Colin-Israel-40-359-2

Colin

Israel

7 years of experience
New York, NY
United States of America (USA)

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About

Hi! I’m Colin. 

Storytelling. It’s why I’m here. The reason I became a star-certified New York City Tour Guide, why I have the privilege to spend most of the year traveling, and the justification for shuffling multiple complicated logistics for  group of total strangers serves to put place every necessary puzzle piece in place to tell a powerful story. 

My pleasure in storytelling spans across multiple mediums and platforms. After earning my theatre degree at the Boston Conservatory, I moved to New York where I told stories onstage on National Tours, in Las Vegas, reputable regional theaters, and eventually as an Original Broadway Cast Member in “Matilda, the Musical.” While on Broadway, I also began to cultivate a television career appearing in “Blindspot” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” 

But I wanted to tell stories more dynamically. I wanted to bring the story to people, and immersive storytelling became a passion. In 2017, I became a star-certified New York City Tour Guide,  specializing in tours of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Broadway, Midtown, and Historic Wall Street. For the last seven years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with “Walks” (Rookie of the Year Award, 2017), “Broadway Up Close,””Educational Travel Adventures,” and guiding on six continents with “Adventures By Disney” (recipient of two distinguished “Shooting Star” awards). 

As I  grow my life along several paths and careers, I continue to focus on the story: making them fun and palatable, relevant yet dynamic. I love meeting new guests from all walks of life and, for a few hours or a few days, building a connection through our shared history which unites us and makes us celebrate that which is most special: us. 

 

 

Tours Offered & Destination Knowledge

General Walking ToursLarge Group ToursLocal GuideMulti-Day Tour Director/LeaderPerformance Group ToursPrivate ToursStudent Tour Director

Favorite Guiding Destinations Include:

NYC: The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Grand Central Terminal Official Guide, Midtown Manhattan, Historic Wall Street.

Central Italy: Rome, Tuscany, Florence, and Venice

Italy and Switzerland: Stresa, Como, Zermatt, and Lucerne

Fun Fact!
I love performing on Broadway and Television, too!
Hobbies & Interests
Triple Threat (Singing, Acting, Dancing), Immersive Theater Exploration, Group Fitness, Playing Piano, Reading, Teaching Musical Theater to Chinese Students, Power Naps.

Virtual Tour Experience

During Covid, I participated in Take Walks' "Around the World in 90 Minutes" tour in which I gave a virtual twenty minute tour of Times Square amongst destinations in Milan, Italy, and Greece.

Testimonials

"This was the absolute highlight of my wife's trip to NYC. Colin was amazing. Personal stories and trivia were great additions to with the highlight being the experience inside New Amsterdam Theater."  - Matthew T.

"This tour was AWESOME!!!! We loved it SO MUCH!...Colin was AMAZING!!! Funny, knowledgeable, talked to everyone individually on the tour, he was just so personable, we loved him!!!! I recommend this tour to all my friends and I would do it again!!!" -Amanda W.

"This tour was excellent! Colin did a fantastic job. He was very engaged and entertaining throughout. Being able to go behind the scenes and try on the costumes at the New Amsterdam theater was so much fun. Great experience!"  -Peter B.

 

Details

Gateway Airport(s)

JFK, LGA

Licenses

New York City (NYC)

Training

Language(s)

English

Additional Education

General Availability

I'm available for the winter, spring, and fall of 2025!

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