Born and raised in Holliston, MA, a small suburb of Boston, Mike has been singing and dancing since his elementary school debut as the Duck in his 1st grade production of Alice in Wonderland.
After a few years at gymnastics and, a few failed dismounts, Mike’s non-stop, uncontrollable energy and enthusiasm led his parents to enroll him in tap classes at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA). In addition to serving as an incredible outlet for his exuberance, tap opened a new door, and Mike found a true passion for performing.
As the only boy in his class, the instructor, Rosemarie Boyden, found ways to feature Mike for performance recitals and productions, giving him the confidence to be not only on stage, but center stage. To this day Mike credits Ms. Boyden as his major inspiration. During his years at FSPA, Mike appeared in productions such as West Side Story, Barnum, and Pirates of Penzance. Mike continued to explore various theatre programs, performed in several productions, and began to learn other styles of dance including ballet, jazz, modern etc…)
At the age of 13, his desire to follow his dreams of being a professional actor led him to audition and enroll at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, a rigorous performing arts high school dedicated to the higher education of young aspiring artists. After graduating from Walnut Hill, Mike decided to pursue musical theatre as his career and received his BFA, Cum Laude in Musical Theatre at the Hartt School of Music.
After graduation from Hartt, Mike has appeared in numerous regional productions across the country, choreographed and taught aspiring performers and brought the level 1 gymnastics team from Shen’s Gymnastics Academy to victory at the New England Classic. Today, Mike continues his professional endeavors having just completed the 2014 – 2015 national tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with 326 performances in 75 cities across North America.
Holliston’s Mike Baskowski ready for a variety of roles in ‘Beauty & the Beast’
-Metrowest Daily News