Musicians Who Have Acted on Broadway, From Megan Thee Stallion to Sabrina Carpenter & More

Production: 13 (2008)

Ariana Grande originated the role of Charlotte in Jason Robert Brown’s 13: The Musical. Later, she nabbed the role of Glinda in the film adaptations of Broadway musical Wicked and the part of Dot in a West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George.

Production: Chicago (2009)

Ashlee Simpson portrayed Roxie Hart — a role played by several guest musicians — in Chicago for a couple of months in late 2009 and early 2010.

Production: American Idiot (2010)

Billie Joe Armstrong wrote the musical American Idiot, inspired by his band Green Day’s Billboard 200-topping album of the same name. So it was only natural for him to take on the lead role of St. Jimmy for brief stints in 2010 and 2011 while the show was playing at the St. James Theatre.

Production: Chicago (2012)

Billy Ray Cyrus portrayed Billy Flynn in Chicago in November and December of 2012.

Production: Chicago (2015)

Brandy played Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway for a few months in 2015.

Production: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2014)

Carly Rae Jepsen played the leading role in Cinderella for about four months in 2014.

Production: Blood Brothers (1994)

Carole King portrayed Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers after Bill Kenwright saw her perform at the Royal Albert Hall and asked her to join the cast. Decades later, her music would provide the score to Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which opened in 2014.

Production: Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)

Cher played the role of Sissy in Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean‘s original Broadway run. Years later, a musical inspired by her career called The Cher Show, would run at New York City’s Neil Simon Theatre in 2018 and 2019.

Production: Spamalot (2008)

Clay Aiken starred in a handful of roles in Spamalot for a four-month run in 2008 and 2009.

Production: Anastasia (2018)

Cody Simpson joined the company of Anastasia in 2018, playing leading man Dmitry.

Production: The Elephant Man (1980)

Ziggy Stardust played John Merrick in The Elephant Man for a few months in 1980 and 1981. His music was also featured in later Broadway shows Rock ‘n Roll! The First 5,000 Years and SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway Musical.

Productions: Les Miserables (1992), Beauty and the Beast (1997) and Cabaret (2003)

Debbie Gibson has lots of Broadway experience, starring as Eponine for about three months in 1992 before playing Princess Belle from September 1997 to June 1998. In 2003, she’d portray Sally Bowles for about four months.

Productions: Rock of Ages (2009) and Rocktopia (2018)

Dee Snider portrayed Dennis in Rock of Ages for a couple of months toward the end of 2010. Nine years later, he’d return to the stage in Rocktopia.

Production: Chicago (2020)

Erika Jayne made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago from January to March 2020.

Productions: The Color Purple (2007) and After Midnight (2013)

Fantasia played Celie in The Color Purple for about nine months starting in April 2007, later serving as Broadway’s original special guest star in After Midnight.

Production: Chicago (2006)

Huey Lewis played Billy Flynn from November 2006 to January 2007.

Production: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (2017)

Ingrid Michaelson played Sonya in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 from July to August of 2017. Later, she’d compose music for the 2024 Broadway adaptation of The Notebook.

Productions: Chicago (2015) and Waitress (2021)

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland played Roxie Hart in Chicago for a couple of months in 2015, after which she starred as Jenna in Waitress from October to November in 2021.

Productions: Rent (2002), Little Shop of Horrors (2004) and & Juliet (2025)

Joey Fatone leveraged his career as a member of *NSYNC into a full Broadway resume, making his debut as Mark Cohen in Rent in 2002 before returning to the stage to play Seymour in Little Shop two years later. In 2025, he’d come back to the Great White Way to portray Lance in & Juliet.

Production: Moulin Rouge! (2023)

Four years after Moulin Rouge! opened on Broadway in 2019, Jojo steppe din to play Satine from April to July 2023.

Productions: In the Heights (2010) and Waitress (2019)

Jordin Sparks joined the cast of In the Heights to portray Nina for a couple of months in 2010. Years later, she’d star as Jenna in Waitress from September to November of 2019.

