ABOUT DEVIN
Devin Neilson grew up in Washington City, Utah but has been carried all over the World performing in musical theater and dance. Devin currently resides in Southern Utah where he is performing with Tuacahn Center for the Arts as a Dance Captain, an understudy and a member of the Ensemble in the summer season of the regional premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan featuring Broadway's original Tarzan Josh Strictland.
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When COVID hit, it was pretty devastating to the entertainment industry. Devin's first show back was in Summer of 2021 where he played Tarzan in a production of Tarzan at Hurricane Valley Theatricals. This show was so healing and rewarding for Devin and has been a huge highlight of his career.
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In 2019, Devin performed as Tumblebrutus with the original cast of the Broadway North American Tour in CATS the MUSICAL. Honored to be a part of the cast, Devin worked under the direction of Chrissie Cartwright, along with the revised Gillian Lynn choreography done by and Andy Blankenbeuhler.
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Devin graduated with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre from Brigham Young University in 2016 where he performed in the musicals The Count of Monte Christ (ensemble u/s Albert) and played Le Fou in Beauty and the Beast (u/s Gaston). He also performed in venues such as BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre Company; BYU Dance Ensemble, and a Frank Wildhorn's Chorus featuring Norm Lewis, Jackie Burns and Adrienne Warren. Devin was also chosen to sing for Sutton Foster in a BYU Masterclass.
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Other recent experiences include Mary Poppins (MUNY), Something Rotten! (Phoenix Theatre Company), All Shook Up ( Westchester Broadway Theater), The Music Man (Wick Theater), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Broadway at Sacramento Music Circus), Newsies (The Engeman Theatre), several shows at Tuacahn Center for the Arts such as Tarzan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Peter Pan, Newsies and Shrek along with work at The Jackson Hole Playhouse, The Carriage House Theatre, Dixie State University, The Hale Center Theatre and many more.
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Growing up, Devin was surrounded by his families unconditional love for sports, music, laughter, and sugar! Talent runs in the family, and as an avid gymnast and athlete himself, Devin was able to thrive creatively as a singer and dancer from a young age. Although his skills have carried him away from home, Devin's family provides their support wherever he goes.
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Devin is grateful for the experiences he has had and is currently having. He looks forward to continuing to use his craft to help others and thanks you for following along in the journey. READ MORE.
"IT'S OKAY"
THE REASON BEHIND THIS MOTTO
If you have been to a show that I have been in since 2020, you would have seen this phrase at the end of my biography in the playbill. This phrase has great meaning to me and is something that helps me to remember to be grateful for where I am, who I am and for the air in my lungs. Here is the meaning behind this motto.
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In 2017 my oldest sister became pregnant with twins! Our family was so excited to hear the news of these two little ones joining our family. A few months after this news, my sister went in for a check up and they found a mass in her colon. They took biopsies of this mass and found that it was cancerous. She had colon cancer.
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I will never forget the day that I heard this news and the fear and anxiety that flooded my system. So many questions and so much insecurity surrounded this information. Luckily I was in my home town performing and could be near the family at this devastating time.
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The doctors worked swiftly to begin my sister on a chemo treatment that wouldn't harm the babies. So she began those treatments. The babies were born successfully and then doctors then were able to remove the mass in her colon.
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A few years of fighting the cancer went by and at the beginning of 2019 she went in for a scan and was told the cancer was gone. We were so relieved to hear this news and so grateful that the treatments worked. However not long after this scan she went in for another and we were told the cancer had spread to both her liver and her lungs. What even more devastating news this was and this began the long journey ahead.
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I was on tour with CATS at the time and finished my tour in October of 2019. In December I went to Florida to do Music Man, and at this point my Sister was having some pain and trouble walking. Her spine seemed to be twisting or something, but she made it a point to come to Florida with my parents and her son (my oldest nephew) to see the show. We also went to Disney World, but disaster struck on out last day when we returned home from Disney one night. Amy was in a lot of pain could and could not find relief. I had to carry her up to the hotel room as she couldn't walk. My Dad got on the phone to book flights home pretty immediately. They got Amy in to the doctors and found there was a tumor growing on her spine. It paralyzed her and she was bed ridden.
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This was very hard for our family. My parents moved her home to our childhood home to be able to take care of her. Amy had a hard time being in a bed, but she also remained so positive through it all. Whenever someone would be sad or feel bad Amy would say "IT'S OK." This two word phrase packs so much meaning for me that will help me rememebr Amy and to remember that life is too short to be stressed, sad and ungrateful. I love you Ames Dog!
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COMING SOON!