Nick Jonas feels the heat from Last Five Years fans as he stars in the musical’s Broadway debut with Adrienne Warren.
Nick Jonas, the pop prince who’s conquered arenas worldwide with those harmony-happy Jonas Brothers, is pacing the boards of Broadway with a case of the jitters. His latest gig? Stepping into the role of Jamie in The Last Five Years, a musical so beloved it’s practically got its own fan club with matching T-shirts.
And it’s not the dazzling marquee lights or the sold-out crowds that have him sweating through his costume—it’s the theater geeks who’ve been warbling Jason Robert Brown’s heartbreak anthems since their high school drama club days. “It’s those folks who have done it that I feel most intimidated to do it for,” Jonas admitted on opening night, April 6, 2025, his voice carrying that mix of earnestness and nerves that only a Disney Channel vet turned Broadway leading man could pull off.
Let’s set the scene: Jonas, now 32 and a seasoned stage kid (Les Mis, Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun—he’s got the résumé), is tackling this cult classic as it makes its long-awaited Broadway debut. He’s sharing the spotlight with Adrienne Warren, a Tony-winning powerhouse who could probably belt “Still Hurting” in her sleep and still leave you in tears.
Together, they’re breathing life into Brown’s two-hander, a musical that’s less a linear love story and more a chronological puzzle—Jamie’s timeline chugs forward from meet-cute to meltdown, while Cathy’s (Warren) rewinds from the wreckage to the rosy beginning. It’s raw, it’s messy, and it’s got Jonas stepping way outside his pop-star comfort zone.
So why the stage fright? This isn’t just another gig for Jonas—it’s a high-wire act. The Last Five Years has a rabid following, from the off-Broadway diehards who wore out the original cast recording to the college theater majors who’ve staged it in every black-box venue from here to Schenectady.
Jonas knows he’s not just performing for the balcony; he’s performing for them—the ones who know every key change, every gut-punch lyric, and who’ll notice if he flubs a single note of “The Schmuel Song.” But here’s the kicker: he’s leaning into it. “That’s the beauty of storytelling and being an artist and an actor,” he told People, “you get to take big risks and put yourself out there.” Translation: if you’re not scared, you’re not doing it right. And if this guy can survive the Camp Rock era with his dignity intact, he’s got the chops to face down a few theater nerds side-eyeing his vibrato.
Opening night wasn’t just a solo mission—Jonas had his own personal hype crew in the house. Brothers Joe, Kevin, and Frankie were there, probably ready to throw roses or start a “Nick! Nick! Nick!” chant from the mezzanine. And then there’s Priyanka Chopra, his wife and the queen of any after-party worth attending, cheering him on like it’s the Super Bowl of musical theater.
For Jonas, this Broadway run is more than a job—it’s a chance to plant roots in NYC and soak up some rare family time. “We’re so used to being in 10 different cities in 10 different days,” he said. “To be in one place and have this time together has been really nice.” Picture it: Nick, Priyanka, and the Jonas clan grabbing late-night pizza after the curtain drops, swapping stories about the night’s standing ovation. It’s almost too wholesome to handle.
At its core, The Last Five Years is a gut-wrenching autopsy of a relationship—love’s dizzying highs, its brutal lows, and all the messy stuff in between. Jonas, who’s spent his life under the fame microscope (first as a tween idol, then as a solo act, then as a JoBro redux), knows a thing or two about navigating life’s ups and downs in public.
Playing Jamie—a cocky writer whose marriage to Cathy unravels as his star rises—feels like a full-circle moment for him. This isn’t just a role; it’s a mirror, reflecting the risks and rewards of a career built on big swings.
So yeah, Nick Jonas is intimidated. But he’s also all in—nerves, heart, and that signature falsetto included. As he and Warren light up the Hayes Theater, they’re not just telling Jamie and Cathy’s story—they’re proving that even pop royalty can get rattled, and that’s what makes the show hit so hard.
In a world of autotune and airbrushing, Jonas is keeping it real, one anxious step at a time. And if the theater gods are smiling, those die-hard fans might just give him a standing O instead of a side-eye. Curtain’s up, Nick—knock ‘em dead.
source PEOPLE
