Juan Pablo Di Pace Joins Broadway's Schmigadoon!
The 47-year-old actor steps into the role of Doc at the Nederlander Theatre while original cast member Ivan Hernandez is out for four weeks.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in LGBTQ+
Juan Pablo Di Pace made his Broadway debut as Doc in Schmigadoon! at the Nederlander Theatre, taking over from Ivan Hernandez, who has a scheduled four-week absence. His run began October 24 and runs through Sunday, November 22.
Why it matters
The substitution gives Di Pace a featured Broadway platform during a limited run, and his public coming-out and advocacy history adds context to his visibility in the production. The temporary role reflects standard casting coverage while the original performer is away.
Di Pace's featured run covers the same roughly four-week window as Hernandez's scheduled absence, with the run starting October 24 and ending November 22. The extraction does not state ticket pricing or whether additional performances have been added.
The players
Juan Pablo Di Pace
An actor who came out as gay in 2019 and has spoken publicly about being bullied for his sexuality while growing up, now performing in a Broadway musical.
Ivan Hernandez
The original cast member playing Doc in Schmigadoon! who has a scheduled four-week absence from the role.
The details
Di Pace, 47, is known for playing the only man in an aerobics class in the 2004 music video for Eric Prydz's Call on Me. Sarah Drew and Peter Porte attended a performance, and Di Pace shared selfies with them on Instagram Story, in a circle that includes his 2024 Hallmark film Branching Out and the 2020 LGBTQIA+ romcom Dashing.
Timeline
2004: Di Pace stars in the Call on Me music video.
March 2019: Di Pace publicly comes out as gay during a TEDx talk.
June 2019: The TEDx talk, recorded in Maastricht, Netherlands, is released.
October 24: Di Pace's Broadway run begins at the Nederlander Theatre.
Sunday, November 22: Di Pace's featured run ends.
Culture Shift
The casting reflects a continuing pattern in which openly gay performers, including Di Pace after his 2019 coming-out, are cast in mainstream Broadway productions rather than limited to LGBTQ-specific shows. Di Pace's career sits within that shift as his Hallmark and romcom credits broaden his mainstream visibility.
Theatergoers can see Di Pace perform as Doc through Sunday, November 22, when his featured run ends. Once the featured run concludes, the extraction does not state whether he or Hernandez will perform the role.
The takeaway
Casting substitutions can open a role to a new performer for a limited window, so audiences seeking a specific actor should check current performance schedules. Keep an eye on the run dates before attending.
Further reading
Explore more LGBTQ+ coverage on New York City's stage and screen scene.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mail Online.
