We're bringing back a Broadway Drumming 101 Classic episode with Joe Choroszewski—a musician whose Broadway and live performance resume is as deep as it is diverse.
Joe has been on drums for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring The Rockettes for the past three seasons, performing hundreds of shows at one of the most iconic venues in the world. Before that, he spent an entire decade (2009–2019) anchoring the Off-Broadway hit Avenue Q at New World Stages, helping extend the legacy of the Tony Award-winning production long after its Broadway run.
As a Broadway sub, Joe is in rare company—having performed on more than twenty Broadway productions, including The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Beetlejuice, Frozen, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Legally Blonde, Jagged Little Pill, Ain’t Too Proud, Newsies, and more.
Joe also stepped in to take over the drum chairs for Finding Neverland in 2016 and Promises, Promises in 2010, finishing the final runs of both Broadway productions. He was the drummer for the Off-Broadway run of Avenue Q and on tour, he performed in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Patrick Cassidy. Joe was also on the first national tours of Avenue Q and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
In this episode, Joe shares insights from:
His time working with major artists like Heather Headley, Ariana DeBose, Cheyenne Jackson, Sutton Foster, and Chita Rivera
Backing cabaret icons like Natalie Douglas, Christina Bianco, and “Kenn Boisinger” (Michael West)
Playing for household names like Mario Cantone and Real Housewives star Luann de Lesseps
And his long-standing involvement in Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit events
Beyond Broadway, Joe’s played everywhere—from symphony halls (Princeton Symphony, Allentown Symphony) to cruise ship showbands (Carnival and Norwegian), weddings to worship bands, jazz trios to hard rock cover groups. He’s also helped shape new musicals in development and has been a go-to regional drummer for ACT of Connecticut and Ridgefield Playhouse concerts.
Education Spotlight:
Joe holds a degree in Jazz Studies from the prestigious University of North Texas College of Music, where he studied for six semesters with drum legend Ed Soph. He continued his private study with another legend—Tommy Igoe—in New Jersey and is featured on Igoe’s best-selling instructional DVD Great Hands For A Lifetime. Joe has been teaching privately for over 25 years and continues to share his knowledge as a guest clinician at schools and studios.
Offstage, Joe lives in Somerset County, NJ, with his wife Giana, their three boys, and three dogs. He’s an avid runner, a vintage drum collector, and a passionate Major League Baseball fan.
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