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After making history as Broadway’s youngest Tony-winning leading actor, Silver Spring native Myles Frost takes the stage closer to home in “Chez Joey,” blending classic musical theater with a bold, modern twist.
Not many people can say they are living their dreams, but Wootton High School graduate Myles Frost is not just anyone.
The 26-year-old native of Silver Spring, Maryland, made history in 2022 by becoming the youngest person to win the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Michael Jackson in “MJ: The Musical” on Broadway in June 2021
Now, Frost is starring in “Chez Joey” at the Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage in D.C. through March 15. The musical is co-directed by actor Tony Goldwyn and dancer Savion Glover, and is a reimagining of the 1940 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical “Pal Joey.”
During an interview with WTOP, Frost said that performing close to home feels amazing.
“Having started on Broadway in New York, a lot of my family and close friends weren’t able to make the trip,” Frost said. “I actually think it’s better this way, because I was able to gain so much experience and work ethic. I’m coming home as a more curated performer.”
The journey did not start that long ago. Four years after not having any of the coaches spin their chairs around for him during his time as a contestant on The Voice, Frost was cast as Jackson in “MJ: The Musical.”
The musical’s producers had discovered a video of Frost singing Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” from a high school talent show on YouTube.
“That’s why I feel so bad sometimes. When parents are like, ‘I want my child to do it the way you did it.’ I’m like, ‘good luck,’” Frost said with a laugh. “It just shows that it doesn’t matter what your situation is, that if you’re supposed to be somewhere doing a specific thing, you’re going to get there.”
During Frost’s run in the show, he said he met icons like Stevie Wonder, Madonna and Jackson’s family.
At the time, Frost was 22 and received the same award that legends like Jackie Gleason, Zero Mostel, Gregory Hines and Nathan Lane had taken home; and he did it by beating Billy Crystal and Hugh Jackman.
As big of an accomplishment as that was, there was another group Frost was thrilled he pleased.
“Being accepted by Michael’s fans. I think that’s one of the biggest things because they do not play about Michael,” Frost said.
Now, instead of performing as the King of Pop in the nearly 1,500-seat Neil Simon Theatre in New York City, Frost takes the stage at the Kreeger Theater, which has a little over 500 seats.
“Chez Joey” takes place in Chicago during the 1940s, and Frost portrays Joey Evans, a slick-talking, velvet-voiced singer who has to choose between his heart and his dreams.
“You can insert whomever there, a young Sammy Davis Jr. or a Nicholas Brother,” Frost said. “That’s that time period where all of these legends were born.”
With the show being set in a small club, Frost believes the theater’s size is an advantage.
“I think that intimacy is important because when you sit down, you really feel like you’re entering the atmosphere of the club, and that’s how we’re treating it,” Frost said.
With songs like “Lady is a Tramp,” “What Is a Man” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” the play will feel familiar, but with Frost’s performance, they’ll sound like they came out this century with a bold, fresh twist.
WTOP’s Joe Yasharoff contributed to this report.
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