Dennis Parlato (born March 30, 1947 in Los Angeles) is an American dancer, actor, and singer.
He is the son of Charlie Parlato, and the uncle of Grammy-nominated jazz singer Gretchen Parlato. Parlato used to teach high school English in San Francisco before realizing he wanted to perform.
He was performing in chamber concert groups and teaching full-time. While on vacation with his first wife, they decided to see the ballet nearby just as something to do. He went to the Nederlands Dans Theater, a premier theatre company that, unbeknownst to him, was putting on a ballet of Carmina Burana. After watching the ballet, it inspired him when he got back home to switch to half-time teaching and study ballet.
He met Austin Tichenor (of Reduced Shakespeare Company) when Parlato joined the Metropolitan Ballet of Oakland (not the Oakland Ballet) as a featured solo dancer and Tichenor was stage manager.
He moved to New York when he was thirty years old. His fiancée at the time Maggie Caponio, had got a scholarship to the New York City Ballet and he decided to go with her. He auditioned for everything, even though he had no formal vocal or acting lessons. He got into A Chorus Line and after that was able to afford proper lessons.
Parlato is probably best known for his work in soap operas where he played Barton Crane on All My Children, Michael Grande on One Life to Live, Clay Alden on Loving and Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light.
| Credit Type | Production | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | Christopher Columbus | 1997-98 Season |