Sitting in the audience at an Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre [ESRT] production of “Peter Pan,” Jonathan Hochhauser realized he wanted in and fell in love with theatre. Since then, he has performed numerous productions and shows.
In 2019, Hochhauser began his theatre career with an audition for a role in “Mary Poppins” with ESRT. Hochhauser continued to perform numerous shows over the years, and in 2022 Hochhauser finally got his first big role as Bunsen in “Newsies.” According to Hochhauser, this show was his turning point.
(Madden Lewis)
“I began dance and singing lessons, sometimes multiple times a week, and I really focused on using my full potential.”
In 2025, Hochhauser had the chance to perform “How To Train Your Dragon JR.” in New York City with ESRT and showcase his talent on a larger scale. Hochhauser took master classes and workshops in addition to performing.
“At this point, ESRT became a really special thing to me. It gave me an outlet to become more involved with the community—my friends would come see shows, we’d do events around town and travel across the U.S. and it’s pretty awesome,” Hochhauser said.
While Hochhauser performs regularly with ESRT, Frozen stood out.
“Every show I’ve done has been important but this one especially stands out to me because as I’ve stepped farther into the role of Kristoff and spent time developing how I want to portray this character, it has helped me understand the story of Frozen and why it’s so important for me to represent Kristoff in a way that makes the audience feel pleasant and connected.”
Sophomore Piper Macklem watched the Saturday, May 2, performance.
The Trolls attempt to convince Bymaster to pursue Hochhauser in “Fixer Upper.”
(Madden Lewis)
“The production was the best of the best , and it was so well put together. I especially loved watching Kristoff and how well he portrayed the warm and silly nature of the character,” Macklem said.
Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre puts on a numerous amount of shows and will continue to bring joy and happiness to the community. More information on summer shows can be found on www.easternshorerep.org/theatreonthebluff.
