Tony Nominee John Herrera Has Died at 70 | Playbill
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Tony Nominee John Herrera Has Died at 70

Mr. Herrera was a familiar face to theatre lovers across the United States.

February 26, 2026 By Margaret Hall

Tony nominee John Herrera has passed away at the age of 70. News of his passing was confirmed by his family on Facebook.

Born and raised in Cuba, Mr. Herrera came to New York in the late 1970s, making his Broadway debut in the original production of Grease as a cover for all of the male principals including Danny Zuko. His warm singing voice quickly charmed the industry at large, leading him to become a beloved replacement leading man for several decades, including stints covering Che in the original Broadway run of Evita, Dap in Camelot with Richard Burton, John Blackthorne in Shogun, The Musical, and John Adams and John Hancock in 1776.

His most well known Broadway performance, however, had him firmly positioned at center stage.

Mr. Herrera originated the role of Victor Grinstead/Neville Landless in Rupert Holmes' The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1985, immortalizing his recognizable baritenor as the layered music hall company member. As a Latine man playing a British man playing a Sri Lankan man of mystery, Mr. Herrera navigated the complexity with panache, netting a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Following Drood, Mr. Herrera continued to take on psychologically layered performances as a member of the original Broadway company of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Broadway revival of The Threepenny Opera. In 2002, he reached perhaps the zenith of such musical theatre complexity as the understudy for Brian Stokes Mitchell as Don Quixote (Cervantes) in Man of La Mancha. His final Broadway performance came in 2006, as a swing for The Times They Are A-Changin'. Off-Broadway, Mr. Herrera originated the role of Kevin Rosario, Nina's entrepreneurial immigrant father, in Lin-Manuel Miranda's In The Heights.

Across the United States, Mr. Herrera was a comforting constant, popping up on national tours, concert circuits, and in productions in cities nationwide. He led Evita out on its first national tour as Che, was the first Enjolras to take Les Misérables on the road, and his performance as Anatoly in first national tour of Chess was highly prized by fans as near definitive. He played Marvin in the second national tour of Falsettos, understudied Roy Cohn and Louis Ironson in the tour of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, and even took Martin Guerre out on the road over the millenium as Father Dominic.

Mr. Herrera left New York for New Mexico in the 2020, but always remained deeply connected to those with whom he had collaborated. He had quietly retired in recent years, but was an ever-ready sounding board for those who knew the wisdom of his guidance. He is survived by his daughter, Erin-Marie.

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