Paul Kreppel is an actor and director. On television, he was best known as pianist Sonny Mann on the showIt's a Living. In his work as theater director-producer-creator, he received the 2007 Tony Award for .
Early theater career
Kreppel was born in Kingston, New York to Adele and Irv Kreppel. He then moved to Boston to attend Emerson College and graduated with honors. Kreppel received an Alumni Achievement Award in '93 and is a member of the Class of 1969. From there, he had started his acting career by starring in the improvisational theater group, "The Proposition." When the group, which included Jane Curtin, Josh Mostel, Judith Kahan and Munson Hicks, moved to New York, Kreppel began starring in off-Broadway plays, including Godspell and Tuscaloosa's Calling Me... While appearing at the New York Shakespeare Festival, he notably starred with Meryl Streep in the musical, Alice in Concert, by Elizabeth Swados. Others are Agamemnon and The Comedy of Errors in the late-1970s.
Television and other work
In 1979, Kreppel moved to Los Angeles to become the memorable waitress-harassing pianist, Sonny Mann, of It's a Living, and starred in all 120 episodes; he also directed some episodes. Kreppel, along with Gail Edwards, Barrie Youngfellow and the late Marian Mercer, were the only four who lasted through the show's network and syndicated runs. He was a semi-regular celebrity guest on the 1980s versions of the game showPyramid, and also made celebrity appearances on such other game shows as Hollywood Squares, Win, Lose or Draw, Blackout and The New Liar's Club. During the 1990s, he returned to theatre and starred in the musical revue of the Allan Sherman song, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" In addition, he starred in Jerome Robbins' Broadway on its national tour. In the movie sector, he was the voice of Apollo Blue in . Kreppel guest starred in and directed other television shows, including appearing as Jackie's dad in That '70s Show. He appeared off Broadway for more than a year in the one-man showMy Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy. He has served on the Council of Actors' Equity Association and as a board member of the Screen Actors Guild, and is active in arts education as a professional arts educator and as a member of the board of directors of Enrichment Works, a not-for-profit that provides curriculum-based theatre for schools in Southern California.
Recent projects and acts
Kreppel directed and produced with his partner in WetRock Entertainment, Ms. Murphy Cross, , for which he won a 2007 Tony Award for best special theatrical event. They are also developing other projects. In the Broadway musicalWicked, Kreppel played the Wizard of Oz on the 2nd National Tour from March 7, 2012 to March 10, 2013.
