Thayne Jasperson (born Thayne Riley Jasperson, July 27, 1980) is an American actor, singer, and choreographer, best known for his roles in Broadway musicals such as Hamilton, Newsies, and Matilda.
Thayne Jasperson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jasperson in his Broadway Dance Center faculty photo. | |
| Born | July 27, 1980 Provo, Utah, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Utah Valley State College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
Early life
editJasperson was born in Provo, Utah before moving to Green River, Wyoming, where he grew up for the first several years of his life. [1] By the age of nine, he had taken up piano, musicals, and clog dancing. His friends mocked him for this, telling him "it was for girls,"[2] which led him to temporarily quit his theater career. He moved to Evanston for a bit before moving back to Utah during high school.
Jasperson graduated from Springville High School, later going to Utah Valley State College[3] before going back into theater full-time around his 21st birthday.
Career
editJasperson appeared in the 2006 movie High School Musical as a dancer before competing in the 2008 season of the show So You Think You Can Dance.
Jasperson made his Broadway debut in 2012 with the role of Darcy and ensemble in the original cast of Newsies. In 2013, he was cast as an ensemble member in the musical version of Matilda. Shortly after, he impressed the casting directors of Hamilton and became a member of the musical.
As an original Broadway cast member of Hamilton in 2015, Jasperson originated the role of Samuel Seabury and performed in the ensemble. Along with being cast as Seabury, he is the understudy for John Laurens / Philip Hamilton and for King George III. Jasperson is the only original cast member still performing the show onstage at Richard Rogers Theatre.[4] Although he's not necessarily a "main role," him being the last one standing from the original cast makes Jasperson a fan favorite.
Upcoming Projects
editNo upcoming projects of Jasperson's are known, but it is believed he will continue working on Hamilton for at least a few more years.
Educator / Movement Director
editJasperson teaches Hamilton choreography in New York City, where participants can learn a dance combination from the musical. He has also offered online classes for the same purposes, as well as teaching students in the middle school of the town where he grew up.
Awards and recognitions
editIn 2016, Jasperson was nominated for an Astaire Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show for Hamilton, along with Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana Debose, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Jon Rua, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart, Betsy Struxness, and Ephraim Sykes.
Other awards:
- 2012 nominee for Fred Astaire Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in Newsies
- 2016 nominee Fred Astaire Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in "Hamilton"
- 2016 Winner Tony Awards for Best Musical Theater Album for "Hamilton"
Personal life
editJasperson currently lives in Utah. He is a Mormon, and he goes to the LDS Church. He has confirmed he is bisexual, being attracted to both men and women.[5][6] Although he faces some adversity for his sexuality, Jasperson stays confident and proud of who he is.[6]
Jasperson is not much of a sports fan, but since he grew up in Wyoming, he roots for the Wyoming Cowboys, as he loves the state where he grew up.[7]
Performance credits
editTheatrical performances
editBroadway
edit| Title | Role | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newsies | Darcy and Ensemble (2012) | Nederlander Theatre | Actor |
| Matilda | Ensemble (2013–2014) | Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler | Actor |
| Hamilton | Samuel Seabury and Ensemble; John Laurens / Philip Hamilton (u/s); King George III (u/s) | Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler | Actor, Choreographer |
Off-Broadway
edit| Title | Role | Details | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only Gold | Ensemble | Actor | ||
| Hamilton | Samuel Seabury / Ensemble | New York City Center, John Rando | Public Theatre/Thomas Kail | Actor |
Regional
edit| Title | Role | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finding Neverland[8] | Ensemble | Actor | |
| West Side Story | Ensemble | Actor | |
| OZ | Scarecrow | Actor | |
| A.R.T | Porthos | Actor |
Film
edit| Title | Role | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | Samuel Seabury / Ensemble | Directed by Thomas Kail | Actor |
| High School Musical | Brainiac Dancer | Directed by Kenny Ortega | Actor |
| High School Musical 2 | East High Dancer | Directed by Kenny Ortega | Actor |
Television
edit| Title | Role | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The American Mall | Principal Dancer | Shawn Ku | Actor, Choreographer |
| So You Think You Can Dance | Self | Matthew Diamond, Bruce Gowers, Nigel Lythgoe | Contestant |
| Smash | Dancer | Michael Mayer | Dancer |
References
edit- ^ "Live unafraid: Green River native and Broadway star teaches theater class for local students". Wyoming News. March 13, 2021.
- ^ "Curtains up". Deseret. December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Schools of the Stars: Where Hamilton Cast and Creators Went to College". Playbill. August 6, 2015.
- ^ "Thayne Jasperson". Broadway World.
- ^ "Q&A: 'Hamilton' actor, Mormon and Utahn Thayne Jasperson on faith and doubt". Deseret. October 16, 2017.
- ^ a b "What one of the few White 'Hamilton' cast members learned about race". CNN. July 9, 2020.
- ^ "The Broadway Cast: Dancers Unite with Thayne Jasperson, Mattie Love & Nico deJesus". Broadway World. October 12, 2024.
- ^ "Thayne Jasperson". A Class Act NY. 2021.