Claybourne Elder

Claybourne Elder was born on April 21, 1982, in Springville, Utah. He developed an early interest in music, playing the violin in the school orchestra. Elder pursued his acting education at the Moscow Klasse Centre in Russia before attending Brigham Young University (BYU). He later earned a degree in dramaturgy and directing from the University of Utah. Elder established his presence in the theatre world by originating roles in significant productions, including ‘Ollie Olson’ in ‘One Arm,’ for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination, and ‘Buck Barrow’ in ‘Bonnie & Clyde.’ He also originated the role of Hollis Bessemer in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Road Show’ and Michael Victor in ‘Venice.’

His career continued with notable roles in Broadway revivals, such as playing the Soldier/Alex and understudying Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ in 2017. In 2021, Elder played Andy in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Company.’ His television credits include guest-starring as Pete O’Malley in The CW’s ‘The Carrie Diaries’ and a recurring role as John Adams in HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ starting in 2022. Regionally, he has performed as George in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ at the Signature Theatre in 2014 and Gaston in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at The Muny in 2023.

Beyond his performances, Elder has contributed to cast recordings for ‘Bonnie & Clyde,’ ‘Road Show,’ ‘Venice,’ and ‘Sunday in the Park with George.’ He has also launched ‘City of Strangers,’ an initiative dedicated to providing free Broadway tickets to individuals who might not otherwise have access, distributing over 3,000 tickets to date. This initiative has garnered national attention, featuring on ‘This American Life,’ ‘CBS This Morning,’ and ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’