Jonathan Groff Discusses Lancaster Roots With Amy Poehler

Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff joined Amy Poehler on her Good Hang podcast to discuss his Lancaster County roots, hometown institutions, and early influences on his career.

The 80-minute episode dropped on Tuesday morning, Feb. 10, on all major podcast platforms.

As a teenager, Groff recalled performing at the Fulton Theatre and the Ephrata Performing Arts Center. His mother took him to Broadway shows, which fueled his ambition for a career in the performing arts. He also shared a story about visiting the Lancaster Public Library to listen to the original Broadway cast recording of Annie Get Your Gun, which catalyzed his love of musical theater. His high school, Conestoga Valley High School, staged the show in 1995.

According to an LNP | LancasterOnline report, Groff also shared sensory memories growing up on his family's Ronks horse farm. He noted how Stephen Sondheim's music evokes the smell of horse manure, which he used to listen to while shoveling manure in the horse barn as a child, and how fainting goats taught him to stay calm under pressure.

He also credited the Lancaster Public Library, the Fulton Theatre, the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, and WGAL-TV for supporting his early performing interests and for fostering local connections.

“You are a good, nice boy,” Poehler told Groff at the end of the discussion. “You are the embodiment of someone who is deeply, deeply open and a good, caring, nice person, and also crushing it (professionally). ... Ambition with a side of compassion.”

Groff's career spans Glee, Mindhunter, and Broadway stints in Hamilton, Spring Awakening, and Merrily We Roll Along (Tony winner in 2024). He's also done work in Disney's Frozen franchise and holds a GRAMMY for the Hamilton cast album.

Watch a video of the Good Hang podcast episode below:

[EMBED YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAlrt3IhJg]