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WELCOME TO THE HOME OF J. AUSTIN EYER
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BROADWAY ACTOR
THEATRE ARTS PROFESSOR DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER AUTHOR 
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J. Austin Eyer is currently an Assistant Professor and Head of Musical Theatre at the University of Texas at Arlington. Eyer performed in several Broadway musicals and national tours. Broadway credits include The Secret Garden (Colin), Curtains, The Little Mermaid (u/s Prince Eric), Billy Elliot (u/s Tony), How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and Evita. He performed Off Broadway in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle, and Jeff Daniels’ play Apartment 3A (Tony). Drawing from his experience working as a swing, he co-authored the book Broadway Swings: Covering the Ensemble in Musical Theatre, which was published by Bloomsbury and Methuen Drama. While pursuing his performance career, Eyer also worked as adjunct professor at CAP21/NYU, a guest teacher at Joop van den Ende Academy in Hamburg and Showa University in Tokyo. In 2014, he accepted an Assistant Professor position at Penn State University, where Eyer also completed his M.F.A. in Directing under the supervision of Susan H. Schulman. Most recently, he directed a devised work called Queer/Antiracist/Feminism and Design for the Future, a collaboration at MIT’s Media Lab with Dr. Danielle Wood, an Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
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J. Austin Eyer grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and began working professionally in television, film, commercials and theatre at the age of seven. After early success in his hometown, he traveled to New York City where, at the age of 10, he landed his first Broadway show playing Colin in The Secret Garden. After the show closed, he continued training in Atlanta and appeared in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games.
At fourteen he moved to Orlando, Florida to attend the prestigious Dr. Phillips Performing Arts High School. During his time in Florida he discovered a passion for choreography, working on events with Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Austin moved to New York City where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with honors. While in school at NYU he continued work as an assistant choreographer and director. In his senior year of college Austin discovered his love of teaching and began teaching for CAP21 studios (which became his home as a teacher and choreographer for the next ten years).
Shortly after his graduation from NYU, Austin was cast in the National Tour of Evita (co-directed by Hal Prince and Larry Fuller), as well as the Original Companies of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas in Boston and St. Paul. He appeared Off-Broadway in Jeff Daniel's play Apartment 3A in the role of Tony. In 2006, Austin returned to Broadway as a swing in the original cast of Curtains. He then appeared as a swing and Prince Eric Understudy in The Little Mermaid. During the run of those two shows, he made his Off-Broadway debut as the choreographer of Boys Just Want to Have Fun and My Big Gay Italian Wedding (which ran Off Broadway for more than 5 years). In 2010, Austin spent a year with the show Billy Elliot appearing both on tour and in the Broadway company. He made his Encores! debut in Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle starring Donna Murphy, Sutton Foster, and Raul Esparza. Next he was a swing and dance captain in the Broadway production of How to Succeed, where he worked with Daniel Radcliffe, Nick Jonas, and Darren Criss. He was last seen on Broadway in the revival of Evita starring Ricky Martin.
Austin has worked alongside numerous stars like Audra McDonald, Rebecca Luker, Faith Prince, Michael Cerveris, Bebe Neuwirth, Will Chase, Sierra Boggess, Titus Burgess, Tony Yazbeck, Sherie Renee Scott, David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba, and Emily Skinner. As well as working for director/choreographers like Rob Ashford, Casey Nicholaw, JoAnn Hunter, Lorin Latarro, Jerry Mitchell, Tony Stevens, Peter Darling, Francesca Zambello, Stephen Daldry, Kenny Ortega, Randy Skinner, and AC Ciulla.
He has choreographed for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Vital Theatre Company, and the New York Musical Theatre Festival. In 2013 Austin co-founded Broadway Donation, a company that provides Donation-Based classes in NYC to the working musical theatre professional. His book titled Broadway Swings, which examines the role of a swing, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing in the fall of 2015.
