Nick Jonas is getting real about the raw, unfiltered challenges of returning to Broadway—and it’s not what fans expected. The singer-actor, currently starring in the critically acclaimed revival of The Last Five Years, shocked fans by admitting he felt “intimidated every single night” performing the emotionally grueling musical.
“This role pushed me to my limits,” Jonas confessed during a tearful Tonight Show interview. “I’d stand backstage, heart racing, thinking, ‘Can I even do this?’” The musical, which follows the collapse of a marriage through alternating timelines, requires Jonas to perform solo for nearly the entire show—a far cry from his pop-star days with the Jonas Brothers.
Insiders revealed Jonas spent months prepping for the role, working with vocal coaches and therapists to tackle the show’s haunting lyrics and complex emotional arcs. “It’s not just singing—it’s acting while singing, and the audience is right there,” he said. “One wrong note, and you feel it.”
But Jonas isn’t alone in the struggle. Co-star Adrienne Warren (*Tony winner for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) praised his vulnerability, calling him “brave” for taking on the role. Even wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas reportedly attended multiple shows to cheer him on, telling pals, “He’s giving it everything.”
Fans have flooded social media with support, with tweets like “Nick’s performance wrecked me—go see this NOW” going viral. Critics agree, with The New York Times calling his portrayal “a career-defining surprise.”
So why did he do it? Jonas says it’s about growth: “Fear means you’re alive. And hey, if I survived Camp Rock, I can survive this.”
Catch Jonas in The Last Five Years through November—but grab tissues. You’ll need them.