- At the opening night of his new musical The Last Five Years on April 6, Nick Jonas told PEOPLE he feels “intimidated” performing in the Broadway show
- “But I think that’s the beauty of storytelling and being an artist and an actor, is that you get to take big risks and put yourself out there,” he says
- Nick stars alongside Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren in Jason Robert Brown’s two-person musical, which is marking its first Broadway production
Nick Jonas has performed countless concerts around the world as a singer — but when it comes to treading the boards on Broadway, the star admits to experiencing a bit of stage fright.
At the opening night of his new musical The Last Five Years at the Hudson Theatre in New York City on Sunday, April 6, Nick, 32, told PEOPLE that while he’s comfortable performing in front of his family, it’s a lot different when he’s putting on a show for theater enthusiasts.
“The thing for me is there are a lot of people who love this show, who have played these roles in different productions, their high school or college or whatever. And it’s those folks who have done it that I feel most intimidated to do it for,” he explains.
“But I think that’s the beauty of storytelling and being an artist and an actor, is that you get to take big risks and put yourself out there. And I love it,” he continues. “As intimidating as it might feel sometimes, I think it’s a really gratifying experience to get out and really put yourself out there and take big swings and see what happens.”
In The Last Five Years — Jason Robert Brown’s two-person musical, which is marking its first Broadway production — Nick stars alongside Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren. The story explores the relationship between up-and-coming novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hiatt, told from each of their perspectives and two different timelines.
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Nick tells PEOPLE the highlight of the show for him is when his costar Warren, 37, belts out the song “Summer in Ohio.”
“She brings so much humor to this number,” he raves. “I think she is getting to sort of flex her various muscles, musical theater and the soulfulness she brings to the vocals. It’s just a really incredible performance.”
As for his character, Nick says he loves to sing “A Miracle Would Happen,” explaining, “It’s a funny sort of very real situation I think a lot of people go through, but it’s a fun one.”
In the lead-up to Sunday’s opening night — where he was joined on the red carpet by wife Priyanka Chopra and brothers Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Frankie Jonas — Nick got into the habit of walking to the theater for work every day. He says fans approach him “all the time” during his commute.
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Nick appreciates the warm show of support.
“It’s a really good confidence boost before you go and do a show,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s nice to meet people on the street. Most people are kind.”
“And when they’re not calling me Joe or Kevin, it’s great,” he jokingly adds, referring to his siblings, with whom he performs in the Jonas Brothers.
Nick also noted how his Broadway run — he will star in The Last Five Years through June 22 — has afforded him an opportunity to put his usually hectic travel schedule on pause and enjoy some quality time with his family in New York City. He and Chopra, 42, share 3-year-old daughter Malti Marie.
“[Malti] loves being in New York, and I think this time for us as a family has been wonderful,” he tells PEOPLE. “We’re so used to being in 10 different cities in 10 different days. And so to be in one place and have this time together has been really nice.”
“We’ve been exploring a bit and keeping [Malti] active and busy. We’re both obviously busy parents, but we’ve been finding time to spend time as a family and connect amid our crazy schedules and it’s been lovely,” he adds.
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