Jason Forbach is an American actor, singer and playwright. He is known for portraying Rapunzel's Prince and the Baker in Into the Woods,[1][2] Enjolras in Les Misérables.[3] and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera.[4]
Jason Forbach | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) | Actor, singer, playwright |
Years active | 2006–present |
Known for | Into the Woods Les Misérables The Phantom of the Opera |
Spouse | Joseph Spieldenner (2016–present) |
Early life
editForbach graduated with his Bachelor of Music in 2000 from University of Missouri-Columbia where he was the recipient of the Chancellor's Emerging Artist Award that year. He went on to complete his Masters with academic distinction at New England Conservatory in Boston.[5]
Career
editIn 2006, Forbach joined the Las Vegas cast of The Phantom of the Opera understudying the roles of Raoul and Monsieur Reyer.[6]
In 2009, Forbach played the dual role of Rapunzel's Prince and The Wolf in Into the Woods at the Wells Fargo Pavilion.[7]
In 2012, Forbach joined the 25th Anniversary national tour cast of Les Misérables as Feuilly and an understudy for Enjolras. He later took over the role of Enjolras playing opposite his real-life husband Joseph Spieldenner as Grantaire until the tour closed.[8] In 2013, he received acclaim for his performance as Chris Scott in the North Shore Music Theatre production of Miss Saigon.[9]
In March 2014, Forbach returned to Les Misérables in the second Broadway revival. Once again playing Feuilly and understudying Enjolras. He briefly took over the role of Enjolras again in October 2014 and left the role in November of that same year.[10] He continued with the production playing Feuilly and the Factory Foreman.[3]
Forbach appeared as Captain Albert Lennox in the 2016 and 2017 Shakespeare Theatre Company and 5th Avenue Theatre productions of The Secret Garden.[6]
Forbach is also an award winning playwright having placed in the New Works of Merit Playwriting Competition with his play Heathen Hill.[5]
In 2022, Forbach joined the New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods as the male swing.[11][non-primary source needed] He would end up going on for Rapunzel's Prince for a majority of the run when Jordan Donica was sick.[4] He moved with the production to the St. James Theatre for the second Broadway revival understudying the roles of the Baker, the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince, and the Narrator/Mysterious Man. He opened the production as the Baker when Brian d'Arcy James was sick, and also went on for the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince many times including when Gavin Creel and Cheyenne Jackson were both unavailable for 3 days in August. He also played Rapunzel's Prince many times during the production's run on Broadway.[2]
On November 21, 2022, Forbach returned to The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway for a limited run through December 5 playing the role of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. He had been a vacation swing in Phantom at the Majestic Theatre for several years, primarily understudying the roles of Raoul, Reyer, Marksman, and Hairdresser.[4]
In 2023, Forbach went on tour across the United States to ten cities with the Broadway production of Into the Woods playing Rapunzel's Prince and understudying the Baker. He starred opposite Gavin Creel, Stephanie J. Block, Montego Glover, and Sebastian Arcelus all reprising their Broadway roles.[12] On February 23, he went on for the Baker last second for the second act of the production's preview performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., he would then proceed to open the show's engagement as the Baker that weekend and play the role for the majority of the performances at the Kennedy Center while Arcelus was recovering from an injury. Andy Karl and understudies Sam Simahk and Eddie Lopez played Rapunzel's Prince in his place.[13][non-primary source needed][14] On February 28, Forbach announced on his Instagram stories he'd be playing the Baker during the 6-day absence of Arcelus at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.[15][non-primary source needed] Simahk played Rapunzel's Prince in his place.[16][non-primary source needed][non-primary source needed] He also played the Baker during the production's closing weekend at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tennessee with Lopez playing Rapunzel's Prince in his place.[17][non-primary source needed][18][non-primary source needed]
Personal life
editOn February 9, 2016, he married actor Joseph Spieldenner.[19]
Acting credits
editTheatre
editYear(s) | Production | Role | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | The Music Teacher | Jim / Chronilos | Minetta Lane Theatre | Off-Broadway |
2006–2009 | The Phantom of the Opera | Ensemble; u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny u/s Monsieur Reyer |
The Venetian Las Vegas | The Las Vegas Spectacular |
2006 | A Christmas Carol | Dick Wilkins; u/s Narrator u/s The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come / Young Scrooge |
North Shore Music Theatre | Regional |
2009 | Into the Woods | The Wolf / Rapunzel's Prince | Wells Fargo Pavilion | |
2010–2012 | Les Misérables | Feuilly; u/s Enjolras |
U.S. National Tour | 25th Anniversary |
2012–2013 | Enjolras | U.S. National Tour April 6, 2012 - June 9, 2013 | ||
2013 | Miss Saigon | Chris Scott | North Shore Music Theatre | Regional |
2014 | Les Misérables | Enjolras | Saroyan Theater | Fresno Grand Opera |
Feuilly; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre March 23 – October 26 |
Broadway | ||
Enjolras | Imperial Theatre October 28 – November 30 | |||
2014–2015 | Feuilly; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre December 9, 2014 – May 24, 2015 | ||
2015 | My Fair Lady | Freddy Eynsford-Hill | Wells Fargo Pavilion | Regional |
Les Misérables | Feuilly; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre June 23–29 |
Broadway | |
Feuilly / Factory Foreman; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre June 30 – September 6 | |||
Feuilly; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre September 7 – December 21 | |||