Productions: Chess (2003), Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (2016) and Sweeney Todd (2023)

Josh Groban has played lead roles in three Broadway musicals over the course of 20 years, debuting as Anatoly Sergievsy in Chess in 2003 before starring as Pierre in Great Comet in 2016. In 2023, Sweeney Todd opened with the opera singer as the titular character.

Production: Chicago (2003)

Kevin Richardson portrayed Billy Flynn in Chicago, starting in late January 2003 and ending in March.

Production: Hairspray (2007)

Lance Bass began his tenure as Corny Collins in Hairspray in August 2007, then said bye, bye, bye to the role in January 2008.

Productions: The Pirates of Penzance (1981) and Canciones de Mi Padre (1988)

Linda Rondstadt had roles in The Pirates of Penzance — in which she played Mabel — and Canciones de Mi Padre on Broadway.

Production: Speed-the-Plow (1988)

Madonna originated the role of Karen in 1988’s Speed-the-Plow.

Production: Moulin Rouge! (2026)

Megan Thee Stallion was cast in the traditionally male role of Zidler in Moulin Rouge! for a run in spring 2026.

Productions: Rent (2004) and Chicago (2016)

Mel B would make her Broadway debut in the role of Mimi for a five-week stint in Rent in 2004. More than a decade later, she’d play Roxie Hart from December 2016 to February 2017.

Productions: Aida (2003), Chicago (2010), Once on This Island (2017) and Death Becomes Her (2024)

Michelle Williams went from singing in Destiny’s Child to being a Broadway mainstay, playing the lead role in Aida from November 2003 to February 2004 before taking over as Roxie Hart in Chicago in February 2010 and Erzulie in Once on This Island in November 2018. In 2024, she’d originate her first role, playing Viola Van Horn in Death Becomes Her.

Production: Chicago (2008)

Mya joined the cast of Chicago on Broadway to play Velma Kelly for a few months in 2008.

Productions: Annie Get Your Gun (2001), Beauty and the Beast (2002), Les Miserables (2003), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2012) and The Last Five Years (2025).

Before his Jonas Brothers success, Nick Jonas was a child actor who starred as Little Jake in Annie Get Your Gun, Chip in Beauty and the Beast and Gavroche in Les Miserables. He was cast in Business when he was 19, and in 2025, he played Jamie in the first Broadway production of Last Five Years.

Production: Sunset Boulevard (2024)

Nicole Scherzinger played Norma Desmond in the 2024 revival of Sunset Boulevard.

Production: Annie Get Your Gun (2001)

Reba McEntire played the titular role in Annie Get Your Gun for about six months in 2001.

Productions: Les Miserables (1996) and Evita (2012)

Ricky Martin played Marius in Les Miserables decades before playing Che in a Broadway revival of Evita in 2012.

Production: Mean Girls (2020)

Sabrina Carpenter performed as Cady Heron in Mean Girls for just a couple of shows before Broadway shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Productions: Waitress (2017) and Into the Woods (2022)

Sara Bareilles composed the music for Waitress, eventually taking over the lead role of Jenna in 2017. In 2022, she’d play the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods.

Productions: Jekyll & Hyde (2000) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (2001)

Sebastian Bach played the titular character — or characters, depending on how you look at it — in Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway at the beginning of the millennium. Later, the Skid Row frontman would portray Riff Raff in Rocky Horror.

Productions: Threepenny Opera (1989) and The Last Ship (2014)

Sting played Macheath in Threepenny Opera in 1989, many years before he’d take over as Jackie White in The Last Ship from December 2014 to January 2015.

Productions: Beauty and the Beast (1998), Aida (2003) and After Midnight (2014)

Toni Braxton has some major Broadway credits to her name, playing Princess Belle and Aida in their respective musicals before stepping in as special guest star in After Midnight in March 2014.

Production: Chicago (2006)

Usher played Billy Flynn for a couple of months in 2006 in Chicago.