HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — One of the hit songs from the popular musical Hamilton is “The Room Where it Happened,” and if you ask Deejay Young, for him, the room where it happened would be the Blake High School theater.
From talent shows to school plays, that’s where the 2008 graduate started dreaming and believing he could be on Broadway. This month Young returns to Tampa as an actor in the national touring musical Hamilton.
“This homecoming just means timing is everything; it really signifies that we all have a beginning and we start somewhere and it’s really what we do with that start,” said Young.
Young made a visit to Blake High School, reuniting with some of the teachers who inspired him, like Valerie Newton, who is now the principal, and one of Young’s biggest fans.
“So I’ve been following him on social media the whole time; every time he does something, I’m probably one of the first to like and comment and tell him how proud I am,” said Newton.
Deejay says he may be the one in Hamilton, but it’s these educators who are the real stars.
“They all inspired me because they saw something in me and sometimes that’s what you need; you need somebody to believe in you other than you,” said Young.
Deejay is currently a principal standby for the touring show, meaning any given night, he could be playing one of five different roles, including Hamilton himself.
So now it's Deejay’s turn to inspire the students of today, encouraging them not to throw away their shot. He even sang them an original song.
“I really believe that artists have the power to change the people’s perspective and change their minds, so why not do it with the people who are going to be the next generation, so it’s very important to me,” said Young.
Hamilton is being performed at The Straz through Jan 22. Seats are still available. For more information, CLICK HERE.
