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‘Hamilton’ actor to give lessons this month
By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS
WARREN
The key to becoming a successful performer is to be prepared and focus on the acceptances, not the rejections, according to Seth Stewart, a performer who is best known for his role in “Hamilton.”
“What people don’t see is that for every five ‘yeses’, there are 100 ‘noes’,” he said. “The noes don’t matter; you want the yeses.”
One example of his “yeses,” he said, was when he was in the ensemble for the Broadway sensation “Hamilton,” and then replaced Daveed Diggs to play the characters Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette. He also starred in musicals such as “Sweet Charity” and “In the Heights.”
Stewart, 33, credits the success he has attained with his musical-theater training he got early in life at the James Dance and Performing Arts Center in Howland.
He is hostin a musical theater workshop for young, aspiring performers at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 at W.D. Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. All proceeds will go toward funding trips for students to go to workshops in New York City.
Going to these workshops and seeing musicals when he was younger is what gave him a competitive edge when he began auditioning for parts, Stewart said.
“No matter what industry you’re in, it’s important to learn from the top professionals,” he said.
Stewart grew up in Kent and started attending the James Dance and Performing Arts Center when he was 10. He made the 45-minute trip to Howland several times a week, and took lessons there for about eight years.
In high school, Stewart had to decide between playing football or dedicating his time to dance lessons and performances. His love of Broadway led him to keep performing with James Dance PAC.
Watching musicals such as “Cabaret” inspired him, Stewart said.
“It was never about wanting to be famous someday, it was about doing what I loved. I was just doing it because it was so much fun. Students should do it because they think it’s fun,” he said.
Linda James, owner of the dance studio, said Stewart didn’t always take the advice of his teachers, but he always listened. He took ballet lessons after a teacher advised him to, and he said it was vital to his development as a performer.
After graduating high school, Stewart took a partial scholarship to study at Fordham University and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. He dropped out of Fordham after two years because he wanted to start going on auditions, but said he made the right decision going to school because the training was valuable.
Stewart began taking some small parts, and his first big break was when he was chosen to be a dancer in Madonna’s Re-Invention tour in 2004. After that, he landed a role in the Tony Award-winning show “Sweet Charity” in 2005.
Stewart’s part in the musical “In the Heights” helped him to get a part in “Hamilton.” He started off as an ensemble member.
“In the ensemble, I was a part of the world,” he said. “It was fun to be the paint, but I love being the paint brush. Give me front and center every time.”
Although he already demonstrated his skills to the director as an ensemble member, he had to come to work early and practice the part of Jefferson and Lafayette to prove to the director that he was right for the role. He said it’s unusual for someone in the ensemble to take the role of a character.
“I just had to beat out the competition and believe in myself,” he said.
Stewart said he didn’t realize how much of a sensation “Hamilton” was going to be until the off-Broadway performances, when he would see multiple celebrities in the crowd nightly.
After starring in musicals and touring as a dancer with several big-name artists such as Mariah Carey and Jay Z, he is pursuing new artistic opportunities to challenge himself. He auditioned for acting roles in television shows and is writing screenplays to give him a chance to break in the industry.
Stewart and his best friend also created a clothing brand called Ohio Changes the World. They are creating an accompanying documentary that focuses on Ohio artists, environmentalists and professionals who are trying to make the world a better place.
In the meantime, he is also taking acting classes. He said he doesn’t allow bumps in the road to get him down.
“Success doesn’t equal happiness; happiness equals happiness,” he said.
Stewart said he enjoys coming back to Ohio because it’s calming and humbling. He has always stayed connected with his high school and dance teachers.
James said she receives tickets to shows, including “Hamilton,” for her family from Stewart.
At the dance studio, there are signed posters from shows that Stewart starred in. On the “In the Heights” poster, he signed, “Back to where it all began.”
Tickets for the workshop, which starts with an interview, are $50. Tickets can be charged by phone or in person at the Packard Music Hall Box Office, or through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.