If you’re a fan of Broadway shows like I am, you know that stars from all over the world strive to make it to the Great White Way. And yet, even with competition from international talent, the small town of Livingston, NJ has supplied a tremendous amount of talent to the Great White Way. Let’s take a look at just a handful of the many stars that have called Livingston home.
Jason Alexander - Best known for his role as George Costanza on Seinfield, Jason Alexander was raised in Livingston, performing high school musicals and studying with a local voice teacher for years before getting his big break. On the New York stage, Alexander was a successful song and dance man. He appeared in the off-Broadway hit Personals, as well as starring in the Sondheim classic, M errily We Roll Along. He played a lead role in Kander and Ebb’s The Rink with the legendary Liza Minelli and Chita Rivera. Alexander took a Tony-winning turn in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway in 1989.
Nikki M. James - Part of the next generation of talent, Nikki M. James did her hometown proud when she took home a Tony for her hilarious portrayal of Nabulungi in Book of Mormon. A Broadway veteran, James scored her first role in a less than successful production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, where she played “Sabina Temple” but understudied none other than Kristin Bell for the leading role of “Becky Thatcher.” Her next role had her working alongside Livingston native Stephen Oremus who arranged the music for the Elvis Presley jukebox musical, A ll Shook Up. The two would reunite on Book of Mormon, and both would be awarded for their work.
Leslie Kritzer - Leslie jump-started her career at the local LORT theatre, the Papermill Playhouse, in a breakout performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The Livingston-born star then headed straight through the tunnel to NYC where she scored a featured role in the long-running production of Hairspray. Between leading roles in L egally Blonde, A Catered
Affair and Beetlejuice, Kritzer also starred in On The Town at Encores, sharing the stage with stars Christian Borle and Andrea Martin.
Stephen Oremus - One of Livingston’s greatest success stories comes not FROM the stage, but UNDER it! Stephen Oremus began his career in the pit of the touring production of Rent and went on to win two Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was n ominated for an Emmy, among numerous other honors. Stephen is known for orchestrations and vocal arrangements, and while his resume is actually too long to include, his most famous works include Avenue Q, Wicked and Book of Mormon. He also arranged vocals for Disney movies including Frozen and Coco, and is musical supervisor for the current Broadway production of Frozen. Even if you’ve never been to the theatre (or never seen Frozen) you may have seen Stephen’s work on the live televised musicals, The Wiz and Rent.
Hazel Raymundo - Graduating in the same class as Mr. Oremus, Hazel’s debut on the professional stage came when she went to an open audition for the First National Tour of Miss Saigon while she attended Northwestern University. She landed the leading role of Kim, and has had a bright career ever since. Since that tour, she has appeared in numerous professional shows, including Broadway productions of Pacific Overtures and Avenue Q. Lately, Hazel has been making the rounds on TV, making appearances in shows like “Bull” and “The Blacklist.”
Cathy Trien - Blonde bombshell and triple threat Cathy Trien probably began dancing and singing before she could walk. Modeling as a child, she pursued a career in theatre, garnering roles in Off-Broadway shows including Zombie Prom and The Great American Trailer Park Musical (with Leslie Kritzer), as well as touring as Rizzo with the cast of Grease. She met Peter Scolari on the Grease tour and the two married and worked on Disney’s“H oney, I Shrunk the Kids” series together, but later divorced. Cathy had a featured role in a Broadway revival of Gypsy, understudying Bernadette Peters for the title role.
Brandon Uranowitz - Born in Livingston and raised in neighbouring West Orange, Brandon
Uranowitz is a promising Broadway star who has, at the age of 34, already garnered several Tony Award nominations for his work. Uranowitz won the hearts of theatregoers when he graced the stage of An American in Paris in a featured role that brought him his first Tony nod. He starred in the recent revival of Falsettos that aired on Live from Lincoln Center. With a growing resume that is sure to include several more award nominations, Mr. Uranowitz is just another bright star from a small town just west of the city.
