Chris Peluso, a stage actor who starred in Broadway’s “Mamma Mia!” and “Depraved,” in addition to “Miss Saigon” in London’s West Finish, died this week. He was 40.
A 12 months in the past, it was publicly introduced that the prolific actor had stepped away from performing to hunt remedy for schizoaffective dysfunction. Peluso’s household confirmed his demise to Playbill this week however didn’t disclose his reason behind demise.
The College of Michigan Faculty of Music, Theatre & Dance, the place Peluso studied earlier than beginning his stage profession, additionally confirmed his demise.
“The Michigan Musical Theatre household is heartbroken as we announce the passing of our expensive member of the family/alum, the loving, charismatic, and divinely gifted Chris Peluso,” wrote Linda Goodrich, the division’s interim chair, in a press release posted Thursday on Instagram. “Our hearts exit to his household.”
Peluso made his Broadway debut within the 2004 Tony-winning revival of “Assassins” as an understudy for the a part of the Balladeer. He continued to be a revered understudy for musicals together with “Lestat” and the original-cast run of “Lovely: The Carole King Musical.” Peluso landed a starring position as a alternative throughout the 14-year run of “Mamma Mia!” enjoying the principle character’s love curiosity, Sky. He later toured the U.S. performing as Fiyero in “Depraved” and had starring roles within the Broadway classics “Les Depressing” and “West Facet Story.”
In 2015, Peluso moved to London to star as male lead Chris within the West Finish’s model of “Miss Saigon.” He was solid alongside Eva Noblezada, starring as Kim, who would go on to reprise the position within the Broadway revival a 12 months later and land a 2017 Tony nomination. Peluso referred to as his position in “Miss Saigon” the favourite of his profession.
In interviews, Peluso spoke glowingly of his new life in London, lauding the town’s delicacies. In his downtime, he loved walks together with his canine. He additionally liked the ritual of doing bodily and vocal warmups along with your complete performing firm previous to performances, a customized he mentioned was not executed within the U.S. on Broadway. Now a seasoned veteran, he had grown snug onstage as a performer.
“I’m positively within the second of the tune,” Peluso instructed radio host Alex Belfield in 2015. “I’ve carried out now for 25 years, a very long time … so actually I’m snug within the circumstances now, the place I can look out into an viewers — in actual fact it energizes me, slightly than weakens.”
The next 12 months, Peluso starred within the 2016 West Finish revival of “Present Boat,” a musical he had related with — significantly its tune “Ol’ Man River” — when he was a younger actor.
“The primary time I heard it was a musical theater class after I was a freshman in school — I bear in mind having a cassette tape, oh I’m previous,” he mentioned whereas laughing at himself throughout an interview with See Tickets. “I hit play on the cassette tape in my automobile and I simply was crying, it was simply lovely.”
Peluso is survived, in keeping with At present, by his spouse, Jessica Gomes, and their two kids, Aria Li Gomes-Peluso and Caio Lian Gomes-Peluso.
