It is not often that a career begins outside a second grade classroom. For Broadway actor Justin Keats, his journey to performing began with a singular encounter.
“The owner of a local dance studio found me dancing outside my brother’s second grade classroom, and invited me to come take a jazz class. I took that, and never stopped,” Keats said.
Keats attended UC Irvine, where he studied dance before pursuing a career in musical theater.
“I was at UC Irvine, which has an awesome theater program that takes students to New York for a month,” Keats said. “I went on that program, and that’s when I realized musical theater was for me. Between that experience and doing a few musicals in college, I knew this was what I wanted to pursue.”
“West Side Story” was Keats first musical in college, where he played Big Deal, one of the Jets. The experience was eye-opening for him, as he said it combined his love for dance with singing and acting.
“Dance can add visual context to what characters are feeling and experiencing, and I love how it can heighten the world of a show,” Keats said. “I learned that through ‘West Side Story’ and continue to look for that in every production I do.”
Keats made his Broadway debut 10 years ago in “Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour,” a Broadway musical created by Cirque du Soleil.
“After my Broadway debut, I did ‘Escape to Margaritaville,’ which featured the music of Jimmy Buffett. I started that regionally before it moved to a national tour and then Broadway. I just finished my time with the ‘Moulin Rouge’ national tour, and now I’m in ‘The Great Gatsby,’” Keats said.
“The Great Gatsby” musical opened on Broadway in April 2024. Keats originally auditioned for the original Broadway company but did not book a role at the time. A year later, he joined the production company.
“I have a really unique position at ‘Gatsby.’ I do extra coverage for the swings, so I’m a vacation swing for ‘Gatsby.’ I come in and out of the building. I’m not there every week, but when I’m there, I cover all nine of the ensemble tracks in the show,” Keats said.
Being part of the ensemble is just as important as being in a principal role in a musical. Ensemble members play a key part in the show, and without them, the production would not come to life.
“One of the things I love about this show is that as an ensemble member, we’re important to creating the world, and we get to bring a lot of ourselves to it,” Keats said. “In a lot of shows, you’re told how to act, dance and move, but Gatsby allows you to bring a part of yourself to the role. After being a career swing for 10 years, it’s been exciting to stop emulating others and bring my own perspective to each track.”
Years of experience in musical theater have taught Keats how to handle rejection and embrace the journey along the way.
“There are so many times you get close to a job and start imagining what your life could look like,” Keats said. “Then you hear that a friend got it, and it becomes a lesson in celebrating the people around you while still allowing yourself space to process your own disappointment. Your turn will hopefully come, and you want people to celebrate with you, too.”
Just because you accomplished a huge milestone does not mean your dream is over. Time gives artists space to grow.
“A college professor once told me that it takes about five years for a city to know you exist and 10 years for it to care,” Keats said. “At first, I thought it meant I just had to wait, but what she meant was that after five years, you start building real friendships and community. After 10 years, that community creates opportunities because you’ve put in the work and grown together.”
