Robert Ariza

Robert Ariza (born April 6, 1990)^[1] is an American television and stage actor from Queens, New York. He is best known for his performances in the cast of Deaf West's 2015 revival of Spring Awakening, and in productions of Hamilton (Chicago), Les Misérables (National Tour), and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Shanghai).

Robert Ariza was born in Queens, New York.^[2][3] He first discovered musical theatre as a teenager, when he attended a teen drama camp and acted in a production of Footloose.^[3] He graduated from LaGuardia Arts High School, where he majored in Voice, and attended the University of Michigan, where he received a BFA in Musical Theatre.^[4][5]

During and immediately after his time at the University of Michigan, Ariza performed with Musical Theatre Wichita, a summer theatre in Kansas, for three seasons. He made his MTW debut in 2012 summer season with ensemble roles in Fiddler on the Roof, 9 to 5, HONK!, and Singin' In The Rain. That same year, he was cast as Padaman/Nikos in MTW's Legally Blonde.^[6] In 2013, he played Courfeyrac in Les Misérables, Francis Lockwood in Betty Blue Eyes, and performed in the ensembles of Mary Poppins and The King and I.^{[7][8][9][10]} In the 2014 season, he played Professor in South Pacific, Chino in West Side Story, Butler in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, FBI Agent Johnny Dollar in Catch Me If You Can, and Bert Barry in 42nd Street.^{[11][12][13][14][15]}

Ariza made his Broadway debut as a swing in Deaf West's 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. He learned American Sign Language for the role.^[16][17]

In 2017, he performed as Marius in the Les Misérables North American tour,^[18] and in 2020, he joined the Chicago production of Hamilton.^[19]

In February 2026, it was announced that Ariza would be returning to Broadway as an understudy for Charles Cholmondeley & Others and Hester Leggatt & Others in the first all-American cast of Operation Mincemeat. ^[20]