Artist Spotlight - J. Jake Thomas
Our June Artist Spotlight, J. Jake Thomas, is a ‘triple threat’: a talented actor, singer, and dancer. Jake is a Watertown native and is currently attending Nazareth College, where he will receive his BFA in musical theater in May of 2024.
Jake is no stranger to the stage as he performed in his first musical at the age of 11. His first experience with acting was in Watertown Lyric Theater’s production of Oliver! and since then, Mr. Thomas has fallen in love with performing. Jake has taken every opportunity to expand his passion for acting such as joining the local performing arts group, Stage Notes, when he was in seventh grade and remaining a member throughout high school.
Mr. Thomas’ first performance with Stage Notes was the musical Into the Woods, and now in college, he was thrilled to have come full circle, as he recently performed in the musical again at Nazareth. This past March, Jake also performed in the musical Firebringer at school, which has the famous, beloved line "I don't really wanna do the work today." Mr. Thomas played the role of Grunt and was excited to be performing in this show as this was the first student run production in two years due to COVID-19.
Before graduating high school, Jake’s long term goal was to perform on Broadway, and although he would still love to be on Broadway, college has shown him that there is so much in-between that he didn’t know existed, including regional theaters, cruise lines, Disney, and more. He has discovered that there are so many opportunities across the country and would love to use this chance to travel. Jake just recently left on a study abroad trip to London where he will spend two intensive weeks studying and taking master classes with West End professionals.
Mr. Thomas shared that, “what I love about theater is it is such an outlet for people and for two hours, no matter what your differences are, we can set them aside and find connections in someone else’s story. I just think there is something really profound in that and a different kind of empathy that you don’t see everyday.” Jake feels so fortunate that he is able to pursue musical theater as a career, “doing what [he] wants to do and not what [he] has to do.” He is especially grateful for the local theater community for fostering his love for acting and giving him the opportunity to perform. “Without that encouragement, I don’t think I would have found this path.”
To find out more about J. Jake Thomas, watch the full interview and check out the links below:
