Actor | Singer | Musician
Ali Louis Bourzgui is an Arab (Moroccan American) actor, singer, musician and creator based in NYC. Fresh off his Broadway Debut as Tommy in Des McAnuff and Pete Townshend’s revival of The Who’s Tommy, he has received a Theatre World Award, Jeff Award (Performer in a Leading Role), an Outer Critics Circle and a Drama League nomination for the role. Recent work includes Amir in New York Theatre Workshop’s We Live in Cairo (Off-BWAY), Paul in the Company 1st National Tour, Haled on The Band’s Visit National Tour and Young Mazin/Yousif in The Goodman’s World Premiere play, Layalina. He recently wrapped filming on leading the short film The Ghost Light (Tiny Viking Productions). You can also hear his voice on the Monkeypaw/Gimlet horror podcast Quiet Part Loud produced by Jordan Peele. Originally from Pittsfield, MA, he holds nature, art and community dear. When not performing you can usually find him hiking, gardening, geeking out over jazz, playing guitar and writing music with his songwriting duo Resident Lightweight (debut album coming soon). He graduated from the Ithaca College B.F.A. Musical Theatre program and has worked regionally at venues such as The Goodman Theatre, Barrington Stage Co., Theaterworks Hartford, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group, The Theater Barn, & Ghostlit Rep Theatre Co. He’s also a proud ISF scholar, working actively to increase Arab American/Muslim representation in media in order to improve public opinion and policy. As the most underrepresented community in the American Theatre it is our collective job to tell the nuanced beautiful stories of Arab culture to fight years of dehumanization and silencing.
Cover photo and Dujour photo by Emilio Madrid
Anthony Chatmon Photography
Praise for The Who’s Tommy
“Bourzgui, his wild mop of curly black hair crowning a handsome face dominated by big, dark Bette Davis eyes that remain wide and vacant until they’re not, is one of this season’s true finds. With eccentric, angular movements that stop just short of robotic, Bourzgui careens from the stilted expressions of a man trapped in his body to the fluid, soulful gestures of his adult self guiding his lost-to-themselves younger iterations. The rock-star moves that eventually arrive seem entirely inevitable, his voice throughout finding the sweet spot between Roger Daltrey howl and the musical theater control.”
— Deadline
“A star-making performance from 24-year-old Ali Louis Bourzgui as the Pinball Wizard that’s the most exciting New York stage debut in years. Fantastic as the entire cast is, enough cannot be said of Bourzgui. The actor is not only a remarkable time-machine find for a trippy sixties classic, with dangerous eyes like those of Malcolm McDowell’s Alex DeLarge in “A Clockwork Orange. He’s also got the glam aura of David Bowie and a wholly unique baritone that easily shifts from sensitive to commanding. And, I suspect, from rock operas to traditional musical theater as well.”
— NY Post
“Bourzgui has something about him that feels un-modern-Broadway in a completely exciting way. There’s a young–Tim Curry energy at work, an aura that’s thrillingly ambiguous but not at all twinky. Whatever his literal voice part is, Bourzgui is not giving tenor. He’s got a touch of rock-star sibilance and a Matt Berry vocal plumminess that emanate something at once weird, sexy, and subversive. (He’s also wearing the hellout of a turtleneck.)”
— Vulture
Acoustic Medley from The Who's Tommy
Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Performance
Clip of “Sensation” featuring Ali as Tommy
Trailer for The Who’s Tommy at the Goodman Theatre (Ali as Tommy)
Trailer of Quiet Part Loud featuring Ali as “Hassan” and Tracy Letts as “Rick Egan”
Trailer for Layalina at the Goodman Theatre (Ali Louis Bourzgui as Young Mazin/Yousif)
Songwriting:
Ali Louis Bourzgui is a folk/jazz/indie singer/songwriter. Playing guitar, mandolin, and melodica he often writes themes of what home means to him and the importance of nature, love and community in his life. With his collaborating partner Joey D’Amore, their duo group Resident Lightweight is currently piecing together a collection of work to release as their debut album.
Photo by Joey D’Amore
Contacts:
Management:
UNTITLED Entertainment
dannielle@untitledent.net
Agent:
BRS-Gage,
BRS-ny@brsgage.com
PR:
Lisa Goldberg,
lisa@lsgpublicrelations.com