HLL’s Jasmine Forsberg stars in new Princeton musical

This fall, Princeton’s McCarter Theatre will debut “I & You: The Musical,” adapted from Lauren Gunderson’s award-winning play of the same title.

The newly announced cast features two rising Broadway stars. Jasmine Forsberg (“Here Lies Love;” “Six;” “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends”) and Benji Santiago (“The Notebook”) will play 17-year-olds Caroline and Anthony, bringing youthful energy and depth to the story.

For Filipina American Forsberg, landing this role is another milestone in a career already rich with accomplishments. She made her Broadway debut as Maria Luisa, one of Imelda Marcos’s Blue Ladies socialites in “Here Lies Love,” the groundbreaking musical celebrated for its all-Filipino cast. She went on to star as Jane Seymour in the hit “Six” and most recently appeared in “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends.”

Beyond the stage, Forsberg has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk series, Good Morning America, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and raised in Orlando, Florida, Forsberg was surrounded by theater and arts programs that nurtured her love for performance from an early age. With much of her extended family still in Chicago, she considers the city a second home.

Her Filipino heritage, however, remains central to her identity. Her Lola (grandmother), whom she describes as her “favorite person on the planet,” is from Pateros, Rizal, while her Lolo hails from Santa Cruz, Manila.

“I can’t wait to visit someday soon,” she shared with The FilAm in an email interview.

Forsberg’s earliest memories of performing trace back to family Karaoke nights on her Lolo’s Magic Sing. Her go-to song was Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” and relatives often told her she was like “a little Lea Salonga.” Years later, life came full circle when she shared the Broadway stage with her idol in “Here Lies Love.”

She continued: “As a little girl, I remember singing karaoke on my Lolo’s Magic Sing. My go-to song was ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion. I loved the Magic Sing, and my Titas and Titos would say to me, ‘You’re like a little Lea Salonga!’ She was a huge inspiration for me growing up. If only 5-year old Jasmine knew that she would make her Broadway debut in ‘Here Lies Love’ alongside Ate Lea herself!”

Her journey into the performing arts began almost as soon as she could walk and talk — dance lessons at 2 years old, piano at 3, and voice lessons by 6. She recalls her first musical, “101 Dalmatians,” with fondness: “I’m certain I had zero solo lines, but I loved it regardless.”

That early spark became a lifelong passion, supported by her parents, Jocelyn and Paul from Naperville, Illinois, who juggled the schedules of three children with different interests.   

Forsberg’s professional debut came as Roo in “The House at Pooh Corner” at Orlando Repertory Theatre (now Orlando Family Stage). To balance her education with theater commitments, she spent five years in virtual school, allowing her to pursue stage opportunities without sacrificing academics.

In addition to theater, Forsberg has begun exploring screen work. In 2021, she appeared in the Hallmark film “One December Night,” playing Addison, a singer-songwriter who mirrors much of her own artistry. She is eager to expand into more film and television projects.

With a book by Gunderson, music and lyrics by Hamilton alum and activist Ari Afsar, “I & You” is helmed by McCarter’s artistic director Sarah Rasmussen.