# Brooks Ashmanskas

Brooks Ashmanskas (born June 15, 1969) is an American actor. He has appeared both on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as in regional theatres. Ashmanskas has done limited film and television work, most recently appearing in the Netflix series Uncoupled. He was nominated for a 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for playing various characters in Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, and for a 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Barry Glickman in The Prom.

## Early life

Ashmanskas is originally from Salem, Oregon, but grew up in Beaverton, just outside of Portland. He graduated from Bennington College. He is openly gay.

## Career
### Off-Broadway and Broadway

Ashmanskas was in the original productions of Dream (1997), Songs for a New World (Off-Broadway, 1995) and the Broadway revival of Gypsy: A Musical Fable (2003). He was a replacement "Carmen Ghia", starting in 2004, in The Producers, occasionally acting opposite original Carmen Ghia actor Roger Bart as Leo Bloom.
In 2006, he played several characters in the Broadway production of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical.
He appeared in the Broadway revival of The Ritz as Chris in 2007. He played the character of Mr. Dobitch in the 2010 Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. Also in 2010 he appeared in the Broadway revival of Present Laughter. He starred as the title character Off-Broadway in the New Group production of Clive at the Acorn Theatre in January 2013 through March 2013.
Ashmanskas appeared in the stage musical adaption of Bullets Over Broadway, which opened on Broadway in April 2014. In March 2015 he appeared in Something Rotten! on Broadway. In 2016, he appeared in Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.
He starred as Barry Glickman in the original Broadway production of The Prom, which opened in October 2018 at the Longacre Theatre, for which he was nominated for a 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

### Regional theatre

He appeared in the Arena Stage production of Animal Crackers in 1999.
He has performed at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, in Present Laughter in 2007 and in She Loves Me in May and June 2008 (which transferred to the Williamstown Theatre Festival in June and July). He appeared in God of Carnage in 2012 as Alan. His appearances at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts, include She Loves Me in 2008,Knickerbocker in 2009 and in July and August 2013 in a new musical, Johnny Baseball.
In 2008, he participated in a staged concert presentation of "Broadway: Three Generations" at the Kennedy Center, appearing in Girl Crazy and Bye Bye Birdie. He performed in Burn This as "Larry" at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, in 2011.
He appeared in the musical 1776 as John Adams at the Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., in 2012.

## Credits
### Theatre

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Songs for a New World | Man 2 | off-Broadway |
| 1995 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | Bud Frump | Broadway, 1995 – 1996 |
| 1997 | Dream | Performer | Broadway, Apr. 3 – July 6, 1997 |
| 1998 | Little Me | Pinchley Junior/Steward/Assistant Director/Doctor | Broadway, Nov. 12, 1998 – Feb. 7, 1999 |
| 1999 | Animal Crackers | Unknown | Arena Stage |
| 2000 | On a Clear Day You Can See Forever | Performer | NY City Center, February 2000 |
| 2001 | Amphitryon | Sosia | Huntington Theatre Company, Mar. 9 - Apr. 8, 2001 |
| 2003 | Gypsy | Mr. Goldstone/Pastey | Broadway, May 1, 2003 – May 20, 2004 |
| 2004 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Francis Flute | Williamstown Theatre Festival, July 14–25, 2004 |
| 2004 | The Producers | Carmen Ghia | Broadway, 2004 - 2006 |
| 2006 | Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me | Comedy All Star | Broadway, Aug. 17, 2006 – Jan. 7, 2007 |
| 2007 | Present Laughter | Roland Maule | Huntington Theatre Company |
| 2007 | The Ritz | Chris | Broadway, Oct. 11 – Dec. 9, 2007 |
| 2008 | Broadway: Three Generations | Performer | Kennedy Center |
| 2008 | She Loves Me | Georg Nowack | Huntington Theatre Company, May/June 2008 |
| 2008 | She Loves Me | Georg Nowack | Williamstown Theatre Festival, July/August 2008 |
| 2008 | A Flea In Her Ear | Dr. Finache | Williamstown Theatre Festival, August 2008 |
| 2009 | Rich and Famous | Bing | American Conservatory Theater - SF, Jan/Feb 2009 |
| 2009 | Knickerbocker | Unknown | Williamstown Theatre Festival |
| 2009 | She Stoops to Conquer | Tony Lumpkin | McCarter Theater, Oct.13 - Nov. 1, 2009 |
| 2010 | Present Laughter | Roland Maule | Broadway, Jan. 21 – Mar. 21, 2010 |
| 2010 | Promises, Promises | Mr. Dobitch | Broadway, Apr. 25, 2010 – Jan. 2, 2011 |
| 2011 | Burn This | Larry | Mark Taper Forum |
| 2012 | 1776 | John Adams | Ford's Theatre |
| 2012 | God of Carnage | Alan | Huntington Theatre Company |
| 2013 | Clive | Clive | Off-Broadway, Jan. – March, 2013 |
| 2013 | Johnny Baseball | Unknown | Williamstown Theatre Festival, July/August 2013 |
| 2014 | Bullets Over Broadway | Warner Purcell | Broadway, Apr. 10 – Aug. 24, 2014 |
| 2015 | Absurd Person Singular | Sidney | Two River Theater, Jan. 5 – Feb. 1, 2015 |
| 2015 | Something Rotten! | Brother Jeremiah | Broadway, Apr. 22, 2015 – Jan. 13, 2016 |
| 2016 | Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 | Al/Izzy/Mr. Broadway/Carlo | Broadway, Apr. 21, 2016 – July 24, 2016 |
| 2016 | The Prom | Barry Glickman | Alliance Theatre, August/September 2016 |
| 2017 | Sunday in the Park with George | Mr./Charles | Broadway, Feb. 11 – Apr. 23, 2017 |
| 2018 | The Prom | Barry Glickman | Broadway, September 2018 – August 2019 |
| 2024 | Once Upon A Mattress | Wizard | Broadway, July 31 – November 30, 2024 |
| 2025 | Smash | Nigel | Broadway, March 11, 2025 - |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2009 | Julie & Julia | Mr. Misher |
| 2022 | Better Nate Than Ever | Casting Director |
| 2022 | Forty Winks | Automated Message |
| 2023 | Atrabilious | Todd Jenkins |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | All My Children | Leon | 2 episodes |
| 2012–14 | The Good Wife | Judge Greg Brochard | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Guest | Episode: "The Price of Oil" |
| 2020 | The Good Lord Bird | Lewis Washington | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Last Movie Stars | Gore Vidal (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2022 | Uncoupled | Stanley James | Main cast |
| 2022 | The Good Fight | Judge Greg Brochard | Episode: "The End of Football" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2007 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me | Nominated |
| 2007 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me | Nominated |
| 2019 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | The Prom | Nominated |
| 2019 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | The Prom | Nominated |
| 2019 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | The Prom | Nominated |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | The Prom | Nominated |