High School Drama: Central Magnet's Spotlight Award-winning SEVON ASKEW

If the theater community had its own royal family and nobility, then it would make perfect sense that young Sevon Askew, recently awarded a Spotlight Award as best male soloist for his performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, would be a crown prince. The son of Susan Arnold Walsworth, who has appeared on numerous stages in the midstate, he's the nephew of David Arnold (perhaps best known for his portrayal of Shrek in the musical about the gentle green ogre - a role Sevon has played, as well) and Cat Arnold (who's currently onstage in ACT 1's Noises Off). Talent, it would seem, runs through certain families.

Clearly, Sevon has the lineage necessary to propel him forward in theater and he's already claimed starring roles at Murfreesboro's Central Magnet High School, after a childhood filled with theatrical adventures of all sorts - and shows of all kinds. With the academic year fast drawing to a close, while still basking in his Spotlight Award win (presented as part of the Nashville High School Musical Theatre Awards, a joint venture of Lipscomb University and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center), he somehow found the time to consider our questions, to give us some insight into what makes him tick and the shows that reverberate most dramatically in his heart and mind, and to become our latest young actor in the spotlight for High School Drama.

Here's your opportunity to get to know Sevon Askew so that you, too, may one day say you "knew him when..."

What is your theatrical goal in life? The biggest goal in life is to make it to Broadway. Performing on stage 8 shows a week for thousands on the Great White Way is the ultimate dream. A Tony Award wouldn't be too bad either.

If you could play any role in any show - what would you choose? If gender wasn't an issue, Momma Rose from Gypsy would be a dream. She truly is one of the most amazing, complex characters in musical theatre. However, since I am not female, the male equivalent to the depth of Rose is Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. He has so much life and he has to endure so much during that show that playing him, however unlikely that may be, would truly be an honor.

What's been your best theatrical experience to date? Through a twist of fate, I got to see Hamilton's second preview on Broadway with the original cast back in 2015. It was the most bizarre experience being in "The room where it happens" before it got big, and yet still knowing I was witnessing something truly special.

Who are your favorite actors? Well, right now, of course, Ben Platt. I was lucky enough to see his emotional, outstanding, and soul-fulfilling performance in Dear Evan Hansen back in January. He is a force to be reckoned with, and deserves every rave review and hopefully Tony. Another force of nature is Patti LuPone. The most professional performer, and a true lover of the art, she is a true gem. (Watch her Tony award-winning performance from Gypsy and you'll know why I want to play Momma Rose).

What show that you've never seen would you most like to see live, onstage? Thanks to amazing parents and PBS recordings, I've been able to see a lot of theatre. However, there is one show that I've never seen that I'll get to see live in July and that is Miss Saigon. It's my mother's favorite show and after hearing the original cast recording 200 times, the Broadway Revival has officially opened and we have our tickets to see it. I know it will be an incredible show live, but one of the most exciting things about Miss Saigon that emphasize the importance and spectacle of seeing theatre...is when that helicopter flies onstage. Nothing beats live theatre.

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