Adam Pascal

Pascal was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Woodbury, Nassau County, New York, with his mother, Wendy (née Frishman), and stepfather, Mel Seamon. He was raised Jewish. He graduated from Syosset High School. He then graduated from New York Institute of Technology. Before his interest in music, he was a personal trainer. Although he began as a rock musician playing in a number of bands (such as Mute) formed with his schoolmates, Pascal became drawn to the musical theater. \n', ' A friend of his from high school (Idina Menzel\'s boyfriend at the time) mentioned Rent to him. On a whim, he auditioned and was cast as the HIV-positive rock guitarist Roger Davis. His powerful tenor voice and his performance in Rent earned him a Tony nomination, a Theater World award, and an Obie Award. He left the show on November 2, 1997, but went on to reprise Roger when Rent opened in London.\n', ' The role helped Pascal gain fame on Broadway, and he was cast in the Elton John and Tim Rice musical Aida as the Egyptian general Radames with the original and final casts (former Rent castmate Idina Menzel would co-star as Amneris in 2001), and Kander and Ebb\'s Cabaret, closing the show as the Emcee (closing cast). He also participated in several charity performances, including Chess in 2003 (playing the American, Freddie Trumper), Hair in 2004 (singing "I Got Life"), and the 24 Hour Plays in 2005. He returned to Aida in 2004 to close the run of the show as Radames.\n', '