Friday, March 27, 2026

Friday 5: 5 Male Musical Performances to Look Forward To This Spring

Male Performances
to Look Forward to This Spring

The wonderful things about this list is that I didn't have to really stretch to pick 5. In fact, I narrowed the list down from 15! The 5 I settled on includes a full range - from a Broadway debut and a young actor growing up in front of our eyes to an emsemblist now in a featured roles and a long time favorite back after a few years. (And no worries, the ladies will get their due next week.) 

Max Clayton (Danny Bailey - Schmigadoon!)
In a cast list that reads like a who's who of current Broadway regulars, Max stands out to me as a performer I've enjoyed many times in terrific ensembles (Moulin Rouge!, Hello, Dolly!), and is now creating a supporting characters all his own. (We missed him when he went on for Hugh Jackman in The Music Man.) I wish him well, and look forward to watching him shine in a spotlight all his own.


Luke Evans (Frank-N-Furter - The Rocky Horror Show)
Ever since he wowed me as Gaston in the live action Beauty and the Beast, I've been hoping to see this guy on the Broadway stage. Wishes come true! As he dons the fishnets of the iconic transsexual from Transylvania, it'll be fun to see him be a little crazy and let loose - at least I hope he will. No matter how it turns out, it's such an honor to be there when a performer makes their Broadway debut.


Sydney James Harcourt (Rum Tum Tugger - Cats: The Jellicle Ball)
Somehow, despite his being in a couple of Broadway's biggest shows - Hamilton, American Idiot - we have missed him. And now I'm extra excited to see him play one of mega musical's most iconic roles in a way it has never been played before. I know I'm alone in being thrilled to see this curious cat strut his stuff!



Benjamin Pajak (Sam Emerson - The Lost Boys)
Every few years, a young kid really dazzles in their Broadway debut, as this young man did in The Music Man. He was natural and wonderfully endearing. And now, he's in a teen-angsty role in a teen-angsty horror musical. I'm guessing it's a far cry from River City! But the real excitement is watching him grow up before our eyes. Like Nicholas Barasch before him, Benjamin Pajak is on his way!

John Riddle (Cal Hockley - Titanique)

I've been smitten with this guy since the first time I saw him as Young Anton in The Visit. He has a variety of talents from leading man suavity and cruel villainy to male ingenue and what I hope will be a silliness that not only sends up the Titanic film villain as well as a send up of the roles he's famous for playing! Plus, he's so darned handsome!

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