Jessica Umanoff (she/they) is a performing artist originally from New York, represented by RPT Entertainment LLC and Mmad Management. For over eleven years, she has performed across New York City, nationally, and throughout Europe, with roots in musical theater and seven years of dedicated study in the Sanford Meisner technique. Currently, Jess is a background vocalist for Josh Groban's Gems tour, making her way across the Northeast region throughout the summer of 2026. Recent venues include: PAC NYC, Lincoln Center, 54 Below, etc.
Jessica holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and Sociology—two disciplines whose relationship profoundly shapes her artistry. Jess originated the lead role in Dark Heart, a new musical that premiered Off-Broadway in 2016 and went on to win The Derek Award for Best New Musical at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her theater-making and artistic activism have earned her multiple awards and grants, including the 2023 Karpf & Hahn Peace Endowment Award for her first play (untitled), which explores the aftermath of sexual violence in a young woman's life.
"Her vulnerability as the world keeps moving around her was devastating, and the play fully earns the sweet note it ended on."
