Former FishHawk resident Jake Trammel made his Broadway debut this spring in the musical The Great Gatsby. Jake studied dance at Center For Dance Arts (CFDA) and was part of its award-winning competition team from 2016 until he graduated high school in 2021.
“Jake was very dedicated with rehearsals and technique classes and would even rehearse on his own outside of classes,” said his mother, Kati Trammel, owner and director of CFDA.
Jake competed as many as 10 times per year at various competitions around Florida and would attend dance conventions. Although he won numerous awards, Jake never felt quite good enough to make it far and was ready to hang up his dancing shoes. Jake credits his CFDA teachers and teammates for encouraging him to stick with it.
In his senior year, he gave one final effort at his last dance convention. The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) was holding an audition for high school juniors and seniors at that convention. Jake was one of several hundred who auditioned. He was stunned when AMDA awarded him its most prestigious award, its Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program worth $40,000 that includes two years in New York City and finishes with two years in Los Angeles.
Jake moved to New York City in the summer of 2021 to start his AMDA education early. After graduating from the New York City portion of his scholarship, he received an offer to work in Boca Raton for the summer at The Wick Theatre, performing as an ensemble member in Anything Goes. The Wick offered him a role in the ensemble and understudy to the lead in its next show, Damn Yankees.
While deciding whether to complete his dance education in Los Angeles or return to New York City to actively pursue a role on Broadway, Jake was offered representation by Clear Talent Group. Auditions then led to Jake receiving three paid offers for off-Broadway plays, choosing the role of an ensemble member in The Great Gatsby at Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey. The producers then took the play to Broadway and Jake was offered a promotion to a swing role.
On March 29, both The Great Gatsby and Jake were first previewed at the Broadway Theatre and have been ‘roaring on’ ever since. Jake performs in eight shows per week in his normal role and is also responsible for seven different roles, or ‘tracks.’ At any given performance, the audience might see Jake tapdancing, singing or acting as a cop. He was also in all ensemble songs on The Great Gatsby’s soundtrack album with Sony Masterworks Broadway. Jake’s journey from FishHawk to Broadway has been a source of immense pride for the entire CFDA community and his family, all of whom are excited to see where Jake’s talent and determination will take him next.
“My journey has been a long trip to Broadway, but hard work, patience and staying humble have gotten me here the way I needed to and will guide me to my future goals in life,” said Jake.
Follow Jake and his journey on Broadway on Instagram at @jaketrammel.
