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For anyone who's been part of the theater world, the term 'showmance' is well-known — it's when two cast members from a production start a romantic relationship. While many showmances fade after the final curtain, some evolve into lasting partnerships. These couples either thrive for the long haul or end in a spectacular breakup.
Here are 9 celebrity couples who found love while working on Broadway:
1. Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton first crossed paths at a 2018 charity event celebrating playwright Harold Pinter's birthday, where they performed a reading of a key scene from Betrayal together. In 2019, they played Robert and Emma in a West End revival before bringing their performances to Broadway later that year.
After being together for three years, they got engaged in 2022.
2. Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs first crossed paths during the original Broadway run of Rent in 1996. Idina played Maureen Johnson, and Taye portrayed Benjamin Coffin III.
In 2003, the couple tied the knot at the Jamaican resort where Taye filmed How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
Two years later, they brought their Rent characters to the silver screen in the movie adaptation.
However, in 2013, they announced their separation.
In 2014, Taye shared with Redbook, "I'd be lying if I said there weren't times when I thought, 'Oh, man, people are going to trip out [if we split].' Maybe they thought it was cute that we met in Rent. There weren't a lot of couples like us in the theater community — and I know there aren't a lot of performers as talented as she is… and then you have the whole mixed [race] thing. It was easy for people to root for us. Right now, we're still trying to figure out a lot of stuff because we're on different coasts, and our son is getting older."
In 2023, Idina shared on the podcast Dinner's on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "The thing that came into play more, I would say — he's talked about it too — is the interracial aspect of it. When you're in the theater, it's just not a thing. We all love each other, sleep with each other, and are best friends with whoever wants to be, whatever sexual orientation. But when you leave that cocoon, that bubble, in his case, he's [in] PEOPLE's 50 most beautiful people...He was on the cover of Essence, Ebony, and interviewed by Black journalists. He had his own struggles to face with that.
...there seemed to be disappointment in the community because he was married to a little white Jewish girl from some show that we don't even remember...It was less about being successful and more about that kind of stuff."
3. Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett met in 2015 during the out-of-town trial run of Waitress at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before the show moved to Broadway. She composed the music, and he played Earl. In 2021, he reprised his role on Broadway, while Sara starred as Jenna.
They became engaged on New Year's Day in 2023.
Joe shared with People, "It's like, all roads lead back to Waitress. It was truly an amazing experience to perform alongside her. What a special thing to do, to share a Broadway stage with your partner."
4. Daveed Diggs and Emmy Raver-Lampman first crossed paths during the original Broadway run of Hamilton in 2015. He originated the role of Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, while she was an ensemble member who also understudied for Angelica Schuyler, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, and Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds.
Although they didn't start dating while working together on the show, they stayed close friends after both left in 2016 at different times.
Their relationship was officially revealed in 2020.
5. Jasmine Cephas Jones and Anthony Ramos first met during rehearsals for Hamilton in 2014, where they both originated the roles of Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds and John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton, respectively.
They got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2018.
However, in 2021, they parted ways after a TikTok video went viral, allegedly showing Anthony with another woman at a strip club. Neither Anthony nor Jasmine has publicly commented on the specifics of their breakup or the video.
6. Audra McDonald and Will Swenson met in 2007 while both were part of the cast for the 110 in the Shade revival. Audra portrayed Lizzie, the lead role, while Will was the understudy for Bill Starbuck, one of the principal roles.
In 2009, they returned to their roles for a special benefit performance at the Hale Center in Utah.
In 2012, they got engaged on New Year's and later tied the knot in October. Their wedding took place at their home in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
7. Aaron Tveit and Ericka Hunter first crossed paths in 2018 while starring together in the original Broadway run of Moulin Rouge!. Aaron originated the role of Christian, while Ericka was part of the ensemble and also understudied Arabia and La Chocolat.
In 2024, they subtly shared the news of their engagement when Ericka's engagement ring appeared in a pregnancy announcement photo on Instagram. Aaron's representative later confirmed the engagement to People.
8. Andy Karl and Orfeh met when Andy joined the cast of Saturday Night Fever as a replacement for Joey in 2000. Orfeh had originated the leading role of Annette.
They tied the knot just six months after Andy joined the cast.
In 2007, they both starred in Legally Blonde: The Musical, with Orfeh playing Paulette and Andy taking on the role of Kyle, the UPS driver. Later, in 2018, they reunited in Pretty Woman: The Musical, with Orfeh as Kit De Luca and Andy as Edward (after Steve Kazee's sudden departure).
However, in 2024, they publicly announced their separation.
In a joint Instagram post, they shared, "After 23 years of a wonderful loving relationship, both onstage and off, we have made the decision to separate. Keeping a marriage strong can be challenging, especially when working on opposite sides of the world, but we remain committed to building a strong future, whether together or apart. We ask for respect and privacy at this time."
9. In 2019, Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada first met during rehearsals a week before Hadestown premiered. Reeve played Orpheus, and Eva took on the role of Eurydice.
The couple has been dating since 2019.
In 2023, Eva told Playbill, "Reeve is my best friend. He's also my soulmate, my partner. There's never ever going to be a reality in which I want to spend less time with him. To me, the hardest part about leaving the show is less time with Reeve — not really less time, it's just less stage time. But this is not the last show we're ever going to do together. We're going to hopefully do many, many, many shows together in different formats, and they're gonna be amazing."
They're set to reprise their roles on the West End in 2025.
