Michael McILwee is an actor, dancer, author, and award-winning producer, dividing his time between Los Angeles and New York City. Michael has traveled the world as a professional performer in Broadway musicals while simultaneously pursuing a career in journalism and writing. He holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from The New School.
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Michael received a scholarship in 2006 to study ballet at Ballet Theatre of Scranton under the direction of Joanne Arduino and train with renowned Royal Ballet dancer Henry Danton for several years. During this time, he performed roles such as the title character in The Nutcracker and danced in classical ballets like Coppélia.
A defining show in Michael’s career was performing in The Music Man. This led to over 500 performances, including a Broadway national tour, where he understudied the role of Tommy Djilas and danced in the ensemble, performing across every state in the continental U.S. and internationally. Following The Music Man, Michael performed in productions of 42nd Street, White Christmas, Hello, Dolly!, and Carousel. His next major role was as a ballet soloist in Phantom of the Opera, which included performing the show in Southeast Asia alongside Metropolitan Opera dancer Michelle Joy.
In 2013, Michael landed a role as a swing in A Chorus Line, directed by Baayork Lee (the original Connie Wong and assistant to Michael Bennett). As a swing, Michael covered five roles, including Bobby, Mike, Mark, Greg, and Larry. This production allowed him to work with many members of the original cast, including Tony winner Donna McKechnie. In 2016, Michael went viral for performing the opening number of A Chorus Line in an inflatable T-Rex costume, a video that has been viewed over 20 million times worldwide and featured on shows like Good Morning America.
He then returned to Harbor Lights Theater Company to perform in Oliver!, where he served as dance captain and assistant to choreographer Mimi Quillin, a mentee of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, whose mentorship deeply influenced his approach to dance.
Michael joined the Actors Equity Association in 2013. In 2014, he moved to Los Angeles and began training in ballroom dance with several Dancing with the Stars alums. He is also a certified Arthur Murray teacher and placed first in his first rhythm ballroom competition at Arthur Murray’s Fall Forum.
Michael has also appeared on several television shows, including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) and The Plot Against America (HBO). In 2016, he earned a BFA in Musical Theater from The New School and attended a summer Shakespeare program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London in 2019, where he played the title role in Hamlet and was coached by actors such as Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crown).
In 2019, Michael auditioned for several master’s programs and was accepted into The Actor’s Studio at Pace University, East 15 Acting School at the University of Essex, and Rose Bruford College in London. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he deferred entry into these programs. This period allowed him to explore his passion for politics and news. He later applied to and was accepted into the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, where he earned his Master of Arts in Journalism.
During his time at NYU, Michael reported for The Click News, where he interviewed notable figures such as Hugh Jackman, chef Nyesha Arrington, political analyst Basil Smikle, and Matthew Trebek, the son of Alex Trebek.
After graduating in 2022, Michael joined WCTV News, the capital CBS station in Florida. He started as a broadcast news producer and was later promoted to Digital Executive Producer and Newsroom Manager. In 2023, he won a Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists award for best digital coverage.
In 2026, Michael published his first Amazon best-selling novel, A Summer with Dean, which is available now worldwide.
Michael currently resides in Los Angeles, where he works as an actor, dancer, and writer.