Six nights a week, Justin Sargent slips into a pair of leather pants and a ripped denim jacket, lays on black eyeliner and gears up for a night of glam metal and retro rock.<\/p>\n
His new gig, \u201cRock of Ages,\u201d a comedic musical built around classic hair band hits, is a far cry from his stage work at the Orlando Repertory Theatre or Universal Studios. But Sargent wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/p>\n
After graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UCF\u2019s Musical Theatre program, Sargent worked for several theatre companies throughout Central Florida and then moved to New York.<\/p>\n
He makes his Broadway debut this month in the glam rock show, \u201cRock of Ages,\u201d which celebrates big hair and leather jackets, along with songs from Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and Journey.<\/p>\n
In between rehearsals, we caught up with Sargent to get the 411 from this child of the \u201880s.<\/p>\n
So what drew you to the Broadway show?<\/strong><\/p>\n My parents raised me listening to classic rock. My favorite bands are mostly from before 1990, like The Who, AC\/DC, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, The Beatles. They are all my top favorites. The first musical I ever listened to was \u201cThe Who’s Tommy.\u201d My parents took me to see The Who in two different concerts before I could even drive. And my Mom and I went to an Alice Cooper concert when I was 14. It was awesome.<\/p>\n Why did you choose to study at UCF?<\/strong><\/p>\n I grew up in New Port Richey, and I chose UCF because it was relatively close to home, and it offered a BFA degree for Musical Theatre. Also, when I came with my parents for a visit, I really loved the campus and the Orlando atmosphere.<\/p>\n What were some of the roles you played in UCF Theatre?<\/strong><\/p>\n I played Joey Biltmore in \u201cGuys and Dolls,\u201d Pippin in \u201cPippin\u201d and Sasha and a part of the ensemble in \u201cFiddler on the Roof.\u201d But my absolute favorite was Riff Raff in \u201cThe Rocky Horror Show.\u201d<\/p>\n Did you feel prepared for a career on stage after you graduated?<\/strong><\/p>\n The professors in the Theatre department have a real passion for art and professionalism, which I admired from my very first day in the program. I learned to have a real respect for working in the theatre. Learning the process and relevance of performance has been extremely helpful.<\/p>\n