Matthew Smith is ready to take on the world’s main stage.

From music to theater, fourth-year musical theater student Matthew Smith said he had always been drawn to the arts. At UCLA, he has performed with the UCLA African American Music Ensemble and at student events such as Spring Sing – with the all-male a cappella group Bruin Harmony. Graduating this year, Smith participated in the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s 2026 Undergraduate Musical Theater Showcase. He said the event was an opportunity to experience both the creative and business sides of the theater industry.

“Not everyone gets to pack up their stuff and follow their dreams in such a beautiful, big city like this,” Smith said. “That is sort of my plan for right now, to stay in Los Angeles, continuing fostering all of these relationships that UCLA has provided … trusting that we’re all on a path that’s going to take us where we need to be.”

Smith said he fell in love with performing in middle school while playing the violin for his school’s orchestra. Yet, he added that he did not discover his passion for theater until high school, specifically when he played the role of Benny in his school’s production of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, “In the Heights.” This led him to pursue it as a career, he said.

Now concluding his time at college, Smith said he is grateful that his studies took place at UCLA. Unlike other institutions, he added, UCLA looks to foster community from the beginning of enrollment. He said he cherishes the sense of belonging among the musical theater cohort, a group composed of only nine students.

Having been a part of the mainstage in all of TFT’s musicals, either as ensemble or playing supporting and lead roles, since his freshman year, Smith said each production has been a collaborative process – something necessary in any learning environment. With each musical’s preparation taking place over an entire quarter, he added that UCLA provides a one-of-a-kind production experience since, in the professional world, this work is often completed in a fraction of the time.

Smith said his experience playing the lead role in TFT’s production of “Something Rotten!” served as confirmation that he was on the right path. Mireya Zoé Nevel, a fourth-year musical theater student and friend of Smith since their New Student Orientation, said Smith got this role during their sophomore year, which was unusual since lead roles usually went to fourth-year students. Nevel added that this served as a testament to Smith’s talent.

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As for the musical theater showcase, Nevel said the show was fully student-run and produced, exemplifying the cohort’s collaborative nature. Performed last quarter and now uploaded to YouTube, the show aimed to highlight everyone’s individual talent, Smith added.

At the showcase, Smith presented a rendition of three songs: “How Glory Goes” from the musical “Floyd Collins,” “I’d Order Love” from the Broadway production “First Date” and the 1984 track “Purple Rain” by Prince. The third, he said, is a song he felt particularly connected to as it is a track significant for the LGBTQ+ and Black communities.

“It was just great to be able to sing a song that I was so connected to,” Smith said. “It just made me feel like I was flying when I was performing it on stage, and I hope people get to watch it online now and sort of get that experience.”

Smith said he also discovered a love for American Sign Language. Wishing to fulfill his foreign language requirement, he said he picked a language course that could connect with his artistry. Smith added that he has become fascinated with the way the language can connect others through imagery, using the body as a form of communication.

For the department’s winter show, Smith worked together with Dan Belzer, the head of the musical theater department, and the head of deaf studies to have the department’s first ASL interpreter. Since then, Smith said he has felt encouraged to keep exploring and learning about the Deaf communities in theater, hoping to keep incorporating ASL into the performing arts environment.

Throughout his time at UCLA, Smith said he has been able to take on career-advancing opportunities in professional settings, such as singing backup vocals for Broadway icons, such as Kristen Bell, Andrew Rannells and Merle Dandridge. He added that he performed in the musical “FROZEN” at 5-Star Theatricals, a show choreographed by UCLA dance instructor Cheryl Baxter.

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Smith’s friend, fourth-year theater student Tristian Kinney, said his talent gives him a gravitational pull that attracts both attention and opportunity. He added that Smith has the ability to tell different stories through his artistry, no matter how different each character is from one another.

“What I can respect so highly as an artist (is) somebody who’s vulnerable enough to put themselves into this raw and vulnerable state to where they can transform into this character,” Kinney said. “It’s the beauty of it. Our professor always says, ‘Acting is being truthful under imaginary circumstances,’ and I think that’s exactly what Matthew embodies.”

Nevel said Smith’s artistry is characterized by his authenticity and passion. She added that Smith is someone selfless, who is not only looking to move ahead in his career but also to help his peers move with him. She said during one of their productions, when everyone shared their goals for their quarterly show, most shared individual goals, while Smith focused on wanting to create a sense of community.

“Everybody definitely deserves everything that they’re getting, but there’s just something about him,” Nevel said. “You can’t watch that man perform and not agree that he’s gonna touch a lot of lives, even more lives than he already has.”

Concluding his time as a UCLA student, Smith said his main advice for underclassman students is to trust that every step of their college career will eventually lead them to their goals. He said challenges are part of the journey, and at the end of the day, he can confidently say those obstacles were worth it.

“Talk to a lot of seniors, we’re ready to go … we’re prepared and we’re excited to use what we have and put it out into the world,” Smith said.