Josh Young is an American actor best known for appearing on Broadway in the revival of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar'' as
Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betr ...
and ''
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
'', originating the role of
John Newton
John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
.
Early life and education
Young was raised in
Wallingford, Pennsylvania
Wallingford is an unincorporated community in Nether Providence Township, Delaware County in Pennsylvanias. Founded in 1687, it is named for Wallingford, England. In 2007, Wallingford was named by ''Money Magazine'' as the 9th best place to li ...
, and his family is Conservative Jewish. He trained at the Pennsylvania Governors School for the Arts and holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from
Syracuse University.
Career
In 2005, Young performed as Tony in the 50th-anniversary international tour of ''
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...
''.
He performed in several shows in the Stratford Festival, including ''
The Grapes of Wrath
''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award
and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
'' (Connie), ''
Evita'' (Che), and ''
Kiss Me Kate
''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...
'' (Paul).
For his role as Che in ''
Evita'', he won the Broadway World Toronto Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
He then played Marius in a tour of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
''.
From 2011 to 2012, Young played the role of
Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betr ...
in the revival of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar'' for which he was nominated for the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for
Best Featured Actor in a Musical. On May 8, 2012, he won the Theatre World Award for an outstanding Broadway debut performance for this role.
In March 2013, Young performed "Bring On the Men" from the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musical ''
Jekyll & Hyde'' at
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is an American nonprofit organization that raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States, headquartered in New York City. It is the theatre community's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ...
fundraising concert Broadway Backwards.
In 2015, he starred in the musical ''
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
'' on Broadway in the role of
John Newton
John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
. He can be heard on the cast recording, which was released in February 2016.
He won a Broadway World Award for this role in the Chicago Premiere at
Bank of America Theatre.
In 2019, Young joined the faculty of
Oakland University.
Personal life
On January 12, 2017, Young got engaged to actress
Emily Padgett. They were married on June 3, 2018. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in February 2019. They had a son in November 2020.
Discography
* ''
Amazing Grace: The Musical'': Original Broadway Cast Recording
* ''Where the Sky Ends: The Songs of Michael Mot''t (Track: "Her Embrace" from ''Faustus'')
* ''Still Dreaming of Paradise'' (solo album)
* ''Josh Young'' (self titled debut album)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Josh
American male musical theatre actors
Syracuse University alumni
Living people
Jewish American male actors
1980 births
Theatre World Award winners
21st-century American Jews