Jhett Tolentino (born December 28, 1976) is a Filipino film and theatre producer. He is known for being the second Philippine-born awardee of the Tony Award, behind Lea Salonga. Having won three Tony Awards for his producing work between 2013 and 2015 and received his first Grammy Award in February 2017, he holds the record for the most wins of any naturalized Filipinos. In 2018, Tolentino was honored the Pamana ng Pilipino Award by the President of the Philippines for his non-profit work.
Early life According to his self-produced biographical documentary Life Is What You Make It, Tolentino is the youngest child of Gloria Dizon, a native of Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon and Arthur Tolentino, a native of Iloilo whose roots come from Bataan. Tolentino grew up in a severely impoverished area of Barangay Calumpang, Molo, Iloilo City, which was a few meters across the shore of the Iloilo Strait.
Tolentino attended Calumpang Elementary School (since renamed as Esteban Juntado, Sr. Elementary School) from 1983 to 1989. He entered the Basic Education Unit of University of Iloilo as a high school freshman and took up his secondary education from 1989 to 1993.
His high school education was enabled by a scholarship program promoted by the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish. The scholarship grant is funded by the Meguko Society, a student organization operating at the Jesuit-run Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. The Meguko Society caters to educational needs of indigenous children from India and the Philippines. Tolentino was awarded scholarship grants from high school to college by the organization.
He wanted to pursue a tourism degree but decided to study accounting at the University of Iloilo due to the lack of course offerings in the region. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree from the university in March 1997.
Career After graduation, Tolentino worked in Iloilo City at Mercantile Credit Resource Corporation as a general bookkeeper and later, corporate secretary. He worked at Mercantile Credit Resource Corporation from 1997 to 2002. He moonlighted in multinational Hong Kong-based companies from 1999 to 2001: as internal auditor for JP Capital Partners Ltd., and as sales and marketing executive for Inside Fashion.
In 2002, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for a sales and marketing job at The Good Guys, while moonlighting as a waiter for Continental Caterers and as a babysitter. In 2004, he moved to the New York tri-state area for a mortgage and finance job, where he learned about the theatre industry. Tolentino received a certificate in Nursing Assistance from the American Medical Career Training Center in Jamaica, New York in December 2005. He worked as a nursing assistant in 2006, and when the market crashed as part of the 2008 financial crisis, he worked in the healthcare industry full-time.
While in New York and working in finance and healthcare, he started writing reviews of theatre shows on his blog.
In February 2016, Tolentino was given recognition by the government of the Philippines through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts-Ani ng Dangal for giving international recognition to the Philippines; and was among The Outstanding Young Men and Women of the Philippines who were awarded the same year by President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang Palace in December of the same year. In 2019 Tolentino won Best Short Documentary at the NVIFF Awards in Amsterdam. In 2021, Blogtalk with MJ Racadio named him one of the "75 Most Influential Filipino-Americans".
Affiliations Organizations Organization Position Stint The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards) Voting Member 2016–present The Broadway League (Tony Awards) Voting Member 2015–2017 The Order of the Knights of Rizal-New York Chapter Deputy Chapter Commander 2015–2018
Music credits Recordings Year Album Credits Label Notes 2016 The Color Purple: New Broadway Cast Recording Producer Broadway Records 59th Annual Grammy Awards winner 2015 Side Show: Added Attractions Live at Feinstein's/54 Below2014 Side Show: Original 2014 Broadway Cast Recording Leslie Odom Jr. Associate Producer CD Baby Re-recorded in 2016 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder: Original Broadway Cast Recording Co-Executive Producer Sh-K-Boom Records 57th Annual Grammy Awards nominee 2013 Matilda the Musical: Original Broadway Cast Recording Associate Producer Broadway Records 56th Annual Grammy Awards nominee
Theatre credits Production Year Title Role Theatre 2019M. ButterflyProducerPhilippine National Tour2018Maybank Theatre Children of a Lesser GodStudio 542016 Tuck Everlasting Broadhurst Theatre Hand to God Vaudeville Theatre Hughie Booth Theatre A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder National Tour2015 Sylvia Cort Theatre Clever Little Lies Westside Theatre Hand to God Booth Theatre Buyer and Cellar National Tour2014 A Raisin in the Sun Ethel Barrymore Theatre A Delicate Balance John Golden Theatre Side Show St. James Theatre This is Our Youth Cort Theatre The Velocity of Autumn Booth Theatre Here Lies Love The Public Theater (LuEsther Hall)2013 Buyer and Cellar Barrow Street Theatre A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Walter Kerr Theatre Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike John Golden Theatre Macbeth Associate Producer Ethel Barrymore Theatre Bedlam's Hamlet and Saint Joan Co-Producer Lynn Redgrave Theatre 2012 My Name is Asher Lev Producer Westside Theatre
Filmography Film Credits Year Title Role2019Lingua FrancaProducer2018Confession2017 Life Is What You Make It Writer Producer Director
Notable awards and nominations Awards and Nominations Year Award Production Role Results2018 Aliw Award for Best PlayM. ButterflyProducer 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album The Color Purple 2016 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play Hand to God 2015 Tony Award for Best Play Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play This is Our Youth Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical Side Show 2014 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play A Raisin in the Sun Tony Award for Best Musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical Outer Critics Circle Award Best New Broadway Musical Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical Here Lies Love Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show Buyer & Cellar Off Broadway Alliance Award Best Revival Bedlam's Hamlet and Saint Joan Co-Producer 2013 Tony Award for Best Play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and SpikeProducer Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Play Outer Critics Circle Award Best New Broadway Play Outer Critics Circle Award Best New Off-Broadway Play My Name is Asher Lev Off Broadway Alliance Award Best New Play
Special citations Special Citations Year Title Award-giving Body Venue 2018 Pamana ng Pilipino Award Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas Malacañan Palace, Manila2016 Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women of the Philippines Junior Chamber International-Philippines Philippine Immersion Program Delegate Filipino Young Leaders Program Philippine Embassy, Washington, D.C. Ani ng Dangal National Commission for Culture and the ArtsSMX Aura Convention Center, Taguig 2014 The Outstanding Filipino American for Entertainment The Outstanding Filipino American-New York Carnegie Hall, New York City
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References
External links
Jhett Tolentino at Internet Broadway Database Jhett Tolentino at BroadwayWorld