Gaston, a 2001 graduate of Springfield North, is glad for a second gig at Schuster Center. He was a cast member of Jesus Christ Superstar, a 2008 production in the 2,500-seat facility located a the corner of Second and Main streets.
RELATED: Summer Arts Festival to begin next half century
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Gaston said in a phone interview. “My mom will see the show. So will my grandma and grandpa and my brother and sister. And tons of my friends from high school and college are coming, too.”
Playing the role of Ambrose in Hello Dolly in his senior year at Springfield North triggered his interest in theater.
“I was in five productions at Wright State University,” he said.”My favorites were Aida, Titanic and Smokey Joe’s Cafe.”
“Wright State was a special place for theater,” Gaston said. “I loved all my experiences on stage, especially working with director Stewart McDowell, a very gifted director who taught me a lot about being a performer in a big show like Titanic, the Musical.”
DETAILS: Springfield’s John Legend performs impromptu concert in UK
A professional actor and Equity member since 2009, Gaston has appeared in more than a dozen regional and touring productions.
“Over the years of touring, I have had the opportunity to understudy some leading roles.For instance, I had a chance to understudy the role of the son in Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry,” Gaston said. “Ivan Dixon played the son in the movie starring Sidney Poitier.”
In the touring show of Motown, Gaston is a ensemble member who gets his time in the spotlight performing as the lead singer of “Three Times a Lady” and “Sail On.”
Founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit, the Motown sound includes the Jackson Five, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Box Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Supremes.
READ MORE: Legend returns for ‘important center of Springfield’
Soloists in the show, among others.include Diane Ross, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Lionel Ritchie.
Motown, a two-act production, has a cast of more than two dozen actors who sing more than hit tunes of the Berry Gordy legacy in the 1960s and 1970s.
Presented by the Premier Health Victoria Theatre Broadway Series, the show opens Tuesday, April 11, for an eight-performance run that includes two shows on Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, call Ticket Center Stage at 228-3630
About the Author