From Stage Lights to Key Lights: 5 Stars That Were Born On Broadway!

For many artists, Hollywood seems like an unreachable place – like a pipe dream. Damien Chazelle captured that feeling best in LaLa Land (2016), where Emma Stone’s character struggles to break into the industry. Sure, we love watching all of our favorite stars preform on screen, but how did they even get there?

Hard work, talent, and a smidge of luck are, of course, basic ingredients to success, but we all know that. What you maybe didn’t know is that these stars got their start on Broadway – the epicenter of American theater in New York City!

1. Barbra Streisand

An Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and a Special Tony – awards that any young artist dreams of receiving one day. For Barbra Streisand, this is reality – and she is the first person to win a non-competitive EGOT! Today we know Streisand for her iconic songs “The Way We Were” and “Evergreen”, as well as her unforgettable performances in Funny Girl (1968) and A Star is Born (1976). But 60 years ago? Back then, the name Barbra Streisand was unknown … well … until her Broadway debut with I Can Get It for You Wholesale. At only 19 years old, she played Miss Marmelstein and was consequently nominated for a Tony for her performance in the musical! What an incredible start to your career – and all that while being a teenager. Wow!

2. Sarah Jessica Parker

We couldn’t help but wonder, do all the greats get their start on Broadway? It certainly seems that way, because none other than the incredible Sarah Jessica Parker found her footing in the iconic theater scene of NYC. At the mere age of 11, SJP made her Broadway debut in the play The Innocents in 1976. Only three years later, the actress left her mark as the lead in Annie for her first big Broadway role and gateway into Hollywood. And with that, Sarah Jessica Parker’s journey was only about to begin…

3. Anna Kendrick

Let’s be honest – didn’t we all wanna be like Anna Kendrick after watching Pitch Perfect (2012)? For me, it was the “Cup-Song” that sent me into a whole fangirl moment, perhaps not completely surprising given that the actress started on Broadway. In the 1998 musical High Society, 12-year-old Anna Kendrick appeared in a supporting role which impressed critics so much that she received a Tony nomination for it! And let us repeat: at only 12 years old! Absolutely incredible!

4. Ariana Grande

Few artists have the talent that Ariana Grande has. As a singer, she impresses with her angelic voice, 4-octave vocal range and hit songs like “God is a Woman”. As an actress, Ariana Grande has grown from a Nickelodeon child star into an Oscar-nominated screen legend. It all started in 2008 when Grande appeared in the Broadway musical 13 alongside Elizabeth Gilles. Just a year later, both of them were cast in the hit Nickelodeon show "Victorious", and, well … the rest is history. What an incredibly sweet story.

5. Nick Jonas

Yes, the Jonas Brothers are a playlist staple, and a Summer day without their songs wouldn’t be the same. But how do you become one of the most iconic boy bands in the world? You guessed it: Broadway. Nick Jonas started acting on Broadway at only 7 years old, in supporting roles in various shows. In 2002, while performing as Chip in the musical Beauty and the Beast, Nick wrote the song “Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer)” with the help of his father. The song was then featured on the album Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure until it was ultimately released through INO Records to Christian Radio. This gave the song enough attention for Columbia Records to hear it, leading to Nick Jonas’s first studio deal. What a magical story for a debut single!