Madison Hertel is an American musical-theatre performer, dancer, and choreographer whose career began in Traverse City, Michigan, and later expanded into professional theatre productions in the United States and internationally. Her journey has included formal musical-theatre training, regional theatre, opera productions, dance work, choreography, and appearances in productions connected to major performing-arts organizations.
She is particularly associated with Fun Home, the acclaimed musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir. Hertel performed Alison in an Ithaca College production and later returned to the musical professionally as Medium Alison at Hangar Theatre.
Beyond acting, Hertel has developed a broader creative career involving dance and movement direction. Her work demonstrates the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of contemporary musical theatre, where performers can move between acting, dancing, choreography, and other forms of stage creation.
Who Is Madison Hertel?
Madison Hertel is a professional performer, dancer, and choreographer from Traverse City, Michigan. She developed an interest in theatre during childhood and eventually pursued formal training in musical theatre.
Her professional credits include Madison Fun Home, The Secret Garden, A Christmas Memory, Ride the Cyclone, West Side Story, Carmen, and The Sound of Music.
She has also worked behind the scenes as a choreographer and movement director. This combination of performance and creative work has become an important part of her professional identity.
Hertel graduated from Ithaca College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre. She has subsequently based her professional career in New York while continuing to work on theatre and dance projects.
Madison Hertel Age and Birth Details
How Old Is Madison Hertel?
Madison Hertel’s exact date of birth has not been widely published through reliable public biographical records.
However, historical references provide some context. In 2014, she was publicly described as a 13-year-old performer from Traverse City. Several years later, she was a senior at Traverse City West Senior High School.
These records suggest she was born in the early 2000s, but you should not present a specific birth date as confirmed without a reliable source.
Where Was Madison Hertel Born?
Hertel is originally from Traverse City, Michigan. The city played an important role in her early development as a performer.
Her early experiences in local theatre and vocal performance eventually encouraged her to pursue professional musical-theatre training.
Madison Hertel’s Early Life
Hertel’s interest in performing began early.
According to her professional background, seeing a local production of Les Misérables helped inspire her interest in theatre. From there, she became increasingly involved in musical theatre and vocal performance.
Her childhood and teenage years included intensive arts training and stage appearances. One of the most important experiences was attending Interlochen Arts Camp, a well-known arts program in Michigan.
She attended the musical-theatre program for several summers and performed in productions including Godspell and Crazy for You. These experiences provided an early opportunity to work in demanding theatrical environments.
She gained professional stage experience while still a teenager. She played Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden at Farmers Alley Theatre in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
That production let her perform a major theatrical role at a young age and helped establish her as a promising performer.
Madison Hertel’s Parents and Family
Madison Fun Home: Public information about Madison Hertel’s parents and immediate family is limited.
Although her family supported her early career, reliable public biographies do not provide extensive details about her parents, siblings, or other close relatives.
This is an area where caution is important because several people may share similar names online. Information about unrelated individuals should not automatically be attributed to the performer.
There is currently no sufficiently documented public profile detailing the names of Hertel’s parents or confirming the identities of siblings.
Madison Hertel’s Education
Education has played an important role in Hertel’s development as a performer.
She attended Traverse City West Senior High School in Michigan, where she became involved in vocal performance and theatre.
During high school, she appeared in musical productions and participated in competitive vocal events. In 2018, she played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
She also achieved recognition as a vocalist. During high school, she was recognized at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival for her vocal performance.
Ithaca College
After graduating from high school, Hertel continued her training at Ithaca College in New York.
She studied musical theatre and graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Her college years were particularly significant because they gave her opportunities to develop her acting, singing, and dance abilities while performing in professionally structured academic productions.
One of those productions was Fun Home, which would later become an important part of her professional career.
Madison Fun Home
Her College Connection to Fun Home
Madison Fun Home is a musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir of the same name—the musical features music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron.
The story explores family, memory, identity, sexuality, and Alison Bechdel’s complicated relationship with her father.
The Broadway production became a major theatrical success and won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Hertel became connected with the musical during her time at Ithaca College. She performed as Alison in the college’s production.
The role required her to engage with a complicated character whose experiences are presented through different periods of her life.
Returning to Madison Fun Home
Hertel later returned to the musical in a professional production.
At Hangar Theatre, she was cast as Medium Alison in the 2026 production of Madison Fun Home.
The role represented an interesting continuation of her earlier relationship with the show. She had encountered the musical as a college student and later performed one of its central roles professionally.
Madison Fun Home, For an emerging theatre artist, returning to a production in a professional setting can also demonstrate how training experiences can eventually become part of a broader career.
Madison Hertel’s Acting Career
Hertel’s acting career includes both musical theatre and opera-related productions.
Her early credits included A Christmas Memory, where she played Nelle Harper. She also appeared in the short film Break My Bones.
Her stage work later expanded into a variety of productions and performance styles.
Among her theatrical credits are:
- Fun Home
- The Secret Garden
- A Christmas Memory
- Ride the Cyclone
- West Side Story
- Carmen
- The Sound of Music
- The Rake’s Progress
- Sunday in the Park with George
These productions demonstrate the range of her professional experience, from traditional musical theatre to opera and contemporary theatrical works.
Madison Hertel as a Dancer
Dance has become an increasingly important part of Hertel’s professional career.
Rather than limiting herself to acting roles, she has continued developing her skills as a dancer and movement performer.
Her work has included ensemble dancing, movement direction, and choreography.
This has allowed her to participate in productions where physical storytelling is particularly important.
For performers working in musical theatre, dance training can be especially valuable because movement frequently plays a central role in character development, ensemble storytelling, and scene transitions.
Madison Hertel as a Choreographer
Hertel has also developed a career as a choreographer and movement director.
