JADAR

Burlesque is a BIG new musical based on the cult classic movie musical of the same name. Following its premiere in Manchester last summer – followed by an updated remount in Glasgow and Manchester last Autumn – the musical is now having its West End premiere, with an almost entirely new creative team. Todrick Hall, who played Sean in the original cast and wrote a few new songs, is the new director and choreographer. We sat down with him for a wide-reaching conversation that went beyond Burlesque but covered much of his electric career so far.

I told Todrick that I might be acting cool but I was fan-girling inside.

“Oh, my God, stop, stop stop – I’m fan-girling over this outfit and everything,” he told me. “You walked in and I was like, “I definitely need this top.’”

I told him that the jumper was roasting – it was a very hot day, and I’m a total heat whore, but my top was practically a sweater, and I was sweating.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s giving fashion. It doesn’t matter that you’re hot,” he said.

Todrick plays Sean, Tess’ right-hand man, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the film. In the musical, the character has been expanded into the third most notable character, after Ali and Tess.

In three words, Todrick described the musical as “big, sexy and heartfelt.”

Todrick went to see the film when he was starring in The Color Purple on Broadway – he went in between shows but had to leave early to do his second show so he went back to see it again. He described his involvement with the stage adaptation – not only as Sean but also a composer – as “a full circle moment.”

I proceeded to ask him about his involvement as a composer: the film has preexisting songs, which are so iconic, and he and Jess Folley (who plays Ali – originally played by Christina Aguilera) have written new songs which have to be fresh but must also have a similar vibe to the original songs.

“You’re doing such a great job on this interview already because nobody’s asked that question,” he said, excited to finally talk about this challenge. “That’s one of the hardest things to do. When you’re, I wouldn’t say competing, but you’re putting songs sandwiched in between songs that are iconic cult classics by Cher and Christina Aguilera, written by Diane Warren and all these incredible, iconic people” – e.g. Sia! – “When you’re sandwiching songs in between those, the songs have to be as big, as punchy, as memorable, as anthemic as those songs.

“That’s a tall order but I am very proud of the work that I’ve done and the work that Jess Folley’s done, and I think it’s a pretty cohesive score. I’m really grateful but that is a very intimidating ask but it’s been so well-worth the labour that we’ve spent to write the music.”

Todrick told me that he was originally brought on board just as a composer. One of the songs he wrote for Sean, ‘Big’, explains the history of burlesque and how it has involved into what it is now – of course, the burlesque in Burlesque is not burlesque in the traditional sense, à la striptease, but neo burlesque, i.e. dancing sexy in lingerie and latex!

“I was recording the song, and in the middle of recording it, I have to say, I was like, ‘I feel like, when they hear this demo, they’re gonna ask me to do this role,” and within like an hour after they got the demo, they were like, ‘We love it, it’s approved, it’s gonna be in the show.’ It’s now one of the taglines for the show – Burlesque: ‘A Big New Musical’. And they asked me to do it, and I was like, ‘Absolutely. I would love to.’”

Stanley Tucci is an icon but so is Todrick Hall, and a lot of people have seen, and will see, the show specifically to see Todrick – so can fans expect to see a bit of Todrick in the role?

Todrick thinks so but he clarified that he is a very different in person to what his persona is online – people have told him this. However, if you are a fan of his music and art, you will be happy with what Sean does in the show.

“There are elements – especially in ‘Big’, there’s a moment that feels like it is perfectly timed for Pride Month, which this is” – this was back in June, people! – “And this show kind of has this underlying message about finding your own tribe and finding a place where you belong, sometimes having to create a chosen family, which is what Pride is often times all about – one of my favourite things that RuPaul teaches on her show – and I think that this show really encompasses a lot of that.”

Whilst Todrick has previous experience in musical theatre, this is both his first time originating a role and being a composer, which he described as “a double debut.”

He has enjoyed having the script as “a guideline” and being able to suggest things in the rehearsal space.

“Sean is such a fun, loveable character that I’m excited to see how the show evolves and how [other] people bring themselves to the character. He’s a lot more present in the stage version in the movie. He sort of serves as a narrator, MC sort-of person. He’s one of the only people onstage that can break the fourth wall, address the audience, and so it’s just a really, really good time.”

odrick has played some incredible roles, such as Lola in Kinky Boots, but I wondered if there are any other roles he would love to play.

