Burke Moses
In 1991 alone, Moses had a key role in the Public Theater staging of "The Way of the World" and flexed his vocal abilities in a Williamstown Theatre Festival staging of "1776" and the New York State Theater production of "The Most Happy Fella." Moses returned to daytime providing comic relief as the dumb bodyguard of a gangster on "One Life to Live." In many ways, that character -- named Bulge -- was a warm-up for Moses' breakthrough stage part as the egotistical villain Gaston in the stage adaptation of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" (1993-94). Moses headed to L.A. and found employment via numerous guest appearances on episodics (including a recurring role on CBS' "John Grisham's The Client"). He made his film debut portraying the host of a tabloid TV talk show in the festival-screened "The Hotel Manor Inn" (1996). Returning to NYC, he was featured in the Encores! Concert staging of "Du Barry Was a Lady" before heading to London to recreate Gaston in the British premiere of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast." Moses was back at Encores! In the title role of the 1997 production of "Li'l Abner" before returning to guest shots. As the new millennium dawned, the performer remained busy, co-starring with Alicia Witt in the L.A.-produced musical "The Gift" and later as the titular G-Man in the the Cleveland Playhouse's premiere of "Eliot Ness in Cleveland." Moses rounded out the year assuming the leading role of Fred Graham (replacing Brian Stokes Mitchell) in the award-winning revival of "Kiss Me, Kate."