Straight Outta Oz and right into OKC
Todrick Hall, a YouTuber phenom who developed his career producing original music videos and posting them to his YouTube channel, brings his Straight Outta Oz to Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall April 28.
Mixing the story of The Wizard of Oz with Hall's life story and beliefs, this modernized musical remake of The Wizard of Oz takes the classic and covers themes such as love, gay rights, police brutality and more.
“The Wizard of Oz has always been my favorite story, and I am ecstatic to share with you my most precious creation. This journey has been a long and winding yellow brick road, but I thank my fans, friends and family for their never ending support,” says Hall.
Hall says the musical was inspired by Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Disney’s Zootopia and Hamilton. “After seeing those three things, I was like, ‘I want to tell a classic story with pop and hip hop music, and I want it to have social messages like Zootopia and Hamilton both have and [a style like] Lemonade,’” he told Playbill in an interview.
“I think this show has the potential to be on Broadway in some shape or form,” Hall continued. “That’s my goal, to hopefully be talking to you in a couple of years about the Broadway version of this show.”
A native of Texas, Hall is a singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, choreographer, playwright, costume designer, Broadway performer, American Idol finalist, star of his own self-titled MTV Show and viral YouTube sensation with over two million subscribers and 400 million views.
Dancing since the young age of nine, Hall is a classically trained ballet dancer who has traveled the world performing with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Royal Caribbean and Holland America Cruise lines, Walt Disney World and Disneyland’s California Adventure.
His Broadway credits include Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple and The 2010 Tony Award winning Musical Memphis. Most recently has been his box office record breaking run as Lola in Kinky Boots.
In the four years he has been a full-time YouTuber he has had the honor of opening the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, being a judge on Rupaul’s Drag Race and Gay for Play, choreographing music videos for Beyoncé, writing and starring in the Virgin America Safety Video, Fiat Commercials and the theme song for the new online version of Jim Henson’s Sesame Street.
Using his title to entertain his ‘Toddlerz’ isn’t the only thing the openly gay Hall uses his platform for. In 2014, Hall was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneurs. He has teamed up with campaigns such as The Trevor Project, The City of West Hollywood, HIV Equal and HIV Beats to help raise awareness of several issues within the LGBTQ community.
The Oklahoma Civic Center performance of Straight Outta Oz is April 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$20, and a special Emerald City Pass at $80, and may be purchased online at okcciviccenter.com, by phone at (405) 297-2264 or in person at the box office, 201 N. Walker Ave., in downtown OKC.
Copyright 2017 The Gayly – April 12, 2017 @ 1:10 p.m.