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Adam Jacobs (born May 17, 1979) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for originating the title role of Aladdin in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway.[1] He also starred as Marius in the Les Misérables 2006 Broadway revival, and Simba in Disney's The Lion King on Broadway.
Adam Jacobs | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Adam Jacobs singing at Epcot for the Disney on Broadway Concert Series | |
| Born | May 17, 1979 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | Kelly Kohnert |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | adamjacobs |
Born in Half Moon Bay, California in 1979[2][3] (not 1984, as is sometimes erroneously reported without citation), Jacobs initially studied piano at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, beginning at the age of 5. He played the instrument for eight years and later found an interest in musical theater. Jacobs performed in local community theater and high school productions. To accumulate additional training, he also attended the summer programs of the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in downtown SF and the California Institute of the Arts (CSSSA) in Valencia, California. When a representative from the San Francisco Opera saw him star in his high school's production of Evita, he asked Jacobs to audition for an upcoming documentary opera based on the story of Harvey Milk. Jacobs auditioned for the film and was cast as "Young Harvey". This allowed him to participate in both a performance marking the anniversary of Milk's assassination and the candlelight ceremony that took place prior to the show.
Jacobs studied at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in Theater. During this time, he also studied with the Collaborative Arts Project Musical Theater program (CAP21) and the Stonestreet Film and Television Studios program.
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Upon graduation from Tisch, Jacobs performed in regional theater and cruise lines. He toured the country as Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods before landing his first Equity production as Nanki-poo in Marriott Theater's Hot Mikado.
Jacobs got his big break when he landed the role of "Marius" in the national tour of Les Misérables, a part he later played in the Broadway revival.[4] Since then, Jacobs has starred in Mamma Mia! as Sky and The Lion King as Simba, both on Broadway. He also played the role of Daniel Beauxhomme in Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Once on This Island.[5] Jacobs credits his mixed Filipino-Jewish ethnicity which has allowed him to play such varied roles.
In 2011, Jacobs began performing in the original cast in the musical Aladdin as the title role at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. In 2012, the musical put on several regional and international productions, and was given a Toronto tryout the following year. It opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014. Jacobs performed his last show in Broadway's Aladdin on February 12, 2017. It was announced that he would continue playing Aladdin in the upcoming North American tour.[6] The North American tour began April 11, 2017.[7]
His debut solo album entitled Right Where I Belong, is a compilation of Alan Menken songs including well known tunes such as “Proud of Your Boy” (Aladdin), “Go The Distance” (Hercules), “Santa Fe” (Newsies), and “Suddenly Seymour” (Little Shop of Horrors in duet with his sister Arielle Jacobs) as well as a few lesser-known melodies from Menken's earlier works.
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Jacobs met his future wife, Kelly Kohnert, performing in a Christmas show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. While she was performing as a dancer, he starred as the show's Santa Claus. The two were later married, and their twin boys were born on January 27, 2014. The family moved away from Sunnyside and moved to Wilmette, IL in 2018. Jacobs' younger sister, Arielle Jacobs, is also a successful theater actress and starred as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway and as Imelda in Here Lies Love on Broadway.[8]
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Film
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lullaby | Duncan Forbes, Charles Noyce | |
| 2013 | Bottomless Pit | Sebastian | Short film |
| 2014 | Four Kinds of Love | Mr. Wilson | |
| Random: It's a Small Town Thing | Jax, Mr. Tick Tock, Arial | Also writer and director | |
| 2021 | Adam Jacobs Behind the Curtain | Himself | |
| Last Call in the Dog House | Mo |
Television
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Blake & Sal Show | Himself/Guest | Episode: "Entertainment Apex: Adam Jacobs Interview" |
| 2018 | Chicago Med | Ryan Scott | Episode: "When to Let Go" |
| 2019 | Soundtrack | Dominic | Episode: "Track 10: Finale" |
Theater
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2006 | Les Misérables | Marius Pontmercy | Third National Tour |
| 2006–2008 | Broadway Revival | ||
| 2009–2010 | Mamma Mia! | Sky | Second National Tour |
| 2010–2011 | The Lion King | Simba | National Tour - Gazelle Company |
| 2011 | Aladdin | Aladdin | 5th Avenue Theatre |
| 2011–2012 | The Lion King | Simba | Broadway |
| 2012 | Once on This Island | Daniel | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2013-2014 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Ed Mirvish Theatre |
| 2014–2017 | Broadway | ||
| 2017–2018 | First National Tour | ||
| 2018 | Sweet Charity | Vittorio Vidal | Marriott Theatre |
| 2019 | Something Rotten! | The Bard | |
| 2022 | The King and I | The King of Siam | Drury Lane Theatre |
| 2023 | The Who's Tommy | Captain Walker | Goodman Theatre |
| 2024 | Broadway Revival |
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