Awards/Nominations
Best Supporting Actor Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival - Blur Circle
Best Actor ReelheART Film Festival Toronto - Blur Circle
Best Actor Reel East Texas Film Festival - Blur Circle
Equity Joseph Jefferson Award Winner, Chicago Actor in a Principal Role, Musical - Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Equity Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination, Chicago Actor in a Principal Role, Musical - OKLAHOMA!
Equity Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination, Chicago Actor in a Supporting Role – A View from the Bridge
Broadway World Chicago Award Nomination Actor in a Principal Role, Musical - Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
National Award for Excellence in Acting
“For Brumlow, surely doing the best work of his long career, the main assignment here was to act the man and his condition. Brumlow is most affecting in that regard…One buys what Brumlow is selling here, not least because he seems to be living (and dying) rather than merchandising a human commodity… Strikingly honest and guileless picture that could well mean commercial legs and a big fat hit for American Blues. Brumlow nails Williams, sweet, low, and hard.”
— Chris Jones, CHICAGO TRIBUNE | Hank Williams : Lost Highway - American Blues Theater
“Hank Williams: Lost Highway, the sharp, witty, deftly shaped musical biography now in a sensational production by American Blues Theater, charts that classic arc of self-destruction. At the center of it all is Matthew Brumlow’s stellar performance in the title role. With his gaunt face, twangy voice, fine guitar-playing, volatile outbursts and shy way of pulling crumpled wads of paper bearing song lyrics out of his pockets, he often feels more authentic than the man you can see in vintage YouTube clips. Matthew Brumlow channels Hank Williams. This is a show about heartbreak that never fails to lift your spirits.”
— Hedy Weiss, CHICAGO SUN TIMES | Hank Williams: Lost Highway - American Blues Theater
“Midway through the first act in American Blues Theater‘s staging of Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Matthew Brumlow quietly breaks into the aching ballad "I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry." The lyrics are sorrow-steeped with beauty, the tone one of irretrievable, soul-deep loss. The moment is pure magic, a portrait of the artist as a troubadour of beautiful sadness. The epicenter of the piece is Brumlow’s embodiment as the gifted, tormented Williams. The actor’s remarkable physical transformation is matched by his vocal channeling of Williams high, lonesome twang and yodel-like arias. It’s a demanding, bravura performance and Brumlow nails it from lights up to curtain call.”
— Catey Sullivan, CHICAGO THEATRE BEAT | Hank Williams : Lost Highway - American Blues Theater
“What makes Hank Williams: Lost Highway a significant contribution to the musical theatre biopic canon is this piece’s ability to convincingly, simultaneously communicate both genius and tragedy…There is no good reason this show is not staged alongside Beautiful: the Carole King Musical under America’s brightest theatrical lights; it’s that complete… This true ensemble piece is led by Matthew Brumlow‘s recreation of Williams, critically acclaimed a year ago and equally deserving such accolades again… this Lost Highway is cheatin’, lonesome and good lookin’ enough to command sellout performances!.”
— Barry Reszel, CHICAGOLANDMUSICALTHEATRE | Hank Williams : Lost Highway - American Blues Theater
“Nobody Lonesome for Me gives us a glimpse of that personal heaven along with the man and musician who inhabits it. It’s a classic real-life story filled with all the perfect components for drama. But it only truly succeeds thanks to the multitalented Matthew Brumlow, who plays the troubled singer. Brumlow completely embodies Williams, from his skinny, tiny frame to his frenetic energy and, at times, violent temper”
— EXPRESS MILWAUKEE | Nobody Lonesome For Me - Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
“Selected as Top Solo Show of 2011!! Nobody Lonesome delivers...Brumlow can both strum and sing, demonstrating great muscle control as melodies seemingly wrenched from his soul move past frequently pursed lips ... among the best shows I have seen in The Rep's cabaret space"
— MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINAL | Nobody Lonesome For Me - Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
"If you’re moved and fascinated by the great narrative of American music — in all its pain, beauty and glory — and you admire exceptional acting and the playwright’s art: Go see “Nobody Lonesome for Me” at the American Heartland Theatre. Brumlow captures all of that and more in a performance that is precise, nuanced, subtle — and at the same time bigger than life. Just as his songs would suggest, Hank felt more highs and lows than the average person and Brumlow deftly maneuvers the shifting emotional landscape between the two extremes. There are moments when Brumlow’s vocal performance recalls the recorded voice of Hank Williams with uncanny accuracy. He’s not doing an impersonation, but he finds a way to channel Hank’s soulful, blues-drenched ballads and honky-tonk tunes."
— KANSAS CITY STAR | Nobody Lonesome For Me - American Heartland Theater
“Brumlow walks the tightrope of sanity...he has just the right blend of discontent and content. He never completely reveals his cards, veering from cheeky jest to tortured rage in an instant."
— STAGE WRITE INDIANAPOLIS | Hamlet - Indiana Repertory Theatre
"The production features first-time Players actor Matthew Brumlow, who is outstanding as defense attorney Daniel Kaffee. Whether portraying a sexist jerk at the start or a willful terrier chasing a rat in the thick of the explosive courtroom byplay, Brumlow is precise and volatile."
— GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE | A Few Good Men - Peninsula Players Theatre
"Brumlow who played Scrooge’s loyal nephew Fred, who doesn’t give up on his uncle even when Scrooge is at his most despicable. During a scene that takes place after Scrooge’s transformation, in which he asks forgiveness from his nephew, Fred’s instantaneous positive response conveyed an extraordinary emotional depth. That dramatic exchange pointed to Brumlow’s considerable acting skills and artistry in creating a moment that was extremely moving."
— INDIANAPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS EXAMINER | A Christmas Carol - Indiana Repertory
"Highly Recommended! Matthew Brumlow in a breakout performance full of fire and ice."
— CHICAGO SUN TIMES | Another Part of the Forest - Writers' Theatre
“The DON'T MISS LIST! A revival full of rousing moments...dashing, forthright Brumlow especially does great work.
— TIMEOUT MAGAZINE CHICAGO | Another Part of the Forest - Writers' Theatre
"Matthew Brumlow is a lethal mix of Clark Gable and Machiavelli."
— PIONEER PRESS | Another Part of the Forest - Writers' Theatre
"Matthew Brumlow plays the real life actor William Gillette who made Sherlock Holmes famous on the stage. Brumlow is the quintessential eccentric actor. He seems to have blurred the line between the famous detective he has portrayed and Gillette's own life…a literary pleasure and a frothy treat."
— STAGE WRITE INDIANAPOLIS | The Games Afoot - Indiana Repertory Theatre
"Brazen, full-spectrum hilarity... The cast is serious about their shenanigans. Matthew Brumlow, an actor who projects a wily daftness that is positively Monty-Pythonesque, filled the role with focused self-regard and a gift for appearing to emerge on the top side of any tangle."
— JHUPSTAGE INDIANAPOLIS | The Games Afoot - Indiana Repertory Theatre
“A show that’s uncommonly well cast with the superb Matthew Brumlow’s Jim Reston, the conscience and narrator of the piece anchoring the drama.”
— CHICAGO TRIBUNE | Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre
“The ensemble delivers fine performances with exceptional work by Matthew Brumlow
— CHICAGO STAGE REVIEW | Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre
“Matthew Brumlow is a powder keg of educated fury as outspoken Nixon critic Jim Reston.”
— CHICAGO’S EXAMINER.COM | Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre
"Matthew Brumlow’s portrayal of the dark semi twisted Stanley was right on. He had depth and control. Brumlow seemed to relish the part and with each scene he brought the right amount of charisma and charm to the multifaceted character while keeping him what he is, a lost soul on the verge of a breakdown.’
— ARKANSAS TRAVELER | A Streetcar Named Desire -Montana Repertory Theatre
“That sets the stage for Matthew Brumlow’s Curly, and his revelatory rendition of Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin. You can all but hear the sun coming up in his voice. Nobody could ever accuse Hammerstein of overwriting the part of Curly. It’s all too easy for the character to become Frontier Ken - little plastic man on the prairie. Brumlow’s no Ken. He’d made a flesh-and-blood presence of the smooth-singing cowboy, an impetuous, sometimes cruel, often joyous and mule-stubborn feller firmly anchored in a deep, abiding love of both the land and his gal.”
— WINDY CITY TIMES | Oklahoma! - American Theatre Company
“Highly Recommended! Nothing short of a miracle … it feels completely reborn, even revelatory… Matthew Brumlow is graceful, handsome and easygoing as Curly.”
— CHICAGO SUN TIMES | Oklahoma! - American Theatre Company
"Visionary...You'll not see a finer acted Oklahoma! Matthew Brumlow's Curly has depth, swagger, and loads of charm...Brumlow sells the songs from the heart...come and rediscover Oklahoma!"
— CHICAGO CRITIC | Oklahoma! - American Theatre Company
“The performances of Matthew Brumlow and Stephen Louis Grush, two of Chicago’s most exciting young actors, are just as powerful, as raw, as no holds barred as John C. Reilly’s and Philip Seymore Hoffman’s.”
— CHICAGO’S ‘FROM THE LEDGE’ | True West - American Theatre Company
“Brumlow (Leo Irving) blows the stage up with life and color!”
— LEO WEEKLY, LOUISVILLE | In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) -Actors Theatre of Louisville
"Matthew Brumlow is the earnest yet dashing hero, Richard Hannay. He is hilarious and lovable simply because…well, forgive my stereotyping, but it is simply because he is so very English. It is also because Matthew uses his full range of physicality – from splayed instant slumber to the lift of one eyebrow over a modest smirk – very specifically and purposefully, yet seemingly effortlessly."
— INDY THEATRE HABIT | The 39 Steps - Indiana Repertory Theatre
"Brumlow looked almost suave enough to remind you of the film's Robert Donat, with the addition of a puzzled, almost cross-eyed look that seemed perfect for a send-up of the film."
— INDY STAR | The 39 Steps - Indiana Repertory Theatre
“Talent is top-notch and perfectly matched for the task…Brumlow’s drollness as Hannay is made more pronounced and more amusing by sheer contrast to the others…a must see for Hitchcock fans.”
— GOTTAGOINDY | The 39 Steps - Indiana Repertory Theatre
“FOUR OUT OF FOUR STARS! LOMBARDI is solid and professional top to bottom… Matthew Brumlow is engaging as fiction Look magazine writer Michael McCormack, who runs with his all-access opportunity to be a fly on the wall around Lombardi at work and home. Brumlow at his best: Mocking the voice of the great one.”
— Green Bay Press Gazette | Lombardi - Peninsula Players Theatre
