Nakamura Utaemon I (中村歌右衛門 (初代), 1714–1791) was a Japanese kabuki performer. He was the progenitor of a family of kabuki actors from the Keihanshin region. He was the son of a provincial doctor. As a youth, he decided to join a troupe of actors; and this was the beginning of a long career. Nakamura Utaemon was a stage name with significant cultural and historical connotations.