

In 2006, Avi founded the New Vista Theatre Company producing and starring in such shows as A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (Pseudolus), THE SUNSHINE BOYS (Al Lewis with Broadway star Bruce Adler), THE RISE OF DAVID LEVINSKY (Levinsky), FUNNY GIRL, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, NEIL SIMON’S THE ODD COUPLE (Co-Production with Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre), Allan Sherman’s HELLO MUDDAH, HELLO FADDUH! and ENTER LAUGHING.

He has created his third show in the ‘Too Jewish’ trilogy, which played at the Triad in NYC:

AVI HOFFMAN’S STILL JEWISH AFTER ALL THESE YEARS – A LIFE IN THE THEATRE

This ALL NEW production is a nostalgic, fun-filled journey through his extensive and entertaining life and works. In this new musical celebration, Avi takes the audience on an intimate and casual tour through his exhilarating career, sharing engaging songs and stories of an extraordinary life in show business. His humorous and moving encounters with theater luminaries will have you laughing through your tears.