By Charles Baran

Todrick Hall is indisputably a dynamo. With an endless supply of energy, he accomplishes more in an hour than most people accomplish in a week. Fresh on the heels from back-to-back sold-out runs in Glasgow, Scotland and Manchester, England of a new West End bound musical titled Burlesque, The Musical, and based on the 2010 film, where Todrick not only plays the role of Sean, but also contributed new music and lyrics for the score, Fort Lauderdale audiences will once again get to experience the “Todrick Hall phenomenon” when he teams up with our very own Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida for a spectacular holiday concert.  I was lucky enough to catch up with Todrick for a pre-concert chat and was delighted to know that he was super excited to be back performing for our welcoming South Florida LGBTQ+ audiences.

Charles: Hello Todrick! Welcome back to Florida! You were fantastic last year at the Parker. This year you’re at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood with our amazing GMCSF in their December 17th holiday show. What do you have in store for us?

Todrick: I’m excited to sing some songs that are classics that I’ve never performed before and I’m excited to share the holidays with people who are proud members of the LGBTQ+ community and who have invested their time in the arts to create this musical community within our own community.

Charles: Is this your first time performing with the GMCSF?

Todrick: Yes, this is my first time performing with this particular choir, but I have performed with several gay men’s choruses before and it is always such a rewarding experience.

Charles: You’ve had a spectacular career and I’m sure there’s lots more to come. So far, you’ve been Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway, Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway and the West End. You’ve choreographed music videos for Taylor Swift and Beyonce. And you’re a YouTube sensation with over 3.5 million subscribers on your channel. You’ve even been on Bob’s Burgers! It’s my favorite show! What’s left on your bucket list?

Todrick: I think, like a lot of performers and artists out today, the EGOT is the ultimate goal. I am currently working on writing my first full length musical with eyes of getting my show to Broadway or the West End. I love all forms of entertainment but I think live theater has always been my favorite and has always felt like home to me. There aren’t a lot of people who look like me who have gone down in history as being the greatest composers of all time, and that is my ultimate life goal.

Charles: I love your 2021 album Femuline. I must have played it 100 times. My favorite tracks are “Fabulosity” with the great Chaka Khan and “Boys in the Ocean.” What are yours?

Todrick: I think that “Show Off” featuring Nicole Scherzinger is one of my favorite songs from that album, it was inspired by a song from The Drowsy Chaperone performed by Sutton Foster. I love that the song, while sexy, has a fun layer of humor. I also really love the song “Rainin’ Fellas” and I had the time of my life shooting that music video.

Charles: What, or who, inspires you?

Todrick: I think if the first answer that comes out of anyone’s mouth isn’t Beyoncé there’s a huge problem. All seriousness, she is the person who inspires me the most, not just for her incredible artistry and the level that she performs at and delivers with such consistency but I also have had the privilege of working with her and know firsthand that she’s an incredible human being as well. Also, my mentors RuPaul and Billy Porter inspire me tremendously. The fact that they are such trailblazers for our community and have been long before it was the popular thing to do, makes me respect them even more.

Charles: Holidays, especially in Florida, are my favorite time of the year. Do you have a special Christmas memory that you would like to share with us? Something from your childhood perhaps?

Todrick: My favorite Christmas ever would probably be the year I turned 10 in the 90s. Fog machines were not something that you would buy a child as a Christmas gift but I had done several seasons of the Nutcracker ballet and I desperately wanted one. My mom moved hills and mountains to be able to get a fog machine in Plainview,Texas, and when they surprised me with it, you would’ve thought I won 3 billion dollars in the lottery! I’ll never forget that Christmas and it will be difficult for anything to compare.

Charles: If you could grant the world one wish this holiday season, what would it be?

Todrick: I think that the Internet is such a beautiful and powerful tool and has given so many people a way to voice their opinions where the others might otherwise not have been able to do so. But that has also created a level of pressure that I don’t think any human being should have to live up to. We as human beings are flawed by design. If I could grant the world one wish I would give every single human the level of empathy that it would take to not judge others and offer forgiveness to those who make mistakes, which is all of us.

Charles: Thank you so much for your time Todrick. I’ll definitely be there on December 17th. If you hear a crazy white dude screaming from the audience when you come out, you’ll know it’s me!

Todrick: I can’t wait!