Nicholas Christopher | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1990-08-16) August 16, 1990 |
| Other name | Nick Christopher |
| Education | Boston Conservatory (attended) Juilliard School (attended) |
| Occupations | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Chess Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street |
Nicholas Christopher (born August 16, 1990) is a Bermudian-American stage actor and singer. He is best known for his Tony nominated performance as Anatoly Sergievsky in the first Broadway revival of Chess with Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit.123 He is also known for portraying Adolfo Pirelli in the 2023 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He later starred in the titular role of Sweeney Todd in the same production from January 17 to February 8, 2024, after Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford departed the show and before Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster began their run as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett.4
Christopher also starred on Broadway as John Thomas in Miss Saigon (2017–2018) and as Aaron Burr and George Washington in Hamilton (2016–2025).5
Career
Early career
Christopher was born in Bermuda to a Bermudian father and American mother. When he was 7 years old Christopher and his mother moved to the United States. He attended Cambridge Matignon School through his junior year when he transferred to the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts.6 He then enrolled Boston Conservatory for one year, followed by a year at the Juilliard School before he dropped out after getting cast as Benny in the first national tour of In The Heights.7 He then made his Off-Broadway debut as Tom Collins in the revival of Rent.8
He made his Broadway debut in 2013 as a part of the ensemble of Motown: The Musical. The following year, he was promoted to the role of Smokey Robinson in the show's national touring cast.
In 2016, Christopher joined the Broadway cast of Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre replacing original cast member Christopher Jackson in the principal role of George Washington. He left the cast a year later to star as John Thomas in the first Broadway revival of Miss Saigon at the Broadway Theatre. In 2018, he returned to Hamilton to star in the leading role of Aaron Burr for the show's national tour, and rejoined the Broadway cast in 2019 to reprise his role of Washington. From August 2021 to March 2022, Christopher reprised the role of Burr in the show's Los Angeles production at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
Christopher had a recurring role on all three seasons of the television series All Rise (2020–2023) as David Sanders.
Rise to prominence
In 2023, Christopher returned to Broadway as Adolfo Pirelli in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. In addition to portraying Pirelli, he also understudied Josh Groban in the titular role. After Groban’s departure from the cast, he took over the role of Todd for a temporary stint from January to February 2024 before Aaron Tveit joined the cast. In March 2024, he took a leave of absence from Sweeney Todd to star as Jelly Roll Morton in New York City Center’s production of Jelly's Last Jam.
From August to October 2024, he returned to the Broadway cast of Hamilton for a temporary stint as Washington. Christopher then joined the cast of the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors starring as Seymour Krelborn opposite Sherie Rene Scott as Audrey through February 2025 at the Westside Theatre. In April, he reprised his role of Burr for a week in the Broadway cast of Hamilton covering for Jared Dixon. In August 2025, he had reprised his role of Seymour opposite Madeline Brewer as Audrey for a month in the Off-Broadway cast of Little Shop of Horrors.
