Nicholas Matos is currently appearing alongside some of Broadway’s hottest names in one of the season’s biggest shows: SMASH — based on the TV show of the same name. Eight times a week, the young Mr. Matos portrays the offbeat character of Scott, a twenty-something, social media-head caught up in a zany musical comedy about putting on a musical comedy. An unlikely outcome for young Mr. Matos who not long ago was preparing for a career in science. We got this very busy actor to speak on his artistic trajectory, how biology is like acting and why aspiring actors should not wait until they feel they are “ready.”
CRIS FRANCO: First off, Nick, congratulations on your great success in SMASH. The show is terrific as is your very original characterization of the show’s newbie production assistant named Scott — how would you describe him?
NICHOLAS MATOS: Clueless — at first. Scott’s an observer. But he constantly wants to learn more because he’s thrust into this world of hard-boiled Broadway veterans. And my character doesn’t know the basics about musicals. He doesn’t even know who Julie Andrews is, so —
CRIS: He’s the ultimate Gen-Z-er.
NICHOLAS: Right. In every scene, there’s something new happening around him, so Scott is constantly looking for how he can contribute to the conversation.
CRIS: Your Scott character is truly original and hilarious. He often delivers the “button” or the “blow” out of the scene — the zingers that move the plot on to the next story beat. Scott is also pivotal because his last minute insights provide the play’s climax. When it seems everyone’s efforts were for naught, once clueless Scott sings his epiphany as he puts it all together for us.
NICHOLAS: Yes, his trajectory is so much fun to play with. My final number is the show’s only original song — all others debuted on the series SMASH. My song, titled “Broadway’s Calling You,” was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman — two composers that I’ve looked up to for years. So, just getting to sing it alone on stage is crazy. Our director (five-time Tony Award-winner) Susan Stroman and I frequently discussed my song’s function during rehearsals. She directed me to not start at one-hundred percent. To keep the excitement growing and growing. So, I start it light and airy — and keep building from there.
CRIS: And in one fell swoop, your song delivers the show’s message.
NICHOLAS: Yes, so as the story evolved there were a lot of rewrites. The version I now perform is my character realizing that on Broadway, like in life, you keep moving forward even if you fail. So we worked a lot on my building the song’s intensity, because as the show’s climax, we have to get to a moment where the set literally explodes behind me into the big finale.
CRIS: Well, you really got us there the night I saw the show. SMASH’s finale is jaw-dropping. But let’s talk about how you got here. You’re very young but already have some pretty strong performance credits. How did you get started?
NICHOLAS: I did my first theater when I was 12-years-old, in my school’s production of Hairspray. Which is funny, because I’m now working with the composers of Hairspray. And my director told me about this program in the city called iTheatrics. They develop the junior musicals like Hairspray Junior, and they try them out with kids over the summer. I auditioned, got into that program and that really started everything. I began meeting people in the city from NTI (National Theater Institute). When I got to high school, I did Godspell in concert at the 54 Below cabaret night club. I was singing the role of Jesus —
CRIS: I checked it out online. You sing “God Save the People“.
NICHOLAS: Yeah, that’s the one. I was about 15 at the time. And through that concert, I met my manager who introduced me to some agents, and then right after getting an agent, I booked the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. And that was like the first things that made me realize that maybe I could actually do this as like an actual job, or an actual career instead of just something that’s fun to do.
CRIS: Radio City is enormous! What’s it like singing for 5900 people?
NICHOLAS: It is huge — the size of a city block. And you can feel the size when you’re there. I remember my first night. I had a little song in that show. I sang my big note at the end. And I was not ready for the amount of energy, applause and noise that came rushing at me from the audience. When 6000 people are clapping for you, it feels like a tsunami. I remember running off stage almost holding back tears. Not because I was sad, but just because it was so intense, so overwhelming — and I was so happy to be there. It never got old. Doing that show was so much fun. Like every single day was just the funnest day of my life.
CRIS: Tell me about how many Radio City shows do you do on some of the heavy days? Don’t you do sometimes do five shows?
NICHOLAS: Yes, the Christmas Spectacular have some five-show days. But because I was under 18, we weren’t allowed to do that many. The most I could do in a day was three.
CRIS: How old were you then?
NICHOLAS: I was 15.
CRIS: What is your background?
NICHOLAS: I’m like 100% Dominican. Both of my parents are Dominican.
CRIS: What was your childhood like growing up 100% Dominican?
NICHOLAS: I grew up right outside the city in Secaucus, New Jersey. All of my extended family, my grandparents, my cousins, all live in Washington Heights in the Bronx. So I’d go to my grandparents’ house every other Sunday for dinner. I’m thinking of moving there probably soon. But I grew up in New Jersey, that’s my home home. I have two brothers. I live with both of my parents and nobody in my family has ever done theater. So this is a big surprise. When I first started, my parents would always say that they had no idea that I could do this. But honestly, neither did I. It kind of came out of nowhere.
CRIS: So your parents are not performers?
NICHOLAS: No, my dad is a lawyer. And my mom works for a telecommunications company — they’re business people.
CRIS: Do they understand what how special it is to do what you do?
NICHOLAS: I think they’re understanding more and more. They support me no matter what, but when I first started, they did not get it at all. They didn’t know anything about Broadway or musical theater, or what it took to get here. I really drove that process and I had to show them the ropes. But they’ve learned stuff throughout all the years and they kind of get it now.
CRIS: Which means you’ve really managed your career by yourself. Wow. You realize you must have beat out thousands of actors for your role. Because the part of Scott could have been played by a male or female of any ethnicity. So, I’m sure the casting agents considered submissions by thousands of possible actors.
