‘Pirates! The Penzance Musical’ Breakout Star Nicholas Barasch Discusses Performing On The Tonys With Seven Stitches On His Face [VIDEO]

Nicholas Barasch is currently wowing audiences as young Frederic in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s splendid reworking of Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera, now titled, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, running through July 27, 2025. This winning adaptation is directed by Scott Ellis and stars David Hyde Pierce and Ramin Karimloo.

Frederic is bound by duty to remain a pirate apprentice until his 21^st birthday–his hard-of-hearing nurse mistakenly heard “pirate” instead of “pilot,” ten years earlier. But soon Frederic will be free from the lustful clutches of his nurse and pursue women his own age as well as bring his fellow pirates to justice. Or will he?

Onstage Barasch has charisma and charm to spare as well as a terrific singing voice.

At the age of 10, Barasch made his Broadway debut as Kiddo in the 2009 revival of West Side Story, directed by book writer Arthur Laurents. The young thesp went on to originate the roles of Deputy/Master Nick Cricker in the 2012 revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, directed by Scott Ellis.

In 2016, he received Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and won the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre for his exuberant portrayal of Arpad Laszlo in the Scott-Ellis-staged revival of She Loves Me, opposite Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi and Gavin Creel. The production was recorded for a PBS Great Performance broadcast and is available to stream via BroadwayHD.

2017 saw Barasch star as Huck Finn in the Encores! City Center presentation of Big River.

In 2021, Barasch won the role of Orpheus in the North American tour of Hadestown. He went on to star in the off-Broadway world premiere of The Butcher Boy at Iris Rep in 2022.

His TV credits include appearances in Bull, How to Make it In America, The Backyardigans and Low Tide. And he played Julian Blossom on the seventh and final season of the CW’s acclaimed series Riverdale, where he got to show off his singing chops in an episode titled, Archie the musical.

The Contending enjoyed VIDEO chatting with the bonafide Broadway star about Pirates! and his career.

For tickets to Pirates! The Penzance Musical visit: Roundabout Theatre