In October 2025, Christopher led the first Broadway revival of Chess playing Anatoly Sergievsky, alongside Aaron Tveit as Freddie Trumper and Lea Michele as Florence Vassy.9 The limited run at the Imperial Theatre has been extended to September 13, 2026.10 He was nominated for a Tony Award, a Drama League Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance.111213
Performance credits
Theatre
| Year(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Aida | Ensemble | North Shore Music Theatre |
| 2007 | High School Musical on Stage! | ||
| 2010-2011 | In the Heights | Benny | US National Tour |
| 2011-2012 | Rent | Tom Collins | New World Stages, Off-Broadway |
| 2013-2014 | Motown: The Musical | Ensemble | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway |
| 2014-2015 | Smokey Robinson | US National Tour | |
| 2015 | The Tempest | Boatswain / Spirit | Delacorte Theatre |
| Whorl Inside a Loop | Rick | Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway | |
| 2015-2016 | Lazarus | Ben | New York Theatre Workshop, Off-Broadway |
| 2016 | Hamilton | s/b George Washington | Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016-2017 | George Washington | ||
| 2017-2018 | Miss Saigon | John Thomas | Broadway Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018 | Hamilton | Aaron Burr | US National Tour |
| 2019 | George Washington | Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2021-2022 | Aaron Burr | Hollywood Pantages Theatre | |
| 2023-2024 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Adolfo Pirelli
s/b Sweeney Todd |
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway |
| 2024 | Sweeney Todd | ||
| Jelly's Last Jam | Jelly Roll Morton | New York City Center, Off-Broadway | |
| Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Adolfo Pirelli
s/b Sweeney Todd |
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway | |
| Hamilton | George Washington | Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2024-2025 | Little Shop of Horrors | Seymour Krelborn | Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Hamilton | Aaron Burr | Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway |
| Little Shop of Horrors | Seymour Krelborn | Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway | |
| 2025-2026 | Chess | Anatoly Sergievsky | Imperial Theatre, Broadway16 |
Television
Source:17
| Year(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll | AJ | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Himself | Episode: "Love Hurts" |
| 2020–2023 | All Rise | David Sanders | 10 episodes |
| 2021 | United States of Al | Tater | Episode: "Help/Komak" |
Cast recordings
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Adolfo Pirelli | Broadway cast recording |
| 2026 | Chess | Anatoly Sergievsky |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Chess | Nominated | 1819 |
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | 2021 | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Nominated | 22 | ||
| Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Pending | 13 | ||
| Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards | Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical | Nominated | 23 | ||
| Favorite Onstage Pair (with Lea Michele) | Nominated | ||||
| Favorite Onstage Pair (with Aaron Tveit) | Nominated | ||||
| Performance of the Year (Musical) | Nominated |
References
References
- Culwell-Block, Logan (2024-01-17). "6 Understudies Will Step Into the Spotlight in Broadway's Sweeney Todd Over the Next 3 Weeks". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Tran, Diep (2024-01-24). "Sweeney Todd's Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna de Waal on Their Craziest Understudy Stories". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Gershonowitz, Heather (2024). "Photos: Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna de Waal Step Into Sweeney Todd". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Tran, Diep (January 24, 2024). "Sweeney Todd's Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna de Waal on Their Craziest Understudy Stories".
- "Nicholas Christopher". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2026-03-06. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Megliola, Lenny (2009-05-08). "Three of a kind: 'Brigadoon' at The Walnut Hill School". Oakridger. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- "Nicholas Christopher Is Giving a Star-Making Performance in Chess on Broadway. He's Not Letting It Get to His Head, Though". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2026-05-17. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Schulman, Michael (2025-11-10). "Nicholas Christopher, Broadway's Grand Master". Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2026-05-22 – via The New Yorker.
- Paulson, Michael (2025-05-28). "Lea Michele Resuscitated 'Funny Girl.' Her Next Move Is 'Chess.'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Meg, Masserson (March 25, 2026). "Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque Will Return to Broadway in Chess".
- Rubino, Sophia 2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced Broadway.com, April, 20, 2026
- Culwell-Block, Logan The Lost Boys Leads 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List Playbill, April 21, 2026
- Rosky, Nicole 2026 Tony Nominations: Updating Live! BroadwayWorld, May 5, 2026
- "Nicholas Christopher theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- "Nicholas Christopher – Broadway Cast & Staff". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2025-10-16. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- Evans, Greg (May 28, 2025). "'Chess' Broadway Revival With Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit & Nicholas Christopher Set For Fall Season".
- "Nicholas Christopher | Actor". IMDb.
- "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- Russo, Gillian (2026-05-11). "2026 Outer Critics Circle Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
- Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- Gordon, David Schmigadoon!, Two Strangers Land Drama Desk Best Musical Nominations TheaterMania, April 29, 2026
- "Chess, Schmigadoon! & Two Strangers Lead 2026 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Nominations—Vote Now". May 4, 2026.