Jason Thomas Forbach (born c.1978/1979) is an American actor, singer, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for his Broadway portrayals of Rapunzel's Prince and the Baker in Into the Woods, Enjolras in Les Misérables, and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera.

Early life

Forbach graduated with his Bachelor of Music in 2000 from University of Missouri where he was the recipient of the Chancellor's Emerging Artist Award that year. He went on to complete his Masters with academic distinction at New England Conservatory in Boston.

Career

In 2006, Forbach joined the Las Vegas cast of The Phantom of the Opera understudying the roles of Raoul and Monsieur Reyer.

In 2009, Forbach played the dual role of Rapunzel's Prince and The Wolf in Into the Woods at the Wells Fargo Pavilion.

In 2012, Forbach joined the 25th Anniversary national tour cast of Les Misérables as Feuilly and an understudy for Enjolras. He later took over the role of Enjolras playing opposite his real-life husband Joseph Spieldenner as Grantaire until the tour closed. In 2013, he received acclaim for his performance as Chris Scott in the North Shore Music Theatre production of Miss Saigon.

In March 2014, Forbach returned to Les Misérables in the second Broadway revival. Once again playing Feuilly and understudying Enjolras. He briefly took over the role of Enjolras again in October 2014 and left the role in November of that same year. He continued with the production playing Feuilly and the Factory Foreman.

Forbach appeared as Captain Albert Lennox in the 2016 and 2017 Shakespeare Theatre Company and 5th Avenue Theatre productions of The Secret Garden.

Forbach is also an award-winning playwright having placed in the 2019 New Works of Merit Playwriting Competition with his play Heathen Hill, which received an industry reading directed by Kevin Newbury with Dan Amboyer starring. In 2020, his one-hour period drama TV pilot Brooklyn Pansy was named a Grand Prize Winner in the WeScreenplay Spring 2020 Diverse Voices Screenwriting Lab.

In 2022, Forbach joined the New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods as the male swing. He would end up going on for Rapunzel's Prince for a majority of the run when Jordan Donica was sick. He moved with the production to the St. James Theatre for the second Broadway revival understudying the roles of the Baker, the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince, and the Narrator/Mysterious Man. He opened the production as the Baker when Brian d'Arcy James was sick, and also went on for the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince many times including when Gavin Creel and Cheyenne Jackson were both unavailable for 3 days in August. He also played Rapunzel's Prince many times during the production's run on Broadway.

On November 21, 2022, Forbach returned to The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway for a limited run through December 5 playing the role of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. He had been a vacation swing in Phantom at the Majestic Theatre for several years, primarily understudying the roles of Raoul, Reyer, Marksman, and Hairdresser.

In 2023, Forbach went on tour across the United States to ten cities with the Broadway production of Into the Woods playing Rapunzel's Prince and understudying the Baker. He starred opposite Gavin Creel, Stephanie J. Block, Montego Glover, and Sebastian Arcelus all reprising their Broadway roles. On February 23, he went on for the Baker last second for the second act of the production's preview performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., he would then proceed to open the show's engagement as the Baker that weekend and play the role for the majority of the performances at the Kennedy Center while Arcelus was recovering from an injury. Andy Karl and understudies Sam Simahk and Eddie Lopez played Rapunzel's Prince in his place. On February 28, Forbach announced on his Instagram stories he'd be playing the Baker during the 6-day absence of Arcelus at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Simahk played Rapunzel's Prince in his place. He also played the Baker during the production's closing weekend at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tennessee with Lopez playing Rapunzel's Prince in his place.

In 2024, it was announced that Forbach will make his film directorial debut with the short thriller film The Delicate Medium from a screenplay he wrote. Production was originally set to begin in the summer of 2025, but was postponed to 2026.

Since Into the Woods, Forbach has joined the Broadway casts of A Wonderful World which opened in October 2024, and Ragtime opened in October 2025.

Personal life

On February 9, 2016, he married actor Joseph Spieldenner.

