Interview: We're Not in Kansas Anymore: A Chat with STRAIGHT OUTTA OZ Star and Creator Todrick Hall

It's no secret among my friends and loved ones that I'm a pretty big Disney fan. And through my fangirling, I ran across a series of incredible YouTube videos from a guy named Todrick Hall. The creativity and love with which he treated his Disney princess and villain send-ups, illustrated not only his enormous talent, but his respect for the genre. Since then, I've spent many an evening in what I refer to as a Todrick Hole, which sounds horrifically inappropriate, but I assure you it just means that I can't stop watching his videos.

Following his stint as a semi-finalist on American Idol, Todrick has not only become a YouTube sensation, but he's redefined the genre. He's currently touring the country with a concert version of his new visual album, Straight Outta Oz, which will be at DC's Howard Theatre on Monday, August 1st. I had a chance to chat with him in between stops.

JM: The term "YouTube celebrity" is thrown around frequently and 9 times out of 10 it's a person who quite clearly should not be famous. You've flipped that on it's head and found ways to create entire worlds for viewers. How did this start? What brought you to YouTube?

TH: I was on Broadway before I did American Idol - and I was criticized for being "too Broadway" at times. It's an easy scapegoat. But I'd done ballet my whole life. I had all the aspects of being a Broadway performer, but I'd never did them all together. I sang in church and danced in class. American Idol lit a fire for me. It made me work so much harder and showed me everything in Hollywood wasn't what I thought. American Idol is not just a reality singing competition - you're playing a role, the producers are creating narratives, it's a much bigger challenge than just getting up onstage and singing every few days.

It caused me to lose a lot of confidence - it was my first time singing in front of anyone. I went on the show trying to prove I could sing, I was mostly a dancer before that and I was hoping people would take me seriously as a singer. I proved to myself I was a vocalist, but lost confidence being told I could never do anything outside of theatre.

JM: How did you turn that around?

TH: They called me theatrical - that was the criticism, and I made a conscious decision not to see it as a negative. Michael Jackson was theatrical. Lady Gaga is theatrical. Beyoncé - they're all theatrical. It was a word I had to adopt as my own.

Then I found YouTube and realized I could perform in my own way - on American Idol, I got ridiculed for doing my own arrangements of songs, but online, people loved it. Online, people have the chance to connect and give you their honest opinion. That's what art should be about - that thing that happens between the thing we're creating and the people receiving it. Everyone can interpret it the way they want.

JM: So, you were able to pull all those pieces together on YouTube?

TH: As I made more videos, I was getting recognized more for it. I can combine the worlds I love so much and the thing I used to get criticized for would be what people applaud me for. And to be able to introduce new audiences to these great stories - whether they be from Disney or Broadway, was fulfilling. And to do it through something I love doing - singing and dancing, it's been great. The best part though, is being able to be a voice and a role model for these kids is an awesome thing. Growing up, no one looked like me on television. There was no RuPaul's drag race, no black gay kids anywhere. I would run home to watch That's So Raven, it's all I had. And now there's nothing more fulfilling than to be a person that some kids go home and watch.

JM: We're in a time where that representation you talk about, is so vital. There's more out there than there used to be, but our culture and society is in a tough place right now. Between police violence against unarmed black men and women, and mass shootings of LGBT people, your newest album seems to be acknowledging some of our country's current challenges.

TH: It's an ironic coincidence that these things happened at the same time as the release of the album. I shot "Color" before the Orlando situation happened. I wrote the song "Waterguns" talking about gun violence, but it just so happened we recorded it the same day Christina Grimmie was shot. I wrote it for two reasons because it paralleled the witch being killed with water in Wizard of Oz and I also have a friend who was killed, she was an African American police officer and I pay tribute by using her badge number in the video.

I wanted to write about gun violence and about the fact people don't realize what they're doing when they make these decisions to end someone else's life. I didn't mean for the songs to be so timely, but I'm proud that people are listening. Sometimes it's important to see things from a slightly different point of view. I've had racist or homophobic people come to the show and tell me afterwards that they saw things in a different light now, nothing could make me feel greater.

JM: Let's talk about Oz - your Oz is a little darker than others. Where does your inspiration come from?

TH: I had a magical week. I went to see Hamilton, and fell in love with what Lin-Manuel Miranda did with the classic American story, making it look like America, and using hip-hop and rap to tell the story. Then I saw Zootopia - telling a story that needed to be told about sexism, racism, homophobia, drug use - and they did it in such a tactful way and with so much class. I'm so proud of Disney for doing what they did. And finally, Beyoncé released Lemonade. I want to tell stories that change peoples lives, that make people look at things differently. And in this one week, I saw three perfect examples.

I wanted to tell the story of Oz and tell it from the eyes of a young, gay, black man from Texas instead of a little white girl in Kansas. There really were a lot of similarities. My town seemed so black and white growing. Wisdom, love and courage is what add the color and make us such strong humans. It's not until we have those things that we are fully whole. I'm an even bigger fan of Oz than i am of Disney. I've seen them all - every version of the Wizard of Oz. And I figured, if i cant add something that hasn't been seen before, there's no reason to do it.

And then I realized people will be touched by the story - I gotta do it - there was no question about whether or not I should, I had to. I'm not an artist that thinks people are going to care about a single video if I put it out, so I decided to do something different with the visual album and it's worked.

I've had Broadway producers reach out, talking about the full video. And it's not just a story of a gay black man, it's about a powerful mom who will do anything for their child who she loves unconditionally. It's the story of my first love.

JM: Tell me more about "Colors", it's such a beautiful song on so many levels.

TH: When I talk about this guy Gareth...I'm not lying or exaggerating. I'd never met a British person in my life. I'd never had butterflies. I'd never seen fireworks like all my friends talked about when they were in love. I met him and he turned my whole world upside down, he opened my eyes. I felt like I was in ET and I found this martian who knew this whole other world. Every time I sing that song I think of everything I felt. It's my first love. It 100% describes exactly how I felt.

TH: It's almost sold out - there's only a few tickets left. This whole experience has been so awesome. They say how lucky we are to be alive right now and it's true. Everyone with access to the internet has a chance to have their voice heard today. It's so great and I want to encourage anyone to do the same thing I've done. It's changed my life dramatically. I'll be going back to Broadway soon and I wouldn't have that opportunity without this work. It gives you a stronger chance to show who you are. No one was going to write a Wizard of Oz story with a gay, black male as Dorothy. I didn't want to wait around, and so I did it myself.

I encourage anyone who reads this to the end to stop what you're doing right now. If you don't love what you're doing, you should be doing something that makes you happy - no matter what that is. I think I'm one of those people who lives my life to the fullest - I speak my mind, try to make moments happen. I don't want to keep this amazing thing a secret. I'm all about helping other people and wanting them to find their happiness and success and confidence. I'm really grateful. People told me I wouldn't be able to make it, so I self produced this album, I put it out myself. I poured all my money into this project and I recouped it. And I was #2 on iTunes under Beyoncé and above Adele. And I'm a gay, black man. My own manager, who creates pop stars told me I could never get there. It's what Lin-Manuel Miranda is doing, opening so many doors for others. The world is your oyster. Today, right now, you can do it. Go straight back to your damn dreams.

Todrick Hall Presents: Straight Outta Oz Tour, live at the Howard Theatre - Monday, August 1, 2016 at 7:30pm. The show is currently sold-out. Find out more about Todrick Hall and additional tour dates around the country at TodrickHall.com

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