Who was Michael McGrath? Tributes pour in as Tony-winning Broadway actor dies aged 65

Broadway star Michael McGrath recently passed away on September 14, 2023, at the age of 65. His cause of death remains unknown, but his publicist stated that he was at his residence in Bloomfield, New Jersey. McGrath appeared in musicals like Spamalot and Nice Work If You Can Get It.

Michael's daughter, Katie, shared a lengthy statement on Facebook that she met him a few hours before his demise.

"We worked for about an hour, laughed a lot and of course, he gave me some great notes. I gave him a hug on my way out, told him I loved him and that I would see him later. He said, "Good luck tomorrow, you nailed it.""

Katie revealed that she received a message from Michael, who called her a "wonderful actor." She then described her father as her hero and inspiration. She stated that she knew what her father did on stage and brought joy and laughter to thousands of people.

"My father was kind, patient, the funniest person who ever lived, a fantastic cook, a true entertainer and quite possibly the most giving man I ever will know. I was so lucky to have 28 wonderful years with him. And he gave me absolutely everything in that time."

Katie wrote that she cannot express her gratitude enough after witnessing the love and affection for her father and expects that the post will reach as many people as possible. She wrote towards the end that her friend Steve Rosen had set an email to collect stories about her father.

Katie requested everyone to share a story or memory, if they have any, with Michael McGrath and send it to [email protected].

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Michael McGrath gained recognition for his performances on Broadway

Michael McGrath was featured in various musicals over the years (Image via Travelske/X)

Michael McGrath was born on September 25, 1957, and developed an interest in Broadway as he was raised in Worcester, Massachusetts. He then joined Boston Conservatory but dropped out in three months to pursue his career as an actor.

Starting from 1985, he appeared in a musical titled Forbidden Broadway. He continued appearing in the musical until 1989 and he accumulated a huge fanbase for the same.

However, he gained recognition for his performance in another musical, My Favorite Year. It was inspired by a film of the same name, released in 1982. The response towards the musical was negative compared to the film, which was a box office success.

Michael McGrath portrayed Chick Clark in Wonderful Town, which received various accolades at the Tony Awards and Theatre World Awards. His performance in Spamalot was also praised, and the musical held several records in terms of ticket sales. A film adaptation was also planned, which was eventually canceled later.

In 2012, he was featured as Cookie McGee in Nice Work If You Can Get It. The songs featured in the musical received decent feedback from the public. He continued to appear in various other musicals like Swinging on a Star, Little Me, and Anything Goes.

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Michael is survived by his wife, Toni Di Buono, and daughter Katie McGrath. Michael and Toni were married for around 30 years, and the duo met for the first time while Michael was working in Forbidden Broadway.