'Wicked' Star Sam Gravitte Heads to Ptown for Cabaret Debut on Saturday

Sam Gravitte is just like any other good-looking, athletic, Ivy-educated, lacrosse playing young man who grew up in Connecticut. Almost. His parent are actors. Beau Gravitte, his dad, is also a director who headed The Actors Studio; Debbie Shapiro-Gravitte, his mom, won a Tony Award in 1989 for her performance in "Jerome Robbins' Broadway." At an early age, Sam discovered he loved the theater and to wanted to join his parents in their profession. As it turned out, his journey to a Broadway stage – in this case the Uris Theatre where he played the teen heartthrob Fiyero in the long-running hit "Wicked" – was circuitous one.

"The best actor is a smart actor," his dad told him, advice he took to heart when studying at Princeton, first in public economics and international affairs, before getting his degree in anthropology. He divided his free time between theatrical roles and the lacrosse team. After graduation he signed up with a talent agency in 2017, who put him in touch with vocal coach Matt Farnsworth. He landed a role in the ensemble of the National tour of "Wicked," where he understudied Fiyero, before joining the Broadway company in the ensemble. He took a break from the show to join the tryout run of "Almost Famous" in San Diego before being asked to audition for the role of Fiyoro in New York. He landed it and joined the company in February, 2020. Two weeks later, the pandemic hit and "Wicked" (and Broadway) shut down.

When the show reopened 18 months later, he returned to Fiyero, which he played until May, 2022. Since then he has been living the life of an actor. Workshops, auditions, more auditions. And cabaret performances, such as one at New York's prestigious club Birdland, and one last winter with his mother and her long-time friend John McDaniel, the producer, composer, music director who many will remember as the bandleader on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

Sam is bringing his new show "Songs That Raised Me" to the Post Office Cabaret in Provincetown on July 6 as part of McDaniel's Broadway Series. He is also headed to the Cape Playhouse where he will play Gerry Goffin in "Beautiful" from July 10 through August 3.

For more information on "Songs That Raised Me," follow this link. For more information on "Beautiful" at the Cape Playhouse, click here.

Surprisingly, the 27-year old recently confessed on an audio interview with Robert Bannon on the website the Broadway Podcast Network that he had never been to Provincetown. "I am such a bad gay," he said. "I have never been to Fire Island. I have never been to Ptown."

Recently EDGE had the chance to chat with him about the journey that brings him to Ptown for his one-night-only show before heading to Dennis and "Beautiful."

EDGE: You're coming to P-Town.

Sam Gravitte: I am, for my very first time ever. I've never been to Provincetown.

EDGE: But you grew up in Connecticut with theater parents. How is that possible?

Sam Gravitte: I know. Who raised me? I grew up in Connecticut, but we weren't really a Cape family. A lot of our family and friends went north to MA for vacations on the Cape. We went south to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, where my father had friends and long-term relationships. We never made it to the Cape. In fact, my first time on the Cape was visiting a lacrosse teammate from college in his family's Chatham home.

EDGE: That's very different from Provincetown.

Sam Gravitte: Oh I know. I've heard about Ptown my whole life and I feel lucky this is going to be my first time there. So many wonderful people, I can't wait to immerse myself in the community and the love. I'm grateful to John for asking me up there. I'm looking forward to checking it out because many friends have sent me recommendations of things to do. I'll be there for 36-hours so I guess I'll be burning my candle at both ends.

EDGE: How did you get the gig?

Sam Gravitte: John has known my mom for a long time. We were invited to the winter cabaret series at the O'Neill Center in Connecticut last winter where we sang with John and did a little cabaret. It was a total blast. We had so much fun in rehearsal and in performance. When he called and asked if I'd be interested in doing this one-night gig in Ptown it was the easiest yes I've ever said.

EDGE: Any idea who your audience will be?

Sam Gravitte: Well, I have a couple of friends who said they'd be there. So at least there'll be a few friendly faces in the audience. (Laughs) From everything I understand about Ptown it's a wonderful community. Hopefully people will see Sam Gravitte's on the roster and show up with some open hearts, some expectations, and come for a few good stories, some laughs and a lot of great songs.