“I would love to be Fiyero in Wicked – that’s my number one because I’m the biggest Wizard of Oz fan ever,” he admitted, without even having to think.

“Yes – Straight Outta Oz!” I said excitedly, referencing his iconic album (more on that in a bit).

“So, hopefully that will happen,” he said. “I would love to play the Scarecrow or the Tin Man in a Production of The Wiz – also Wizard of Oz-themed – and I would also love to be Simba in The Lion King because I love that show.

“And also, my mom is very dear to me, and every time I see Simba climbing up Pride Rock at the end of the show, and he nods to Sarabi [Simba’s mother], I like photoshop myself into that moment. And I just know how much my mom would love that – she loves the story, she loves the music – and so those are like my three dream roles.”

“You’d be incredible as all of them,” I told him. “You’d be incredible as anything – you’re Todrick Hall!”

“Oh, stop, stop, I can’t take it, I can’t take it,” he joked, gesturing with his hands for me to keep the compliments coming.

Whilst he is hopeful that he might get to play those roles, he has stopped trying to be the “puppet-master” of his own life because things never end up working out the way you planned.

“I always wanted to be on Disney Channel when I was growing up,” he admitted. “I never got to be, and now I play a character on Muppet Babies – and I’m like, ‘Well, technically I got what I wanted.’”

“You’re a Disney Princess!” I said.

“I’m a frog on Disney Channel – but I’m still on there,” he laughed. “It’s just a really cool thing to watch how you can dream and wish and manifest, and things happen in the way that they’re supposed to.”

Speaking of The Wizard of Oz, Todrick is known to many for his semi-biographical album Straight Outta Oz.

“There’s a girl in the show who was like, ‘I danced to your music when I was like 11 or 12 years old,’ and I was like, ‘That’s not possible because I’m only 16,’” he joked.

“So many people in the cast were like, ‘We were teens to your songs,’ because my songs are pretty popular in like the dance competition circuit,” he explained.

“It just feels very surreal that it has been almost a decade of my favourite album. It was a labour of love, like a huge risk that I took; [I] spent a lot of money on a project that I didn’t know would have any return, and I’m so blessed. And I didn’t even know until my fans started tagging me in things. I’m very grateful. Happy anniversary and happy birthday to Straight Outta Oz – for any of you who watched it.”

Last year, Todrick performed at Chaka Khan’s Meltdown. Meltdown is the UK’s biggest artist-curated festival, held at the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre, Europe’s biggest arts venue.

Todrick called this experience “surreal”. He was doing eight shows a week in Burlesque but his slot happened to land on a Sunday so he got to hop on over to London. He said that the audience showed so much love, and it had been awhile since he had done his own thing because he has been so immersed in Burlesque.

“Chaka Khan and I go way back,” he revealed. “We did The Color Purple together in 2007 – she was Sophia, I was in the ensemble, and then she started coming to my shows; we have a song together called ‘FABULOSITY’. I was just so grateful that she chose to have a queer artist there, and somebody that she knows and has collaborated with.

“It felt like her list of people that she curated for this festival was really handpicked by her, and I think that’s when it’s at its finest – when you’re like, ‘I think this person actually curated this group of people intentionally.’”

I told Todrick that I got to meet Chaka after her opening show and my “wig” (a faux bun) fell off as I walked off.

“That makes it more iconic, honestly,” he replied.

“She’ll remember me.”

“Yeah, shell never forget that.”

At the end of the interview, Todrick said,

“Oh, my gosh, you are so good at your job. You’re so good. I’m not even joking. I do so many interviews, and I’m so tired, and you just like lifted my spirits up. You’re gonna be there tonight? I hope that you love it. But kudos to you, everything that you’re doing. You’re so authentic with how you ask your questions, and I just see big things for you in the future. I’m honoured. You’re well on your way. You’re really great at what you do. Congratulations.”

After a little hug, with my eyes watering up, I told him off for ruining my make-up!

Burlesque runs at the Savoy Theatre until September 6. This interview was conducted before the world premiere.