#FFB: Nicholas Belton
Nicholas is hitting all the marks today! He's part of my favorite Broadway show, The Great Comet, he's a fellow #BroadwayBlogBuddy AND he's serving up a serious dose of great advice for aspiring performers! SUNDAY THEORY, by Nicholas and his lady love, Alicia, is a gorgeous food blog and "a journey delving into the basic principles of feeding our bodies right, keeping mindful that the food we eat is medicine and the products we use as clean and natural to the earth as possible." **APPLAUSE** If that sounds like a tune you want to sing, read below and check out his blog for a kick ass philosophy about food, life, and living FIT FOR BROADWAY!
NOTE FROM NICHOLAS: Hi, I’m Nick! I love nature, the NY Times, cooking eggs (deviled, poached, omeletted, over-medium, all ways really) singing around the house, sipping mezcal, spending time with my gal and getting into mischief. Looking forward to sharing a little bit about myself below…
“Audition, Audition” from Fit for Broadway Apparel (click HERE)
INTERVIEW:
Q: Nicholas! I’ve seen you not once but 3 times in The Great Comet (my absolute favorite right now!) And you’re not just performing but also creating an amazing blog too, which we’ll get into! Can we start from the beginning though…What was your journey to Broadway?
A: I always thought my oldest brother was too cool for school and since he did theatre, I wanted to get involved too. Growing up in South Bend, IN, I would take the train to Chicago to see national tours and kept seeing CCM in the actor’s bios. I decided I was going to go to CCM myself. The summer after I graduated high school I moved to Cincinnati to host a Nickelodeon show at the amusement park, King’s Island, and shortly after found out I was accepted into CCM. As soon as I graduated college I moved to NYC and lived “the dream” in my mouse infested hell’s kitchen apartment and would swap sleeping on the couch / bed every other month with my roommate since we lived in a 1 bedroom. After 3 ½ years of the occasional acting job and a lot of odd jobs, I was told some advice that completely shifted my mindset. I kept hearing that no two people can be on the same path in this business and after those 3 ½ years of working in NYC, it clicked that there was only one me. It was completely freeing because I could finally take the focus off others and put it all on myself. Right at this time my agents fired me and about 3 days later, I booked my first big job, which was the sit down of Wicked in Chicago. From that point on, I've been fortunate enough to have consistent work doing not only what I love but being part of shows that I absolutely love. And one of those shows that I felt like completely embodied my spirit was the revival of Hair, which was my first Broadway show in 2007.
Q: What’s your philosophy on fitness & health in relation to performance?
A: Fitness and health is everything when it comes to my performance! Without a proper (gut friendly) diet and at least 20 minutes of daily exercise, I don’t function nearly as well. Food is medicine, not just for the gut but for your brain as well. The right foods and exercise, plus vitamins and supplements (like D3 and Magnesium which us humans don't get enough of), and meditation all contribute to a happy mind and body.
Q: Any other holistic practices to stay balanced as a performer?
A: I'm also a big fan of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. I love herbs like Reishi and Astragulus root for preventative care as well as Ashwaganda for energy. Bacopa, L-Carnitine, and Gingko have been great for my ADD and are super helpful ways to stay mentally alert and strong. Aloe Vera which I blend into smoothies with pineapple or papaya and coconut water is a wonderful liver cleanser - Aloe is actually an all-around wonder herb for most ailments, I have a whole blog post about it. I'm also a big fan of tamarind, high in tartaric acid and fiber, which has an amazing ability to bind to toxins and bile and flush them out of your system. All these things make my body happy.
Q: Alrighty, your food blog!! How did it start? What’s it about?
A: Yes - SundayTheory.com. On my first national tour I started an online journal to keep up with family which quickly turned into a place of all things food…recipes, favorite restaurants in new cities, and chats with chefs. After the tour was over, I stopped blogging but never took it offline. When I started dating my now fiancée, Alicia, she found my blog by online stalking me (she could actually work for the CIA). Since we were on another national tour (Evita) at the time, it was the perfect time to start blogging again, thanks to her push. With my food background and her health background (she does hair and makeup on Broadway shows but also went to school for nutrition) I started incorporating a new healthy twist on my food posts. We have literally traveled the world together and I was big into hunting out the hidden gems of the cities we visited. Friends would start to ask for lists of favorite spots and healthy recipes we would create on the road. We wanted to create a platform that people could refer to for an unbiased opinion of the great places to eat, sleep, and travel around the globe. We both happen to have a pretty holistic mindset so most of our recipes, recommendations, and routines center around a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Q: Can we share one of your recipes? What’s your current favorite?
A: While creating my recipes, they are all my favorite at the time – so let’s go with my most recent: Baked Oatmeal.
{ click HERE or click the pictures below for the recipe!! }
Q: I’ve had a recent request from readers who are interested in knowing about your survival jobs pre-Broadway? Any advice for performers who are looking for part time work while auditioning?
A: Before I booked Wicked, everything I did was odd, survival jobs. They all couldn't possibly be more unrelated but whatever I did, I made sure to make a connection and follow up with them to keep those jobs coming. Looking good and being prepared for auditions isn’t cheap. Temp agencies are a great place to get decent paying jobs and the temp agents are often very helpful. One of my longest temp jobs that lasted almost a year was being an assistant for a buyer at the Versace headquarters. I still miss that job. Or maybe I just miss dressing well and wearing suits to work. Another great job I had was an electrician for fashion shows – the pay was awesome but it was hard on my body but perfect when you’re 25 years old and then I could skip the gym that day ;) I think it’s also important to make sure you’re enjoying what you are doing in the meantime while waiting for Broadway to call. I found a passion in cooking and worked at many restaurants to hone my skills instead of paying to go to culinary school and eventually opened my own catering company so I was able to give myself the schedule I needed for when I did book a show or needed to go to an audition.
Q: What’s your philosophy on food?
A: Just like Hippocrates said: "Let food be thy medicine".
Q: Can we play “What I Ate Yesterday”?
A: I ate...
Breakfast: Green smoothie with kale, almond milk, frozen banana, almond butter, dates, flaxseed, chia seeds, rice protein powder, and honey
Lunch: 2 Forks restaurant in midtown: brown rice bowl with braised lamb, roast carrots, brussell sprout slaw, baby kale, and herb dressing.
Dinner: Homemade lentil soup with avocado on top and German rye bread.
Snacks: Espresso, nuts and dried fruit, coconut rolled dates, bananas and almond butter.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: Experts in health, cooking, and well-being mainly. Dr. Alejandro Junger who wrote the book 'CLEAN'. Read it. My fiancée gave it to me years ago and I’ve read it countless times. It changed my life and I’ve given copies to all my family and friends. Also, Anthony Bourdain - he has the perfect life. Michael Pollan and Jamie Oliver have both really inspired my relationship to food.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring performers who have their sights set on Broadway?
A: Go for it! Just remember, you cannot portray other people (aka roles in shows) until you really know YOURSELF. Most of the work will take care of itself if you are in touch with who you are inside.
Instagram: @NicholasBelton | Twitter: Nicholas_Belton | SUNDAYTHEORY.COM
