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Michael Brindisi, who led Chanhassen Dinner Theatres as artistic director for 37 years and directed 130 productions at the venue, died last Wednesday. He was 76.

A fixture in the Twin Cities theater community, friends and collaborators describe Brindisi as having infectious enthusiasm, a deep love for actors and an unwavering commitment to the art of storytelling. 

His career spanned decades, from his early days as an actor to his transformative role as Chanhassen’s artistic leader. In addition to directing at Chanhassen, he worked extensively in summer stock and directed at theaters across the country.

“He was simply one of the best human beings I have ever known,” said actor David Brinkley, who performed in numerous Chanhassen productions under Brindisi’s direction. “My wife always tells me I’m prone to hyperbole, but when you feel this deeply about someone, you can’t help it.”

Kris Howland, public relations director for the theater, described Brindisi as a “light bringer.”

“He carried with him a light of joy and optimism,” Howland said. “The first thing you saw when Michael approached you was this infectious smile, and you had a few words exchanged, and then there was a giggle, and then there was telling you about what he was thinking about, or what he was working on, or what he was doing, or an actor that he had just come across that was so amazing, or something that happened at the theater, or an audience member that said something to him, and everything revolved around joy and optimism.”

Brindisi earned his Equity card in 1971 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in “The Matchmaker.” He would later recall the moment when founding artistic director Gary Gisselman offered him a part, saying, “I want you to be in my play, but I want to write you in. I want to write your part in. I want you to be the accordion player. There is no such part, but I want you to be the accordion player in the show.”

“And Michael’s like, ‘But Gary, I want to be an actor,’” Howland said. “And he said, ’Do this for me, and you’ll earn your union card.’”

Brindisi nearly left the industry altogether in the early 1970s, struggling to find work in New York. 

“He was sitting at the Howard Johnson on 46th Street, thinking about leaving New York when a friend knocked on the window and told him to audition for ‘Grease.’ That changed everything,” Howland said.

Brindisi landed a role in the show’s national tour, a turning point that led to performances on Broadway and an eventual return to Chanhassen as an actor and director.

In 1988, while appearing in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Brindisi was tapped to become Chanhassen’s artistic director. He would go on to direct nearly every mainstage production for the next three decades.

“I just don’t know who else has done this,” longtime Chanhassen performer Tony Vierling said. “I don’t know how many directors have been in one place and done so much.”

Brindisi’s background as a performer informed his approach to directing. “He was an actor’s director,” Brinkley said. 

“Because he had been an actor and he knew actors had a process,” Vierling said. “And so he oftentimes allowed actors their process before he imposed any kind of directorial ideas upon them.”

Vierling performed in 49 of Brindisi’s productions at Chanhassen and had appeared onstage with him when Brindisi was an actor. He remembers his attention to detail as an actor. “He was very, very intense. He was very thorough. And he would come to the theater early, and he would run his lines, and he would pace, and he would do his blocking.”

Vierling says that as a director, Brindisi carried that same passion.

According to performers, Brindisi would watch the show intensely during rehearsals, taking evident pleasure in them. 

“The joy that he had would just radiate,” Brinkley said. “It would just fill the room. It was infectious. And he had such a look of joy on his face when he was watching people perform. I've never seen that on another director ever.”

Actors listened for a signature response. 

“We called it ‘the Brindisi laugh,’” Vierling said. “If you landed the joke, you got the laugh. It was a badge of honor.”

“I always called him ‘Boss.’ That made him laugh,” said actress and former newscaster Nancy Nelson, who has starred in several productions of “Love Letters” under his direction. 

Nelson recalled his light touch with directing. 

“‘You’re good, but you’re not great. We should work on getting great back,’” Brindisi told her during a rehearsal. 

“And we talked about what his thoughts were,” Nelson said, “and we ran through again, and afterward, he said, ‘That’s it. There you are. It’s great.’”

“Love Letters” is currently playing at the theater,

 where Nelson appears opposite former WCCO anchor Don Shelby. Brindisi oversaw the rehearsals for the new production.

Brindisi was known for his deep respect for actors and his ability to bring out their best work. 

He mentored countless performers, many of whom got their first professional break at Chanhassen under his guidance. 

“Actors came to him with hope in their pockets, saying, ‘Please, let me audition. Please give me a chance,” Nelson said. “And he was able to point a finger at so many of them and say, ‘Come on in. Here’s your chance. “And with that, he changed lives, literally. He built careers. He made dreams come true.”

“I mean, he kept me working for years and years and years. I raised an entire family because of Michael,” Brinkley said.

Brindisi’s interest in musical theater continued offstage as well. Vierling recalled a dinner club he formed with Brindisi, Minnesota Star Tribune critic Mike Steele, and their spouses, where they would gather to read scripts, listen to cast albums and discuss productions they wished they could stage. 

“Some of my favorite memories were just sitting around with those guys, talking about musical theater and eating dinner and laughing,” Vierling said.

Brindisi directed “Grease” four times at Chanhassen, 

Vierling, who plays Johnny Casino in the show, recalled the experience of working on Brindisi’s last production. 

“He knows this piece inside and out, and he was so great with leading these younger actors and really trying to get the flavor of the piece because it’s an older piece,” Vierling said. “So he was right there every day and always beaming. He always wore this little hat that had the ‘Grease’ logo on it. And it was always very joyful to work on ‘Grease,’ with him, because he just loved the show so much.”

Brindisi was instrumental in saving Chanhassen Dinner Theatres from closure in 2010 when he took ownership of the theater. 

“We would have closed our doors 15 years ago if he and his business partner hadn’t swooped in and saved us,” Howland said. “And the dinner theater has been nothing short of miraculous since he did that.”

“Even after I retired, we kept in touch constantly,” Brinkley said. “We would just sit there and talk about the next show and what his ideas were for the next one. And no one's ever done that with me before.”

“We meet so many people in our lives,” Nelson said. “Michael truly made a difference in mine. I am deeply grateful to him, because I knew the person he was, and I’m better because of him.”

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Michael Brindisi directed 130 productions during his 37-year tenure, shaping the Twin Cities theater scene with his infectious enthusiasm, deep respect for actors and unwavering commitment to storytelling.

A legacy of joy: Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s artistic director Michael Brindisi dies

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