Nicholas Steinberger is a man in motion—an actor, mascot, podcaster, marketer, and full-time college student, all fueled by unshakable drive and an enviable stamina for doing everything.

 

Born and raised in the coal town of West Frankfort, Illinois, Nick grew up amid the bucolic backdrop of Southern Illinois, where he cultivated an early love for the outdoors and an even earlier love for the spotlight.

After early roles in school productions, Nick got his first taste of community theatre when he was scouted to join McLeod Summer Playhouse’s Gypsy the summer after eighth grade. Since then, he’s thrown himself headlong into the performing arts—even while nursing a broken tibia, he landed the role of Doody in Grease (McLeod, again—because they know talent when they see it).

 

His senior year of high school alone included 12 productions across Southern Illinois, from Scuttle in The Little Mermaid to a deliciously unhinged Phantom in Rocky Horror Picture Show Live.

Now a soon to be Junior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Nick is pursuing a BA in Musical Theatre and rounding out his triple-threat résumé with serious training. His dance instruction includes ballet, jazz, tap, and modern—most recently showcased in Darryl Clark’s “New Day,” a featured piece in SIU’s concert Phoenix.

 

On the vocal side, he has trained in both musical and choral voice with Derek Hamblin, Susan Davenport, Clarrisa Scroggins and other top instructors. Nick also received comprehensive acting instruction for both stage and screen, making him as comfortable in front of a camera as he is under the lights.

 

Nick’s stage credits continue to grow, with lead roles like Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors (Shawnee Community College), and Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (John A. Logan College). His professional work includes multiple roles at McLeod Summer Playhouse: Garvin/Cop/Featured Dancer and Ren understudy in Footloose; Yellow Dragon in Dragons Love Tacos; and the physically demanding Barnaby Tucker in Hello, Dolly!

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A career highlight so far? His dual roles in the world premiere of Standard Issue, a new original musical by Hank and Deanna Deiters, which debuted in Marion, Illinois. The show follows a soldier's journey through enlistment, deployment, and return, all told with 16 original songs. Nick was not only in the ensemble cast—he also served as the production’s Marketing Director. He coordinated cast and crew interviews, wrangled media contacts, and made sure Standard Issue reached audiences across traditional and digital platforms. (He also made sure his co-stars looked good on Instagram.)

Marketing is a growing part of Nick’s creative career. He manages publicity not just for productions like Standard Issue, but also for his own podcast, Anything and Everything with Nick Steinberger, which he writes, produces, hosts, and shamelessly self-promotes. (And yes, he still finds time to run long-distance, balance on things, and flip himself around onstage.)

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Special skills include stage combat, public speaking, cartwheels, suit stamina, stage tumbling, balancing acts (literal and otherwise), and possession of a valid U.S. passport—because wherever the spotlight leads, Nick Steinberger is ready.