One notable project was Sunday in the Park with George at the Glimmerglass Festival, where she worked as movement director.
The production brought together musical theatre, opera, acting, and movement, allowing Hertel to contribute creatively beyond performing for an audience.
Her professional work has also included associate choreography.
This expansion into choreography is significant because it shows her career is not limited to acting roles. She is also developing skills that allow her to shape the physical language of theatrical productions.
Madison Hertel’s International Career
Madison Fun home, Hertel has also gained professional experience outside the United States.
She performed as Anybody’s in West Side Story at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Cagliari, Italy.
International theatre work can expose performers to different production styles, rehearsal practices, audiences, and artistic traditions.
Her involvement with opera organizations has also broadened her experience beyond conventional American musical theatre.
Productions such as Carmen and The Sound of Music have contributed to a professional portfolio that crosses boundaries between opera and musical theatre.
Madison Hertel’s Other Professional Work
Hertel has also worked as a swing performer.
One notable professional experience involved Songbird at the Kennedy Center. She learned multiple swing tracks in a short period of time for the production.
A swing performer must be prepared to step into different ensemble roles when another performer is unavailable. This requires detailed knowledge of choreography, blocking, music, and stage movement.
For a young professional performer, swing work can be particularly demanding because it requires preparation even when the performer may not appear on stage during every performance.
Madison Hertel’s Personal Life
Hertel generally keeps her personal life private.
Unlike some celebrities who regularly discuss relationships and family matters publicly, her professional profile focuses primarily on her work in theatre, dance, and choreography.
No reliable public information confirms that she is married or has children.
Similarly, no sufficiently documented information identifies a current spouse or long-term partner.
Because her public career is still developing, information about her private life may remain limited.
Madison Hertel’s Interests Outside Theatre
Although theatre occupies much of Hertel’s professional life, she has also discussed interests outside performing.
She has expressed an interest in horror movies and literature, including the work of author Kurt Vonnegut.
Cooking and experimenting with recipes are also among her personal interests.
These details offer a more rounded picture of Hertel while reflecting the limited personal information she has chosen to make public.
Madison Hertel Net Worth
Madison Hertel’s exact net worth is not publicly known.
No reliable financial record establishes her total earnings, savings, investments, property holdings, or other assets.
Online celebrity net worth estimates can be speculative, particularly for theatre performers whose income may vary considerably from one production to another.
For that reason, a precise dollar figure should not be presented as fact.
Her known professional credits demonstrate an active career, but they do not provide enough information to calculate her personal wealth accurately.
Madison Hertel Social Media and Public Presence
Hertel maintains a professional online presence focused on her theatre and choreography career.
Her public-facing profile highlights performance credits, creative collaborations, choreography projects, and professional achievements.
Unlike many entertainment personalities, she has not built her public image primarily around celebrity lifestyle content.
Her career remains closely tied to the performing arts community, with her professional work as the main focus of her public presence.
Madison Hertel’s Public Appearances
Hertel’s public appearances have largely centered on theatrical productions, arts organizations, performances, and professional creative projects.
Her stage appearances have taken her from Michigan to New York and international venues.
Her work with theatre and opera organizations has also allowed her to participate in productions involving established directors, choreographers, performers, musicians, and creative teams.
Rather than becoming known primarily through television interviews or celebrity events, her public profile has developed through her work on stage.
Where Is Madison Hertel Today?
Madison Hertel is based in Brooklyn, New York, and continues to work professionally as a performer, dancer, choreographer, and movement artist.
Her career has expanded significantly since her early days in Traverse City.
Theatre remains central to her professional life, but her recent work shows an increasing interest in choreography and movement direction.
Her return to Madison Fun Home in 2026 is also notable because the musical connects two different stages of her development: her education at Ithaca College and her later professional work.
Her career is still developing, and future productions may further establish her as both a performer and creative artist.
Madison Hertel’s Career in Perspective
Madison Hertel’s career represents the path of a theatre artist who began performing at a young age and gradually moved into professional work.
Her journey from Traverse City to Ithaca College and then into professional theatre demonstrates the importance of sustained training and practical stage experience.
She has also avoided being defined by a single role. While Madison Fun Home is one of the most recognizable productions associated with her name, her career includes a wider range of musical theatre, opera, dance, and choreography work.
Her development as a choreographer and movement director is particularly significant because it expands her role in the creative process.
For Hertel, the stage is not simply a place to perform. Her work increasingly involves helping shape how stories are physically communicated to an audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Madison Hertel?
Madison Hertel is an American musical-theatre performer, dancer, choreographer, and movement director originally from Traverse City, Michigan.
What is Madison Hertel known for?
She is known for her theatre work, including Madison Fun Home, The Secret Garden, A Christmas Memory, Ride the Cyclone, and West Side Story, as well as her work in dance and choreography.
What role did Madison Hertel play in Fun Home?
Hertel performed as Alison in an Ithaca College production of Madison Fun Home. She later played Medium Alison in the 2026 Hangar Theatre production.
Where did Madison Hertel study?
She attended Traverse City West Senior High School before studying Musical Theatre at Ithaca College. She graduated from Ithaca College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Is Madison Hertel married?
No reliable public information confirms that Madison Hertel is married or identifies a current spouse or partner.
Does Madison Hertel have children?
No reliable public information confirms that Madison Hertel has children.
What is Madison Hertel’s net worth?
Her exact net worth is not publicly known. Reliable financial information is insufficient to establish a confirmed figure.
Where does Madison Hertel live?
Her professional biography identifies Brooklyn, New York, as her base. Her career has also taken her to other locations in the United States and abroad.
What does Madison Hertel do besides acting?
In addition to acting, Hertel works as a dancer, choreographer, and movement director. Her career increasingly blends performance with behind-the-scenes creative work.
