Growing up just south of Madison in Oregon and going to school in Verona, Caleb Mathura found his people among the theater kids.
“Theater was always the place where I could go and feel embraced by the people there, socially, artistically,” he said in an interview for the 365 Amplified podcast. “I feel like it always gave me a sense of purpose.”
He started dreaming big as a kid, regularly attending the touring Broadway shows at Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison.
He expanded his performance scope beyond high school to local companies like Children’s Theater of Madison and the Jerry Ensemble, a program of Overture Center that gives promising high school-age vocalists professional training and performance opportunities.
“He was a hard worker,” said Overture Center Programming and Engagement Manager Karra Beach, who works closely with the Jerry Ensemble. “He went after it. He had the energy behind it. He had his heart in the right place for it, too. He really came into his own. He gained an understanding of who he is as a performer, and we saw him grow during his time in the ensemble.”
After graduating from Verona High School Mathura earned a BFA at Point Park University in 2022 and has been performing in regional and touring productions, such as playing Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Timberlake Playhouse and Kevin in the first national tour of Mean Girls.
In just a few weeks, though, he’ll make his Broadway debut as Johnny Cade in the 2024 Tony-winning Best Musical, The Outsiders. (Fans of the classic 1983 movie will remember Ralph Macchio in that role.)
Mathura saw the show before it hit the Big Apple, when it was doing its pre-Broadway tryout at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, as many big productions do.
“It’s maybe my favorite show I’ve ever seen,” he said. “So to now be taking over the role on Broadway is completely surreal and just a dream come true on so many levels.”
The show, a coming-of-age story based on the 1967 S. E. Hinton novel, addresses themes that aren’t often discussed, Mathura said.
“It incorporates so many things that we kind of shy away from in terms of friendships, especially with young men, and the care, the brotherhood that everyone on stage shows for each other. There’s a very emotional aspect to it,” he said. “And from a technical standpoint, there’s fire, there’s rain — a lot of elements that really make it unforgettable.”
He’s been on tour with The Notebook this year, and was in Des Moines, Iowa when he learned the role on Broadway was about to open up. He flew to New York, spent a day with the director, but had to return to the tour before the final callback auditions. He thought the opportunity had passed.
Still, just a few weeks ago he got an offer to join the Broadway cast. He was able to take some time off from The Notebook to rehearse in New York, and will take over the role full-time on March 17.
And he’ll be a full-time Broadway performer for the first time. Which also means living in New York.
“I’ve only sublet in New York, so just signing a lease, changing my health insurance … there’s so many things that I haven’t done yet because I’ve just kind of been going in and out of New York,” he said. “To now be in New York for at least a year is really exciting, but kind of daunting, because it’s an overwhelming environment. There’s going to be a lot of things I haven’t experienced before that I’m going to learn a lot from and grow from. It’s a lot of anticipation for a major life change, because I know that things are going to be very different, and for the better, but it’ll be a big shift in my life.”
Beach predicts this role is the beginning of big things for Mathura.
“He’s caught the eye of a few different producers and different casting agents already, so he’s kind of in the back of people’s minds right now,” she said. “I think this was kind of the first step. It’ll put him on the map. He’s been kind of just on the side, ready to be tagged in. I think he’s starting to fit into those pieces of puzzles now. It is the perfect fit — it’s a great way for him to take that first step onto that Broadway stage.”
She said his voice is one of a kind.
“He’s got a super unique quality to his voice that we heard when he was in high school, and he has done nothing but polish it. He’s got a great and unique vocal quality that we don’t hear often, and I think that is going to really serve him well,” she said. “He’s a fantastic dancer, too.”
Mathura said despite his excitement to put down roots in New York, he still has a fondness for touring, as it allows him to bring Broadway to small towns and to kids like he once was – aspiring performers who can’t get to the big theaters.
And for those kids, he offers the following advice:
“Trust yourself and work hard and invest in your future. Make sure you’re giving your career the time and energy that you would give anything else that you really care about and want to succeed in. There’ll be times where you won’t have the support of all your friends, you won’t necessarily have the support of a lot of your family. I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of those things throughout my life, but I know that that’s a luxury. Just be your biggest champion and have your own back as much as you can.”