In 2014 Austin moved to State College, PA to pursue a career in academia at Penn State University while earning an MFA in Directing under the guidance of Susan H. Schulman. In 2020 he moved to Dallas/Fort Worth to become the Head of Musical Theatre at The University of Texas at Arlington. He continues to teach across the country with programs like Broadway Dance Center, Theatre Arts Center, Broadway Connection, The Broadway Experience, and CAP21. Austin guest teaches in Japan at the Showa University of Music, in Paris with American Musical Theatre Live!, in Hamburg, Germany with the Joop van den Ende Academy, and outside of Munich with Musiktheater Bavaria where he held the title of Head of Musical Theatre and taught for over five years. He began studying with the Contemporary Alexander School in 2021, with the hopes of incorporating the Alexander Technique into his work as a theatre arts professor and researcher.
As an academic, his areas of research include the examination masculinity and heteronormativity in musical theatre, as well as how to create space for queer, trans*, and questioning students in the arts classroom.
At fourteen he moved to Orlando, Florida to attend the prestigious Dr. Phillips Performing Arts High School. During his time in Florida he discovered a passion for choreography, working on events with Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Austin moved to New York City where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with honors. While in school at NYU he continued work as an assistant choreographer and director. In his senior year of college Austin discovered his love of teaching and began teaching for CAP21 studios (which became his home as a teacher and choreographer for the next ten years).
Shortly after his graduation from NYU, Austin was cast in the National Tour of Evita (co-directed by Hal Prince and Larry Fuller), as well as the Original Companies of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas in Boston and St. Paul. He appeared Off-Broadway in Jeff Daniel's play Apartment 3A in the role of Tony. In 2006, Austin returned to Broadway as a swing in the original cast of Curtains. He then appeared as a swing and Prince Eric Understudy in The Little Mermaid. During the run of those two shows, he made his Off-Broadway debut as the choreographer of Boys Just Want to Have Fun and My Big Gay Italian Wedding (which ran Off Broadway for more than 5 years). In 2010, Austin spent a year with the show Billy Elliot appearing both on tour and in the Broadway company. He made his Encores! debut in Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle starring Donna Murphy, Sutton Foster, and Raul Esparza. Next he was a swing and dance captain in the Broadway production of How to Succeed, where he worked with Daniel Radcliffe, Nick Jonas, and Darren Criss. He was last seen on Broadway in the revival of Evita starring Ricky Martin.
Austin has worked alongside numerous stars like Audra McDonald, Rebecca Luker, Faith Prince, Michael Cerveris, Bebe Neuwirth, Will Chase, Sierra Boggess, Titus Burgess, Tony Yazbeck, Sherie Renee Scott, David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba, and Emily Skinner. As well as working for director/choreographers like Rob Ashford, Casey Nicholaw, JoAnn Hunter, Lorin Latarro, Jerry Mitchell, Tony Stevens, Peter Darling, Francesca Zambello, Stephen Daldry, Kenny Ortega, Randy Skinner, and AC Ciulla.
He has choreographed for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Vital Theatre Company, and the New York Musical Theatre Festival. In 2013 Austin co-founded Broadway Donation, a company that provides Donation-Based classes in NYC to the working musical theatre professional. His book titled Broadway Swings, which examines the role of a swing, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing in the fall of 2015.
In 2014 Austin moved to State College, PA to pursue a career in academia at Penn State University while earning an MFA in Directing under the guidance of Susan H. Schulman. In 2020 he moved to Dallas/Fort Worth to become the Head of Musical Theatre at The University of Texas at Arlington. He continues to teach across the country with programs like Broadway Dance Center, Theatre Arts Center, Broadway Connection, The Broadway Experience, and CAP21. Austin guest teaches in Japan at the Showa University of Music, in Paris with American Musical Theatre Live!, in Hamburg, Germany with the Joop van den Ende Academy, and outside of Munich with Musiktheater Bavaria where he held the title of Head of Musical Theatre and taught for over five years. He began studying with the Contemporary Alexander School in 2021, with the hopes of incorporating the Alexander Technique into his work as a theatre arts professor and researcher.
As an academic, his areas of research include the examination masculinity and heteronormativity in musical theatre, as well as how to create space for queer, trans*, and questioning students in the arts classroom.
