Italian Actor Michel Altieri on Seducing Stateside Audiences in Dracula

Age & Hometown: 32. Milan, Italy.

Currently: Making his American stage debut as the famously sexy bloodsucker in off-Broadway’s Dracula.

Learning From an Icon: Altieri made his mark in Italian musical theater by originating the roles of Tom Collins and the Beast in Milan productions of Rent and Beauty and the Beast. The actor got his break at age 20 when opera legend Luciano Pavarotti, who served as a producer on Rent, handpicked him for the show. “He was in the audience during an audition and just put his finger on me and said I was the horse to put the money on," Altieri recalls. "On opening night, I hit the wrong high note and was so worried he’d be upset, but afterwards he said, ‘Bravissimo! You’re incredible and never forget it!’”

Coming to America: Married to American actress-turned-Italian TV superstar Jessica Polsky (“she has all kinds of fans, from bus drivers to old women, who always yell her name!”), Altieri is thrilled to finally call New York home. “There’s always someone ready to hug you,” he comments on the theater scene. “I come from an old country full of theater traditions. Here, you can draw on tradition and also find something new, so New York is my future." Whether he's onstage in a musical or play, Altieri keeps a simple goal in mind: "You’re giving your hand to the audience and saying, ‘OK, let’s have fun together.’ That’s why theater is so great.”

Donning the Famous Cape: “I admire the actors who have played this role, and I try to make little homages to them in my performance,” Altieri says of taking on the iconic Count. “I also want to be myself, which is hard because I’m not that kind of creature!" Romantic vampires have become commonplace in the Twilight era, but don’t be surprised to detect a touch of Ziggy Stardust in this Dracula: “Since I was 10 years old, I wanted to be like David Bowie, so I’ve mixed a little of his performance from Labyrinth in there." Fortunately, Altieri feels plenty of sympathy for his tormented character. "The important thing is not to be someone who is ready to kill, but be this man who is looking for and deserves love," he says. "When I’m onstage, I just want to have a party of love!"