Todrick Hall stopped by Amazon's live stream fashion and beauty show Style Code Live to talk about his starring role in Broadway's KINKY BOOTS, his relationship with RuPaul and working with Queen Bey. Check out highlights from the interview below!
On working with Beyonce It's crazy. I still can't believe it. Every time I feel like giving up I watch that video [of Beyonce responding to his viral "Countdown" clip] on repeat. The Beyonce camp is very tight so I don't know what I can say. But I will say that I was nervous to take that job [choreographing "Blow"] because I thought it would ruin...have you ever met someone that you love and then realize that they are not the person you thought they were and then it's completely ruined? Like you're obsessed with Madonna, Madonna is your Beyonce. I had that moment where I didn't know if this is gonna work. She came up to me and gave me the hugest hug and said "I'm so happy you're here." Just to watch her learn the choreography was so amazing because she learned it, low key, no shade to the dancers but faster than her dancers learned the choreography. She was such a machine and she asked very important questions that a dancer would ask. She asked "Ok, what leg do I start on" and then I felt that I was Ursula and that I had eight legs and I didn't know what to say because it's Beyonce asking me. Like, it's whatever leg you want! She was just really really really cool and I also thought it was interesting that she had stylists there and all of these things but she went out and pulled the things from the stylists, like options and put them on people. Like, "This really makes your body look really good." She was styling her own videos which I thought was an interesting thing because I've been on sets with other huge stars and they are the least bit concerned. She was very in-tune with everything, not just choreography and the lighting and the camera angles and changes but everything down to what shoes and what accessories went with each outfit. She's so sweet, like the sweetest person ever.
On his relationship with RuPaul: I just have so much respect for drag queens, that I just can't call myself a drag queen yet because I don't know that RuPaul would approve. But I feel like you and I are close, you are almost in full drag queen beat like everyday. Yes, opening night, he loved it, well he sent me a text saying, "I am coming to the big opening." And I said "Oh My Gosh!" Well I was freaking out because RuPaul is like my favorite drag mother and I was so nervous, as anyone would be to be making my Broadway debut as a lead actor, and also to be doing a drag role on front of like the unarguably biggest drag queen in the world. So I was really nervous, but he made me feel at home, and people that were sitting next to him in the theater said that he shed a few tears. And that doesn't happen very often, it only happens once or twice a year, and the lighting is right.
On the Kinky Boots Choreography: Oh my gosh, you would be amazing in Kinky Boots, yeah for sure, so um, so this is the ending choreography, which is the simplest, you are going to take four steps walking with your right leg, yeah but you need to know, so when you are coming to the show, in the aisle, absolutely, but there will be a security guard on the other side of you, just in case things get too crazy because she's Frankie Grande, and that's actually one of the steps that you are going to do. So um you are going to walk starting with your right leg, and you're going to do this with your hands, so you go, right left right left, and then you are going to go like this push, push the door open, the closet door, and then you are going to go up like this. Then you are going to go to the right to the left, and then you throw, throw. Okay let's go back, when you hit the dust, let me raise you up, when your bubble bursts, let me raise you up. Perfect, yes. Now we have to do it with attitude and with face, ready, four steps, open the door, raise you up, eyes, Cleopatra eyes. Five, six, seven, eight.... no I'll just go under you. You're cast. I love you.
Photo credit: Ryan Kobane Photography
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