Everything changed for Jonathan Milton during a friend’s performance with Gray School of Dance in Aberdeen.
Within a year, after a lot of pestering his mum and dad, the eight-year-old was taking five different dance classes.
“I was that kid,” Jonathan admitted laughing. “I wasn’t spoiled or bratty, but I was very passionate.
“When I was younger, no boys did ballet and dance, that wasn’t a thing. Growing up in Aberdeen, it was a bit of a weird thing for people to see.
“I think if someone ever did try and make fun of me about it, it didn’t get to me because I didn’t care because I loved it so much.”
From ballet to Frozen the Musical, the former Bridge of Don resident reveals why touring with Chicago and performing at His Majesty’s Theatre (HMT) is a career highlight.
From ballet to Phantom of the Opera and Frozen
By the time he was 11 years old, Jonathan had applied and started attending the Dance School of Scotland in Glasgow.
A few years later, after four years of studying at the English National Ballet School in London, Jonathan moved to Romania and worked as a ballet dancer with a touring company before getting a soloist position with a German ballet company.
However, the pandemic sparked a dramatic change.
Following five years of living abroad and touring all over Europe, Jonathan moved back to Aberdeen and moved in with his parents.
Jonathan, 30, said: “And that’s where I decided I was going to do musical theatre.
“I thought I’m just going to use this time to train.”
Jonathan transformed his parents’ spare room into a studio and took up singing and acting classes.
After a year, Jonathan went for his first audition on the West End for Phantom of the Opera.
He was left amazed when he got the role of the Slave Master and moved down to London.
His next job was then as part of the ensemble in Frozen the Musical at Drury Lane Theatre where he performed for 2,000 people eight shows a week.
Chicago the Musical and Aberdeen
While Jonathan has had great success in ballet and early in his musical theatre career, he said he has had to work hard.
“You feel the great things and it all sounds wonderful, amazing and a cool experience but actually you are throwing yourself in the deep end,” he said.
“You are being criticised constantly because that’s our job.
“And then of course, the hardest critic is me.
“But I like being forced into situations where I don’t have a choice.
“I hate to be in a situation and not live up to the absolute best I can do.”
While being filmed in Frozen for Disney Plus has been a massive career highlight, Jonathan said touring with Chicago the Musical as part of the ensemble has been “very special”.
Particularly as the show arrives at HMT in Aberdeen on Tuesday February 14.
“Being part of Chicago is one of those shows that every performer wants to do,” he said.
“It’s that timeless music, iconic choreography, sharp story-telling and the ensemble plays such a key role in it.
“To work with such a talented team I think putting this show together is a career highlight.
“This is the best cast I have ever worked with in my whole career.”
Mentioning intense Jenga games and dressing room pranks, he added: “But of course, we’re naughty and have such a laugh.”
Homecoming to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Apart from looking forward to visiting favourite spots like Rendezvous@Nargile Aberdeen and getting back to Scottish tap water, Jonathan said he was excited to see friends and family.
“I’m just excited to come home now,” he said. “I’ve got over 100 people coming to watch which is wild.
“I get a lot of support from people in Aberdeen from family and friends.
“I grew up watching shows at HMT, that’s where it started. It feels incredibly personal because so many of my family and friends who have never seen me perform will be able to come to see the show.
“It feels such a full circle moment for me. Like a homecoming.
“It’ll remind me of where I started and how far I’ve come.”
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