NICHOLAS: Yeah, I think so.
CRIS: Congratulations.
NICK: Thank you, thank you so much.
CRIS: Being a show within a show, SMASH is about so many things. How would you describe the plot?
NICHOLAS: SMASH is about the making of a musical. The tagline is that it’s “a comedy about a musical,” and that’s really exactly what it is. It’s about this team of Broadway veteran creatives who are trying to make a huge hit musical “comedy” about Marilyn Monroe.
CRIS: Which is already pretty outrageous, because Marilyn Monroe had a tragic life.
NICHOLAS: Correct. And throughout the process, things go wrong — and there’s so much drama and shenanigans. Act One ends on a totally ridiculous, over-the-top, hilarious moment.
CRIS: Yes, Act One does end on a doozy of a cliff hanger. It’s brilliant plot twist, because my party spent intermission each theorizing on how we thought the plot would resolve. It was fun — but let’s not give away the ending.
NICHOLAS: No. Let’s just say that by play’s end, the show turns out to be a love letter to Broadway and creatives in any field. The song that I sing honors the creative process — what it means to struggle and labor and care for a project. And although we all strive for success — that’s not the long term goal. The goal is to keep going and creating the next thing. Which is an idea that really must speak to all people because our audiences are loving the message.
CRIS: And it was pleasant surprise when the character we least expect — yours — suddenly gets the message and so do we!
NICHOLAS: That’s what I love about playing Scott. He represents the new blood and new generation of theater lovers coming in. The veterans have all had their chances — Scott represents the next generation of theater creatives who are going to bring in the new ideas. It’s how new work is created.
CRIS: Yes, he’s being handed the baton. And in doing so, it ends the story with so many fun possibilities. Your cast is full of top Broadway talent, including one of this year’s Tony nominees for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Brooks Ashmanskas.
NICHOLAS: He plays our director, Nigel. Brooks is such a talent. He blows my mind every time.
CRIS: Just like his character in SMASH, Brooks is a true Broadway veteran. He’s appeared in well over a dozen Broadway shows. What’s it like working with a comedic genius like Brooks?
NICHOLAS: He blows my mind every time. And I’ve learned something very important from him: to remain flexible.
CRIS: Like don’t be afraid to vary your performance?
NICHOLAS: Yes. Of course it’s the same script. But Brooks never does quite the same performance twice. His choices are rooted in the same intentions and emotions, but how he plays Nigel is completely dependent on that night’s audience and how a line has been delivered to him.
CRIS: That takes courage.
NICHOLAS: Plus he (Brooks) always fully commits. To get to work so up-close with such a great actor is so cool. He just always goes for it.
CRIS: What’s been the most surprising thing about this experience?
NICHOLAS: Well, during rehearsals there were so many rewrites and trying-out new things. One day I literally opened my mouth to start rehearsing my song when Mark Shaman threw new lyrics in front of my face. The piano kept playing so I grabbed the lyric sheet and just went with it. You have to be super on your toes and ready for whatever the creative team or your cast-mates throw at you. Also, since I’ve never done eight shows a week, I had to learn how to pace myself throughout the week, prepare for each performance and still try and have a life.
CRIS: I’ve done eight shows a week and audiences have no idea how demanding that is of your time, your health, your energy —
NICHOLAS: True. But even so, our director, Susan Stroman, wisely told us to never let the show’s energy slow down. Once this show starts, you’re on the ride, and you better hold on because you can’t let the ball drop. The timing has to be perfect. You have to jump on each other’s lines and constantly be pushing the energy.
CRIS: SMASH has so many fast moving parts: scenery, costumes, lights, fast changes — not to mention the classic Broadway, Tony-nominated choreography by Joshua Bergasse. Have there been any technical snafus?
NICHOLAS: Technical? No. Thank goodness. But, there have been times when Brooks will do something crazy and it’s genuinely impossible not to break — it’s so hard not to. But you have to somehow stay in character.
CRIS: Brooks broke me up almost every second he was on stage. And it takes years to develop and hone that type of hyper, but believable, comic persona. Among our readership are many aspiring young film and stage actors. What advice do you have for those who want to make it to Broadway?
NICHOLAS: You know, I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot because my friends studying theater in regular 4-year BFA or BA programs have been asking me how to get to Broadway. So many of them think that you have to wait until you graduate to start auditioning and looking for agents and really going for it. But I truly believe that you don’t need anyone’s permission. You won’t know if you’re ready until you do it. And the best way to learn is on the job. So just start now.
CRIS: That is a powerful message. And it’s true, you won’t know if you’re ready to go professional until you do.
NICHOLAS: I’ve had a really unconventional education. I was at Fordham University studying biology for two years before I transferred to the theater department. After one semester of acting and movement I booked SMASH.
CRIS: Which, in a way supports my theory that what’s so cool about acting is that it’s a profession to which you can bring your whole self — including your outside interests. Some actors who are only interested in acting sometimes miss the point: you can’t bring any reality to your performance if you’re not living a real life, you know?
NICHOLAS: I know that I still like studying biology and the mind — and math and science. They’re all still a part of me. And, honestly, I think my love for biology and my love for theater come from the same place. And it’s my desire to understand what makes people the way they are. They’re totally different approaches to exploring that question, but that’s why I love neuroscience. But I also love inhabiting characters and figuring them out. Yeah, I like trying to figure out what makes people tick.
To see what make Nicholas Matos tick, see him in SMASH: https://smashbroadway.com