Whiz Kid: Matt Salvatore, Acting Out At School

Accomplishments:

At Studio West Productions, Matt Salvatore can step into anyone's shoes. The West Forsyth High School junior has played major roles in several productions including A Year With Frog and Toad, Beauty and the Beast and Sweeney Todd. It was Matt's role as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast that won him a nomination for the 2010 Shuler Hensley Award for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre. Matt was also a state runner-up in Georgia's One Act Play competition.

At 6 foot, 1 inch with red hair and crystal blue eyes, Matt's presence on the stage is hard to miss, and his tenor voice is unmistakable. "There are typically fewer tenors out there than basses, and Matt can naturally hit the higher notes," says his mother, Lorraine. "Matt has said there's no better feeling in the world than being on stage, and I knew when he was in the fourth grade that performing arts was his calling." 

On the West Forsyth High School swim team since his freshman year, Matt knows a thing or two about endurance and dedication in the water as well as on stage. He's lettered in swimming every season and shows no signs of climbing out of the pool (or off of the stage). 

Key to Success:

"Success comes more easily when you're doing something you really enjoy," says Matt, who also attends the annual Georgia State Thespian Conference, which was held in Columbus this year.

"I really do love acting and if I had things my way, I'd be on stage all the time, but I also know I have to maintain my GPA which always reminds me that there are many sides to the full definition of success," adds Matt, who is well known as a "go-with-the-flow" kind of guy who meets demands with a keen sense of humor.

This Whiz Kid is always on the go, without appearing harried or rushed. Maybe that means we can catch a glimpse of him on his way to his next show, but for now ladies and gentlemen, Matt has left the building...