Filmography

Film

As a filmmaker
YearTitleRoleNotes
TBAThe Delicate Mediumwriter and directorShort film

Television

As an actor
Year(s)ProductionRoleNotes
2011America's Got TalentFeuilly1 episode
2024Law & Order: Special Victims UnitSam McKenzie1 episode
FBI: Most WantedGovernor of Missouri1 episode

Stage

Source:

Year(s)ProductionRoleLocationNotes
2006The Music TeacherJim / ChronilosMinetta Lane TheatreOff-Broadway
2006–2009The Phantom of the OperaEnsemble; u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny u/s Monsieur ReyerThe Venetian Las VegasThe Las Vegas Spectacular
2006A Christmas CarolDick Wilkins; u/s Narrator u/s The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come / Young ScroogeNorth Shore Music TheatreRegional
2009Into the WoodsThe Wolf / Rapunzel's PrinceWells Fargo Pavilion
2010–2012Les MisérablesFeuilly; u/s EnjolrasU.S. National Tour25th Anniversary
2012–2013EnjolrasU.S. National Tour April 6, 2012 - June 9, 2013
2013Miss SaigonChris ScottNorth Shore Music TheatreRegional
2014Les MisérablesEnjolrasSaroyan TheaterFresno Grand Opera
Imperial Theatre October 28 – November 30Broadway
2014–2015Feuilly; u/s EnjolrasImperial Theatre March 23 – October 26, 2014 December 9, 2014 – May 24, 2015 June 23–29, 2015 September 7 – December 21, 2015
2015My Fair LadyFreddy Eynsford-HillWells Fargo PavilionRegional
2015–2016Les MisérablesFeuilly / Factory Foreman; u/s EnjolrasImperial Theatre June 30 – September 6, 2015 December 22, 2015 – September 4, 2016Broadway
2016–2017The Secret GardenCaptain Albert LennoxSidney Harman HallShakespeare Theatre Company
5th Avenue Theatre
2017EvitaAgustin MagaldiPennsylvania Shakespeare FestivalRegional
The Secret GardenCaptain Albert LennoxSarofim HallPresented by Shakespeare Theatre Company / 5th Avenue Theatre
2018-2019The Phantom of the OperaRaoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Alternate)Majestic Theatre December 6–8, 2018 January 9–12, 2019 May 31 – June 1, 2019 June 15, 2019 July 6–7, 2019Broadway
2018–2022Monsieur Reyer, Marksman, Hairdresser, Jeweler, Fireman, Porter, Passarino (Swing) u/s Raoul, Vicomte de ChagnyMajestic Theatre February 5 – November 11, 2018 November 18 – December 5, 2018 December 9, 2018 – January 8, 2019 January 13 – May 30, 2019 June 2–14, 2019 June 16 – July 5, 2019 July 8 – August 4, 2019 August 11, 2019 – March 12, 2020 October 22, 2021 – May 3, 2022 May 16 – June 12, 2022
Raoul, Vicomte de ChagnyMajestic Theatre November 12–17, 2018 August 5–10, 2019 November 21 – December 5, 2022
2022Into the WoodsThe Baker, The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince, Jack, Rapunzel's Prince, The Narrator / The Mysterious Man (Swing)New York City Center May 4–15Encores! Played Rapunzel's Prince for a majority of the run when Jordan Donica was sick
The Wolf / Cinderella's PrinceSt. James Theatre August 3–5Broadway
2022–2023u/s The Baker u/s The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince u/s Rapunzel's Prince u/s The Narrator / The Mysterious ManSt. James Theatre June 28 – August 2, 2022 August 6 – November 20, 2022 December 6, 2022 – January 8, 2023
2023Rapunzel's Prince; u/s The BakerU.S. National Tour February 18–23 March 11–26 April 4 – May 25 June 6 – July 30Ten city engagement
The BakerU.S. National Tour February 23 – March 11 March 28 – April 2 May 26–28
The Rocky Horror ShowBrad MajorsBucks County PlayhouseRegional
2024-2025A Wonderful WorldCrooner / White Gangster / Larry The Reporter u/s Joe GlaserStudio 54Broadway
2025CabaretClifford BradshawGuthrie TheaterRegional
2025-2026RagtimeHenry Ford / Ensemble u/s The Father u/s The Mother's Younger BrotherVivian Beaumont TheatreBroadway

See also

External links