Wyatt Hartz

My nickname for Wyatt Hartz is Boy Wonder. Wyatt is just starting 7th grade and already has a list of credits of which someone twice his age would be envious. I have seen Wyatt in five shows now and, if anyone was ever born to be on stage, it is Wyatt Hartz. Acting seems innate to him, and he inhabits all of his characters fully with a skill that usually takes years to develop. In addition to acting, he also sings and dances, moving from straight plays to musicals with ease and polish. Who knows where this kind of talent is going to take this gifted, intelligent, kind, and humble young man? Read all about the phenomenon that is Wyatt Hartz.

When was your first time on stage?

I was three years old and played a hedgehog in my preschool’s school play. I told my mom afterwards that being in the show was way more fun than soccer, so she signed me up for a class at Dallas Children’s Theater that spring. I loved it! I performed in my first youth theatre show when I was four years old. I was Lucky in 101 Dalmatians at Breitling Performing Arts. After that, I was hooked and wanted to do show after show! 

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

Even though I always thought it was so fun being on stage, it wasn’t until I was Boy Scrooge in Dallas Theater Center’s 2019 production of a A Christmas Carol that I realized how much I really loved acting. I loved working with adult actors in a professional setting and getting to be on stage night after night. Then Covid hit a few months later. Being away from theatre and not knowing when I might get to perform again really made me realize how important acting is to me. 

Who is your greatest mentor?

I have been lucky to get to work with so many amazing people who have had a positive influence on me! Michael Serrecchia is someone who I have learned a lot from. I have been lucky enough to get to work with him twice, and in two completely different types of shows. I love the way that he doesn’t tell you exactly what to do but guides you in the right direction and lets you make choices. Alli and Billy Betsill are another two who had a huge impact on me. I got to work with them last year in my first production where I was the only kid in the show. They are two of the most encouraging people I have ever met, and it is so fun to be around them! They really focused on the character development process which was such a great learning opportunity for me. Last, but not least, is definitely Esteban Vilchez. He’s so talented, and he is also so humble and kind to everyone. I really look up to him as an actor and am always so excited to do shows with him! Fun fact, I have played the younger version of him in two different shows (A Christmas Carol and Big Fish). 

What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

I definitely want to mention the show I am in right now. I am loving playing Young Will in Big Fish at Theatre Arlington. It is a show that I have wanted to do for a long time and working with Mark Mullino, Vonda K. Bowling, and Kelly McCain has been so cool! In terms of past favorite roles, I probably have three, each for its own special reason. First, Friedrich von Trapp in The Sound of Music at Dallas Theater Center. This show was my first time being single cast, and it was so fun to be with my stage family every night!  Pugsley in The Addams Family at The Firehouse Theatre was another favorite role of mine. It was just such a fun show. The audiences were amazing every single performance. It was so easy to feed off of them, even at the end of a long weekend of shows! And last spring I was Billy Ray in On Golden Pond at MainStage Irving. This was such a special show for so many reasons. Most especially because I got to perform with my dad. We played father and son on stage. Definitely not something I would have expected, but I loved it so much! 

Do you have a dream role?

I have a long list! Probably my top three are Tobias in Sweeney Todd, Jack Kelly in Newsies, and Jack in Into the Woods. 

What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

Daniel Radcliffe. I am so obsessed with Harry Potter and have been since I was five years old. My parents saw him in Merrily We Roll Along in New York and said he was incredible. And I would love to perform with Jason Solis again. We were in The Addams Family together, and he is such an amazing performer and brings so much energy to the stage. 

What performances have you seen that impressed you?

So many! Just this summer, I saw Cabaret in Breckenridge, CO. It was such a powerful show. I loved seeing DFW friends on stage there and Keith Warren did a fantastic job directing. I also saw Back to the Future in NYC last year. I wasn’t sure how they were going to pull off time travel on stage, but the way that they used all of the different technical elements to bring the story to life was really cool. Oh, and I especially loved the flying DeLorean at the end!

What are your career goals?

I would really love to go to Booker T. Washington for high school in two years. It would be so awesome to be around other actors at school and get to act every day. I would also love to keep doing shows around DFW. And I want to keep focusing on training in singing, dancing, and acting so I can hopefully continue to do this in college and beyond! 

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I love debating! I am on my school’s debate team. I have received top speaker awards in most of my debates, and I even won a national debate tournament last year! Beyond that, I have picked up a lot of quirky skills by doing theatre. For On Golden Pond, I learned how to do a loon call, and I recently learned how to juggle for Big Fish (although that is a work in progress).