A VERSATILE ARTIST

Hailed as “thrillingly powerful” by The New York Times  and “a major talent” by The Toronto Star, Marcus Nance is one of North America’s most compelling and versatile performers. Equally at home in opera, musical theatre, film, and cabaret, he brings rare vocal authority and emotional depth to every stage he inhabits. A two-time Dora Award winner (2024, 2025) and recipient of the 2025 Toronto Critics’ Award, Marcus was also named My Entertainment World’s 2023 Performer of the Year—praised as “one of Canada’s greatest musical theatre talents.”

On stage, Marcus’s recent work includes Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Mirvish / Crow’s Theatre / Musical Stage Company), A Strange Loop (Soulpepper), The Little Prince (Pacific Opera Victoria), Cymbeline, Frankenstein Revived, and Richard II (Stratford Festival), as well as H.M.S. Pinafore with Vancouver Opera. His Broadway credits include Jesus Christ Superstar and Baz Luhrmann’s Tony-winning production of La Bohème.

A longtime member of the Stratford Festival, Marcus has spent twelve seasons in leading roles, earning acclaim for performances such as the Monster in Frankenstein Revived, Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Jupiter in Cymbeline, Queequeg in Moby Dick, and Reverend J.D. Montgomery in My One and Only. In 2021, he created, directed, and performed in Why We Tell the Story, which opened the Stratford Festival’s outdoor season. His deeply personal solo show, Voice of a Preacher’s Son, premiered on Stratfest@Home, Stratford’s digital streaming platform.

In opera, Marcus is celebrated for his commanding bass voice and formidable dramatic presence, with a particular distinction as a creator of new work. He originated three roles in world-premiere works: Moses in Beatrice Chancy(Queen of Puddings Music Theatre), Malcolm in Atom Egoyan’s Elsewhereless (Tapestry Opera)—for which he received a Dora Award nomination—and bass soloist in the Juno-nominated Dark Star Requiem (Tapestry Opera). Additional operatic highlights include Sparafucile in Rigoletto (Tacoma Opera), the Compère in Four Saints in Three Acts (Chicago Opera Theatre), Basilio in The Barber of Seville (Monterey Opera Association), and Ali in L’Italiana in Algeri (Hawai‘i Opera Theatre).

On screen, Marcus made his film debut in Mel Brooks’ The Producers and has appeared in Queen Tut, Murdoch Mysteries, Good Sam, Departure, and Mayday.

Beyond performance, Marcus is a passionate educator and mentor. He teaches voice at Wilfrid Laurier University, the Stratford Summer Music Vocal Academy, and Sheridan College, and regularly leads masterclasses and adjudicates festivals throughout Canada and the United States. His goal as a teacher is to cultivate versatile, fearless artists—singers who are technically grounded and open to engaging authentically with any genre of music. He also served on the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) 2025 Program Committee and was invited to perform in the conference’s opening ceremonies.

Marcus Nance is a proud member of CAEA, ACTRA, and NATS.