It’s the day after the 2025 Tony Awards, and I have the distinct pleasure to Zoom with Tony-, Emmy-, Grammy- and Pulitzer-winner, the uber-hyphenated (singer/songwriter/composer/lyricist/musical director-supervisor-arranger and orchestrator) artist, Tom Kitt. This is the first time in four years that Tom has not had a show in the evening’s lineup, and he laughingly shared that “muscle memory” almost kicked in to start him dressing for the event, only to realize he could watch, clap-for and be inspired by his friends and co-workers, all from the comfort of his couch. That said, he and his wife Rita Pietropinto-Kitt, did attend a number of afterparties, returning home late enough that it was almost morning, so I was doubly grateful for his time and graciousness in speaking with me.
Born Thomas Robert Kitt in 1974, Tom, along with his two older siblings, spent his early years in Port Washington on Long Island but moved with his parents to Westchester and the Armonk school district as a middle school student in 1987.
This is where and when the magic began, and Tom Kitt came into his own.
As most of us know from our own childhoods and those of our children today, middle school can be rough. And starting fresh as the new kid in town – downright scary. Tom was no exception to feeling first-day nerves, but luckily for him, athletics are a great entry to the teen boy-world, and Tom had been playing soccer since he was four years old. As Tom shared, it was more his gutsy behavior than his ball handling skills that first helped to put him on his peers’ radar; apparently, there was a large-for-his-age football player who pretty much ran the recess yard and games, and when he had the ball no one dared challenge him. Unaware of this unwritten playground rule, Tom surprised everyone by tackling the big guy, getting ahold of the ball and, unexpectedly, changing the course of that day’s game.
In fact, the unexpected seems to be part of the whole that defines Tom Kitt. In addition to playing soccer from a young age, Tom also played the piano. And not just for himself or for his family, but in school, often in performances as part of talent shows he helped to organize. This led to some teasing and bullying from his Port Washington classmates but garnered only positive attention at Byram Hills.
Tom had found his tribe and found great teachers along the way too. Performing “Captain Jack” in an 8th grade talent show, a tribute to one of his to-this-day idols Billy Joel, Tom confides that he “felt the love” and observed that “all artists need people who get them; in fact, all humankind needs people who get them.”
When Tom got to Byram Hills High School, he kept up with his schoolwork and played soccer but was especially focused on his singer/songwriter skills. He performed at coffee houses “and anywhere I could get on a piano and sing.” When he was a sophomore, he was asked to play in the orchestra pit for Kiss Me Kate – his first theatrical experience, and loved it. As a senior, he was convinced to be in the musical Into the Woods and, as he tells it, “As soon as I started, I was floored, my breath was taken away… when I talk about my road to the theater and what inspired me growing up, that Byram Hills experience was at the center.” Tom came back to Byram Hills in 2015 for the beloved drama teacher, Joy Varley’s retirement, which included an alumni performance of Next to Normal and reminisces “High school was such a layered and deeply emotional experience…seeing my name on the theater wall, with others such as Peter Gallagher and Laura Brannigan as part of the history of Byram Hills was incredibly meaningful.”
Tom loved all his Byram Hills educators, but English teacher Mr. Montgomery really stood out. “He recommended a list of books after I graduated, one of which was High Fidelity and that was my first Broadway musical. It was a great source of pride and emotion when I saw him at one of my Broadway previews and I got to give him a hug, thank him and say look what you made happen!”
Tom recognizes that he feels deeply and cares deeply, and that is a trait that can lift him up or cause deep pain. He enjoys seeing people respond positively to his work but admits that he also has learned and grown from places of disappointment. Getting fired from a first job, after only two months, was one such moment. The security of a regular paycheck and other perks like healthcare, were suddenly gone. But that extra downtime gave him the opportunity to re-visit his true creative passions and set him up to meet key people, network within the music and theater industries and ultimately live his dreams.
Dreams are the stuff we are frequently told to leave behind in childhood; they say we should pack them away along with our toys as “adulting” means being responsible, being serious, and, yes, often settling. Tom says that his parents were never those “theys”. He describes his parents as completely supportive of his musical interests and ambitions, and it was entirely his own choosing to major in economics, instead of music, while attending Columbia University. Looking back, Tom says he might have chosen more music classes but the discipline and attention to detail that his challenging major demanded, taught him how to learn better, stop procrastinating and focus more intently. It taught him the value of networking and teamwork, skills that are equally important – if not more so – to any book or fact-based learning.
Family is very important to Tom, and he gives a somewhat abashed smile when asked about the separation/inclusion conundrum when raising kids in the fast lane that is often associated with being a celebrity. He says that his “dad-hat” is always on, his kids are always a priority, and that he and Rita have worked hard to carefully include the children in their world but curate the way in which it is navigated. Tom’s closeness with his children, his ability to look at the world they live in and the challenges they face, is part and parcel of his creative genius.
For example, Jagged Little Pill, the musical for which Tom won a Grammy award for Best Musical Theater Album includes many adult themes. The show explores the complexities of family dynamics, raises questions of social inequality, and has a narrative plot line that includes sexual violence and drug addiction – not exactly a G-rated musical. And yet, much of it is centered on the lives of teenagers. Tom and Rita discussed whether they should take their kids to the show when it opened. They recognized that the themes and performances could be intense, but the question was, were they too intense? Ultimately, they decided their kids were likely already exposed to many of these issues, or soon would be, and that theater can be educational. So, they took the kids. Tom says, “the musical did what I hoped it would do”, and the production became a springboard to open the lines of communication and meaningful dialogue.
Tom enjoys seeing his kids explore his work when the timing is right. He notes that they were too young when Next to Normal had its run, but he enjoyed watching his children and their friends “discover” his Tony- and Pulitzer-award winning show as they got older and enjoyed even more that they want to talk about the show and its themes with him.
Asked what today’s aspiring young creatives can do to make headway in the arts industries, Tom reflects back once again to his childhood and upbringing. His advice to kids: identify your dream, use these years to figure out the tools you need to make that dream happen. Gain knowledge in any way you can to equip yourself – whether that’s private work, group work, in-school clubs and classes and after-school programs. Network and think about how you can position yourself. Be open to all possibilities. And advice to parents: support your kids’ dreams. Challenge them but support them. Your energy and your belief in them can and will make all the difference.
What’s next for Tom Kitt? With a wink, he says he’s plenty busy working on a number of projects and workshops now, but few are at the sharing stage. One he did speak about was a new musical, The Ghost Writer. Adapted from the Phillip Roth novel of the same name, Tom is composing the music and co-writing the lyrics with his collaborator, playwright Daniel Goldfarb. He is also part of the team working on the musical adaptation of Ten Things I Hate About You. This will feature music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Tom, and is based on the popular 1999 film, which is a modern take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
I’m sure we all can’t wait to see what else Tom has up his creative sleeves – perhaps we’ll even see Mr. Kitt at next year’s Tony Awards.
