Zach Bravo

Performing arts has always come naturally to me. Since the age of 6, I realized I wanted to entertain everyone; my  family was my first audience. As a native New Yorker from Queens, I knew no bounds, and to this day, I have always been reaching towards success in this industry. My journey began in a local dance studio. Being the only boy dancer, I thought I was the king of the world. It wasn’t until I had auditioned for Billy Elliot, where there were A LOT of other boy dancers, that I got cut after the first few rounds. There was a lesson that I learned after crying on my mother’s lap: Never be discouraged about yourself, because there is always room for improvement, and there will always be a spot for you. That was the thing that kept me going: my determination to work smarter, not harder.

 

 At about 9 or 10 years old, I knew precisely which performing arts high school I wanted to attend. LaGuardia High School (also known as the “Fame” school) accepted me.  It is where I would learn the world and history of dance in a more professional setting. Like a sponge, I absorbed everything there was to know about dance. Although I would learn all types of dance styles and loved them all equally, I was particularly drawn to Martha Graham’s technique. LaGuardia HS opened up my world of endless possibilities. During my tenure performing with The Martha Graham Dance Company, I thought I had set out to continue my journey with traditional concert dance; however, during my junior year, that would change. 

 

During the fall of 2013, I was cast as Kenickie in my school's production of GREASE. While performing the number of Greased Lightning (which is originally sung by Kenickie), I was on top of our prop car with my arms wide open to an audience of 1,100 people. Just before I sang the last note, after dancing and singing about my love for a “Candy Apple Primered” car, that’s when I knew that I wanted to be in musical theatre.

 

Shifting gears, it was time to start looking at colleges. After countless auditions for some of the most prestigious Musical Theatre college programs, Pace University would open its doors to me in the Fall of 2015. I felt like a bike with training wheels, because although I had dabbled in musicals in community theaters, even learning the basics felt very strange to me, as most of my knowledge was rooted in the dance world. It didn’t stop my determination. The musical theatre program at Pace University was precisely the place for me to learn about its roots, and for me to know exactly where I fit in this industry. It certainly threw me for a loop, but it didn’t stop me from learning how to do the three main elements of Musical Theatre: dancing, singing, and acting. 

 

Thanks to the training I received from my professors at Pace, I landed my first professional gig. I was dancing in a show about love at Hersheypark (Dance Dance Dance: Heartbeat) during the Summer of 2017. Little did I know, at the time, that working as a dancer in a theme park would kick-start my musical theatre career. In the summer of 2018, I would begin performing in three shows (Footloose, Rocky Horror, and Mary Poppins) in repertory at Clear Space Theater Company in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for the BroadwayWorld Delaware Awards. I received the award graciously, which meant a great deal to me at the time. In the summer of 2019, just a couple of weeks shy of graduating from Pace University, I signed with my agency, Clear Talent Group, to start rehearsals for Mamma Mia! at the Fulton Theatre, as well as Evita the following fall. Just before the pandemic, I was set to be part of the company The Wanderer, which was to have its run at Paper Mill Playhouse, but I only went as far as doing the 29-hour reading. Due to scheduling conflicts and the pandemic, plans changed. I would then begin my journey on the road for approximately three years. The first year was getting to play a dream role of mine, The Rum Tum Tugger in CATS.

 

After my time in the junkyard, I had a quick stint in New Hope, Pennsylvania, to do another production of Evita at Bucks County Playhouse (Fall 2022). Soon after, I would become a swing for a show that I considered to be the “big leagues.”: HAMILTON (Philip Company).  I traveled with this show for two and a half years, and just as soon as I thought that it would be time to hang up my dance shoes…BROADWAY CALLED!!! Shifting gears once again, immediately after closing the Philip company in Las Vegas, I flew back to New York City. I would start rehearsals for the longest-running American musical in Broadway history: CHICAGO. 

 

Since I was 6 years old, the training, the blood, the sweat, and the endless amount of tears have led me to this moment. If only little Zach can see me now. I made my Broadway debut at The Ambassador Theatre on June 16th, 2025. Currently, I am playing the role of Fred Casely eight times a week.