Interview: Justin Sargent of HAMILTON at Orpheum Theater

Justin Sargent, best known for his roles in Rock of Ages, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Jesus Christ Superstar, is currently taking on the role of King George in the national tour of Hamilton, now playing at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha. BroadwayWorld caught up with Sargent to talk about his roots in community theater, his affinity for rock-driven roles, the balance between honoring and reinventing a fan-favorite character, and why Hamilton continues to connect so deeply with audiences across the country.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with BroadwayWorld in Omaha!

Absolutely.

How did you get your start in theatre or music?

Oh my goodness. My eighth grade year I moved to a whole new city about halfway through that year, and I didn’t know anybody and I didn’t really have any real community. My history teacher at the time was doing community theater and she invited the class to go see a show. I went and thought it was kind of cool. She invited me to come audition for their next show that they were casting for in a couple weeks called Oliver. I went and auditioned, without really knowing what that was at the time, and I was cast as the Artful Dodger. I just absolutely fell in love with it. From that point in that summer of eighth grade all the way through high school I think I did something like 30 shows at all the local theaters. I did stuff off stage and on stage. I just fell in love with the community and the art form.

What was your first professional audition like?

I went to school at UCF and and my senior year of college I started dipping my toes in the professional world. I auditioned for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando. They were doing this 45 minute version of The Rocky Horror Show on the Beetlejuice stage at Universal during the event. I auditioned and I got cast as Riff Raff, which is fun because I had just got done playing that role in this really fun and avant-garde production of it at UCF. I went in and did the big group call and then did songs for the show and got cast.

What do you look for in roles and shows that you audition for?

You know, I primarily do rock musicals. That’s kind of been my niche. I’ve done Rocky Horror, of course, but on Broadway I did Rock of Ages. I played Drew in Rock of Ages for almost 2 years, and Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Bono & The Edge wrote the music for that one, so it’s obviously heavy on the rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve done Jesus Christ Superstar. That’s the kind of thing I look for. Does this fit me and do I fit this project? Is my specific niche gonna be something that they’re looking for?

I’m also a big fan of character work. I just think that there’s so much fun and freedom in playing and discovering in those roles. If there’s a show that has a particular kind of need for someone who can take a written character and find fun new things to do with it, that also is a huge attraction for me.

Do you have a most memorable moment on stage?

I would say there are many. Most recently, our very first performance of Hamilton that was in Arkansas after we finished tech. It was our first public performance where people paid for tickets and our first time doing the show with a live audience. I came out to do "I Know Him," which is the third song that I have to sing as the king, and I hadn’t had the crown on my head that much at this point and was still navigating my path on stage. I kind of moved to the left a little too slightly and hit the top of the crown on this beam that I couldn’t really see, and my crown got knocked off my head. The issue is that my microphone is housed in the crown. So I picked up the crown and I kind of sang to it and had my own little Hamlet moment where I was singing to the crown. I kind of made the crown a character in that moment, and it worked so well because King George at that point is just losing his marbles. It fit so well and the audience appreciated that I didn’t stop and pretend it wasn’t happening or didn’t freak out, and that I just made it a part of the show. It was a really solid reminder to me to always be on your feet and always be extremely aware of everything that’s happening because if you need to make a decision like this, make a decision that’s going to not leave the audience feeling awkward or like something is wrong. You need to be able to relieve that tension. It was a good reminder for me to always be prepared for anything to go wrong and try to find the most interesting solution.

Is it challenging finding a blance between bringing yourself to King George and still honoring the King George created by previous actors?

One of the greatest things about this show and this creative team is that they really encourage us to find our own path with the characters. As long as they’re grounded in the truth of the circumstances and the truth of the writing, like we’re not changing the intention or the notes, they support our creativity. My version of King George is very different than Jonathan Groff. He’s the blueprint. What he did was so brilliant. The kind of version that I was able to take from that blueprint and create was I was able to insert more of my rock ‘n’ roll edginess, which naturally gives the character a dangerous feel. Jonathan subtlety and his extremely controlled nature was funny and quirky and fun to watch, but it was also scary to watch. You don’t know what he’s thinking. He just has this pleasant face but behind his eyes, there’s some crazy stuff going on. I try to find my own version of that by having a little bit more of a rock ‘n’ roll edge, and I think I achieve that objective of letting the audience know that this guy is dangerous. With a twirl of his baton your head’s coming off, you know what I mean?

What is it that audiences love about Hamilton?

So much. The show is so jampacked full of everything. Politics are of course a main thing, but there’s the importance of acknowledging the immigrants and their impact on this country... What that has meant and what that continues to mean, especially in the political climate that we’re in. There’s also very human challenges that are addressed through the show like pride and trying to prove oneself and balancing that with being a person who is loved and a person who wants love and then struggling with infidelity. There’s so many things to relate to in the show and it’s so beautifully written and smartly written. It doesn’t matter who you are. You can come watch the show and find that you relate to a specific part or many. Hopefully you’re also coming away from it with a deep appreciation for how this country started. It’s not necessarily the fluffy version that we all learned in school.

Advice for those wanting to pursue a life in the arts?

Do community theater! The reason I say that is because that is the only time you’ll ever be in this situation where you were doing this art form with people who are doing it simply because they love it. They’re not getting paid to be there. During the day they work at a pharmacy or they're a teacher or whatever, but at night they come to this place to do this thing for free simply because they love it. I just think that that is quite possibly the best way to enter into this art form.