2015–2016 | Feuilly / Factory Foreman; u/s Enjolras |
Imperial Theatre December 22, 2015 – September 4, 2016 | ||
2016–2017 | The Secret Garden | Captain Albert Lennox | Sidney Harman Hall | Shakespeare Theatre Company |
2017 | 5th Avenue Theatre | |||
Evita | Agustin Magaldi | Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival | Regional | |
The Secret Garden | Captain Albert Lennox | Sarofim Hall | Presented by Shakespeare Theatre Company / 5th Avenue Theatre | |
2018 | The Phantom of the Opera | Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre February 5 – November 11 |
Broadway |
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | Majestic Theatre November 12–17 | |||
Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre November 18 – December 5 | |||
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate) | Majestic Theatre December 6–8 | |||
2018–2019 | Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre December 9, 2018 – January 8, 2019 | ||
2019 | Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate) | Majestic Theatre January 9–12 | ||
Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre January 13 – May 30 | |||
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate) | Majestic Theatre May 31 – June 1 | |||
Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre June 2–14 | |||
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate) | Majestic Theatre June 15 | |||
Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre June 16 – July 5 | |||
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate) | Majestic Theatre July 6–7 | |||
Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre July 8 – August 4 | |||
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | Majestic Theatre August 5–10 | |||
2019–2020 | Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre August 11, 2019 – March 12, 2020 | ||
2021–2022 | Majestic Theatre October 22, 2021 – May 3, 2022 | |||
2022 | Into the Woods | The Baker, The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince, Jack, Rapunzel's Prince, The Narrator / The Mysterious Man (Swing) |
New York City Center May 4–15 |
Encores! Played Rapunzel's Prince for a majority of the run when Jordan Donica was sick |
The Phantom of the Opera | Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny |
Majestic Theatre May 16 – June 12 |
Broadway | |
Into the Woods | u/s The Baker u/s The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince u/s Rapunzel's Prince u/s The Narrator / The Mysterious Man |
St. James Theatre June 28 – August 2 | ||
The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince | St. James Theatre August 3–5[20] | |||
u/s The Baker u/s The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince u/s Rapunzel's Prince u/s The Narrator / The Mysterious Man |
St. James Theatre August 6 – November 20 | |||
The Phantom of the Opera | Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | Majestic Theatre November 21 – December 5 | ||
2022–2023 | Into the Woods | u/s The Baker u/s The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince u/s Rapunzel's Prince u/s The Narrator / The Mysterious Man |
St. James Theatre December 6, 2022 – January 8, 2023 | |
2023 | Rapunzel's Prince; u/s The Baker |
U.S. National Tour February 18–23 |
Ten city engagement | |
The Baker | U.S. National Tour February 23 – March 11 | |||
Rapunzel's Prince; u/s The Baker |
U.S. National Tour March 11–26 | |||
The Baker | U.S. National Tour March 28 – April 2 | |||
Rapunzel's Prince; u/s The Baker |
U.S. National Tour April 4 – May 25 | |||
The Baker | U.S. National Tour May 26–28 | |||
Rapunzel's Prince; u/s The Baker |
U.S. National Tour June 6 – July 30 | |||
The Rocky Horror Show | Brad Majors | Bucks County Playhouse | Regional | |
2024 | Little Shop of Horrors | Orin Scrivello | Ogunquit Playhouse | |
A Wonderful World | Crooner & Others
u/s Joe Glaser |
Studio 54 | Broadway |
Television
editYear(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | America's Got Talent | Feuilly | 1 episode |
2024 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sam McKenzie | 1 episode |
FBI: Most Wanted | Governor of Missouri | 1 episode |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Wild, Stephi. "Complete Cast and Additional Cities Announced For INTO THE WOODS Tour". BroadwayWorld.
- ^ a b "When Into the Woods' Lead Actor Was Out on Opening Night, It Was an Understudy's Time to Shine". Peoplemag.
- ^ a b c "Jason Forbach (Performer) | Playbill".
- ^ a b c "Meet Jason Forbach, the Understudy Doing Double Duty in The Phantom of the Opera & Into the Woods". Broadway.com.
- ^ a b "Jason Forbach: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World". broadwayworld.com.
- ^ a b c "Jason Forbach theatre profile". AboutTheArtists.
- ^ "PHOTO CALL: Into the Woods, with Denman and Lewis, in Sacramento | Playbill".
- ^ "Welcome stagedoordish.com". stagedoordish.com.
- ^ "Jennifer Paz, Jason Forbach, Francis Jue, Rodrick Covington and More Cast in North Shore Miss Saigon | Playbill".
- ^ Millward, Tom (October 19, 2017). "Jason Forbach assumes the role of Enjolras in Broadway's revival of Les Misérables at the Imperial Theatre through to 30 November 2014, whilst original cast member Kyle Scatliffe is on leave". New York Theatre Guide.
- ^ "Jason Forbach Encores Announcement". Instagram.
- ^ Hall, Margaret. "Complete Casting Revealed for Into the Woods Tour". Playbill.
- ^ "Instagram". instagram.com.
- ^ Ingenthron, Blair (February 25, 2023). "Andy Karl to Rejoin INTO THE WOODS at the Kennedy Center This Weekend". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Forbach, Jason (February 28, 2023). "BOSTON FRIENDS! I will be on as The Baker from 3/28-4/2, get your tix today!". Instagram.
- ^ Simahk, Sam (February 28, 2023). "I'll be on as Rapunzel's Prince for an entire week in BOSTON!!". Instagram.
- ^ "Instagram". instagram.com.
- ^ "Instagram". instagram.com.
- ^ "Jason Forbach, Joseph Spieldenner". The New York Times. February 14, 2016. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Cheyenne Jackson, Jason Forbach to Fill In for Gavin Creel in Into the Woods on Broadway". July 12, 2022.