Taylor Hicks – Shenandoah

By starrymag | April 5, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the Serenbe Playhouse production of Shenandoah?

A) Brian Clowdus and the Serenbe Playhouse is fast becoming one of the best playhouses in the country due to just the visionary interactive component and having the land. He wanted someone to play the role of Charlie Anderson with more of a country, Southern role. I think we are out there trying to find the right roles and this one came along and kind of the stars align.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before joining them on stage?

A) I knew Rachel. I had heard of Rachel Potter and the Serenbe Playhouse crew. Rachel has been really, really great to work with. She’s got a lot of insight on acting. I’m just learning. This is obviously my first big role in a musical and acting so I’m just learning as I go.

Q) How familiar were you with the musical before this production?

A) I had heard there was a movie, but usually what happens when I take roles that is an adaptation of some sort, I stay away from it because I kind of want to create my own role. That’s something that I had heard a little bit about and I knew that Jimmy Stewart had played Charlie Anderson in the movie. So, yeah, a little bit, but I kind of wanted to make it my own after I knew that.

Q) How did you go about preparing for the role?

A) Twelve-hour days! Six hours in memorization and then six hours in rehearsal.

Q) There are such wonderful costumes! What is it like for you to step into this character through them?

A) It’s brand new to me. It’s fun to do. You really have to focus. It helps with the interactiveness of the play being outside. You’ve got the gunfire going off, the Civil War reenactment and live horses. The play and the interactiveness of the Serenbe Playhouse series really helps the actors and it really helps the audience as well.

Q) What is your favorite song to perform during the show?

A) I play harmonica on “It’s a Boy.” We wanted to make it really musical, from an instrumentation standpoint. That song I enjoy playing harmonica on.

Q) Do you have any preshow rituals?

A) I don’t warm up. I kind of just go and dive in. I tell you what, live canons will help you get into a preshow ritual pretty quick.

Q) Will this production go on a national tour at all?

A) It’s just in Serenbe, but we’re always looking to expand. This will be a great building block for me to take larger roles.

Q) What do you think it is about Shenandoah that continues to make it such a fan favorite show and still resonates with audiences?

A) I think the storyline, issues and themes can be applied and some of the messages can still be applied today. There is the inner struggle between slavery in our country in Civil War times and the North versus the South. There are just some political undertones and messages that can be really looked at even today with this play. I think ultimately the message is we are all one nation under God. We all have our differences, but we can work through those. That’s such a lovely message that the play has that can be applied to everyone today.

Q) You do music and acting now. What is it that still continues to make you so passionate about undertaking both?

A) I feel like I have unfinished. I’ll always feel like I have unfinished business. Show business will make you feel like you have unfinished business. That’s something that I’m always striving to branch and out grow as an entertainer. I feel like the arc of my career, if you look back on it, it will include many things and I think this is one of them, for sure.

Q) What is your dream role to play?

A) I’ve always thought Billy Flynn in “Chicago” would be a good fit. I would love that!

Q) Can fans expect some new music soon?

A) They can! I just released “Six Strings and Diamond Rings” the single on iTunes. Then, the record will be coming soon!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Soul Patrol! [Wink! Wink!] That’s fun to revisit every now and then.