Adam Pascal

Adam Pascal, star of Broadway’s RENT and AIDA

Coming to Wright State University

Wright State theatre students will work alongside Broadway star Adam Pascal when he visits campus as part of “Musicals Rock!,” a yearlong celebration of contemporary musical theatre organized by the Musical Theatre Initiative at Wright State University. Pascal, who starred in the original Broadway productions of RENT, AIDA, MEMPHIS and others, will visit campus Dec. 1 and 2 to perform, conduct hands-on workshops with students and discuss his career. He will present a solo concert at Wright State’s Festival Playhouse on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m.

All workshops and interviews are free and open to outside student and faculty observers, but members of the public must register for each event by contacting amanda.brewer@wright.edu.

The yearlong program, called Musicals Rock!, will immerse students and audiences in the entire world of Broadway pop and rock musicals, said Joe Deer, distinguished professor of musical theatre and Musical Theatre Initiative director.

“This is the sound and style of the new Broadway. And we’re preparing our students to enter that world professionally. We’re opening the entire event up to the public as observers so that they can take advantage of a unique opportunity to meet some remarkable, very high-level artists up close and see them work with the talented students at Wright State,” Deer said. “Anyone who is interested in shows like ‘American Idiot,’ ‘Hamilton,’ ‘Mamma Mia’ or any of the jukebox musicals that have been on Broadway in the last few years will want to take advantage of an unusual opportunity to study them up close.”

The Musical Theatre Initiative is an international center at Wright State that celebrates and explores the history, culture and craft of the musical theatre through workshops, conferences and performances.

For more information on Musicals Rock and the Musical Theatre Initiative, contact Joe Deer at 937-775-2424 or joe.deer@wright.edu.

ADAM PASCAL was born on October 25, 1970, in the Bronx and raised in Syosset, New York.  He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since.

In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical), and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger. The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent.

In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk!  In 2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released on Sh-K-Boom Records.  Also in 2000, Adam co-produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and London.  

In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part of the closing cast.  Also during that time Adam starred along side Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records.   

In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time along side Anthony Rapp, in “Rent The Broadway Tour”, which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.

In 2008, Adam played the role of Freddie Trumper in the Tim Rice/Abba Musical Chess, alongside Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel for two sold out performances at The Royal Albert Hall, in London. The DVD is currently on sale worldwide.  

In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long running hit Chicago.

Adam’s latest CD entitled Blinding Light is currently in release and he is touring with his partner Larry Edoff to promote it.

Look for Adam in the upcoming releases of "SLC Punk 2", "Punk's Dead" and "The Devil's Carnival Alleluia".

Finally Adam is the co-owner of Cybele's free-to-eat. An allergen/gluten free packaged foods company started by his wife, bestselling cookbook author Cybele Pascal. Cybele's delicious cookies can be found in thousands of supermarkets across the country.