Joseph Mahowald

Joseph Mahowald is an American actor and singer whose Broadway career spanned from 1987 to 2010. He is also known professionally as Joe Mahowald. Mahowald attended the University of South Dakota from 1977 to 1979, then studied voice and opera for a year at the University of Texas at Austin. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre in 1984.

Mahowald made his Broadway debut in 1992 at the Imperial Theatre, originating the role of Enjolras in Les Misérables. A decade later, in 2002, he returned to the Broadway production for seven weeks to perform the role of Inspector Javert, a character he had also taken on during the third U.S. Tour of Les Misérables beginning in July 2001. That tour engagement concluded with his final performance as Javert in July 2003.

Between his two Broadway stints in Les Misérables, Mahowald joined the cast of Jekyll & Hyde at the Plymouth Theatre on January 6, 1999, serving as the alternate for the title roles. Over the course of nearly two years, he covered the role for Rob Evan, Jack Wagner, and Sebastian Bach before his final performance with the production on September 30, 2000.

In 2007, Mahowald returned to Broadway in The Pirate Queen, where he played Chieftain O'Flaherty and also served as an ensemble member and understudy. He subsequently toured the United States in 9 to 5, portraying Franklin Hart Jr. in 2011.