EXCLUSIVE: NICK JONAS ‘DEVASTATED’ AS BRUTAL REVIEWS TRASH HIS BIG RETURN
Critics call his performance “underpowered” and “bizarrely cast” in disastrous revival of The Last Five Years
Nick Jonas’s big Broadway comeback has hit a sour note — and insiders say the pop heartthrob is “devastated.”
The Sucker singer, 32, made his much-hyped return to the Great White Way in a revival of The Last Five Years, but the buzz quickly fizzled after a string of brutal reviews that have left fans and insiders stunned.
In a scathing takedown, New York Post theater critic Johnny Oleksinski torched the production as “one of the worst musical productions of the season,” slamming its “monotonous” pacing, “minimalistic” staging, and poor direction. But the harshest critique was aimed squarely at Jonas, whose portrayal of Jamie, a young novelist caught in a crumbling relationship, was described as “devoid of personality.”
The New York Times echoed the sentiment, dubbing Jonas “underpowered,” and suggesting his performance failed to rise to the level of the material. Meanwhile, the Daily News didn’t hold back, calling the revival “a misfire featuring the truly bizarre casting of Nick Jonas.”
“He looks good, sure,” a source close to the production told Rob Shuter’s Substack, “but Broadway isn’t just about charm. Nick seemed totally out of his depth — and the critics noticed.”
Even co-star Adrienne Warren, a Tony winner known for powerhouse vocals, couldn’t salvage the show. While her voice drew “some praise,” reviewers noted her character “lacked emotional depth,” further dooming the already flailing revival.
“Everyone expected this to be a slam dunk,” a theater insider whispered. “Nick had so much momentum coming in — he’d been embraced by the theater community before. This hit hard.”
While Team Jonas is keeping quiet for now, a close friend says the singer is “taking the feedback seriously” but admits he’s “crushed by how cruel some of the reviews have been.”
“It was supposed to be his big Broadway moment,” the friend sighed. “Instead, it turned into a nightmare.”
Nick may have wanted five years… but critics gave him five minutes.