This video is always hard for me to watch. Getting that golden ticket was such a bittersweet moment. I was happy because against the advice of the producers of Idol I sang an original song (which was unheard of at the time) and my creativity got me through! I remember the first time this aired and I heard someone say, I’m your fan for the first time…it was such a weird feeling to go from being an unrecognizable muggle to someone that someone idolized in an instant. But, when I watch my response and my behavior in speaking to them I can just see an uncomfortable young black boy who already came out of the closet, only to feel the pressure to pretend that I hadn’t. The way I was moving and speaking was just so not who I am or even was at the time. I did this audition with my best friend Scott Hoying just a few people behind me, crazy. When I did this audition I was IN LOVE with my first true love, Gareth (the same guy I wrote “Color” about). He wanted to go to the audition with me so badly, but I was terrified that if he went I’d be outted and it would ruin my chances at success. He gave me a white rosary that he wanted me to wear when I auditioned so his energy could be in the room with me. I then had my friend Julia be there with my mom, just so to hopefully deflect from the idea that I could possibly be gay. It’s just so weird to me now. I’m happy that I did Idol, and happy that it went the way that it did. When I got eliminated from that show, I was devastated…not because of the loss, but because I went out being someone I’m not. I vowed to myself in the car on the way home that I would never deny my true self an opportunity. I’d rather go down in flames as my real self, that go up in lights as someone I’m not. Los Angeles, California
When I got eliminated from American, I was so heartbroken. I learned a very harsh reality about being in the entertainment industry even in 2010. Being black in Hollywood is hard. I wanted to be myself, but the producers kept saying I needed to “appeal to middle America” and I interpreteded that as “don’t get too comfortable or too gay on Fox babes.” I’d hear the other contestants be praised and rewarded for mediocrity, and I was criticized for my creativity. When Ryan Seacrest told me I was voted out, I just immediately thought of all the people I felt I had let down by not making it further on the show. But, in the car on the way back from Fox my mom was like, “Don’t you let these people see you holding your head down. Go congratulate them, you’re just getting started.” I used to HATE when they’d say “American Idol’s” Todrick Hall, as if I belonged to them. I used to be so upset, but then one day it clicked to me…Todrick, if you’re SO upset by it then do something so great that they don’t have to use that name anymore. So I decided to start a youtube channel, my friends Kali and Sheena asked me to go watch the new “Sex and the City” movie and as I was driving to them in my silver Ford Focus I saw McDonalds and started immediately singing what my order would be, by the time I got to Sheena’s house, I had written this entire song. I begged them to learn it and sing it with me and they agreed. We filmed it and shockingly the employee got the order right, tbh she’s the true star of this video. I posted it and went to watch the movie, when I got out…I had 10,000 views. For the next few days, I lived on my laptop clicking refresh over and over again. Within a week the video had gotten 1 million views, and people started stopping me at Wal-Mart saying “Hey, aren’t you that….” I’d stop them and say “Yes, I was on American Idol!” They’d say “No, you’re the McDonalds guy!” Mission accomplished, and the rest is history! Arlington TX
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
With the Color Purple being out now, I thought I’d share with you my personal “Color Purple” journey. This show changed my life…I had so much to say but it was too long to put here so swipe to read about it! I have been blessed to be in 5 Broadway Musicals, but there is nothing like your first, my Color Purple family will always hold a special place in my heart! 💜
Go see “The Color Purple” in theatres now! Broadway Theatre
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When I was in High School I decided to rent out my high school auditorium for a weekend and mount my own self-funded production of “The Wizard of Oz!” I auditioned a group of my peers and immediately started recreating my favorite 1939 classic for my high school in Arlington Texas. My theatre teachers who were mounting their own musical did not take kindly to me going against the system and ultimately competing with them and so they called Tams-Witmark and sent 16 year old Todrick a scary letter demanding that my production be shut down immediately. Devastation doesn’t even begin to describe the feelings I felt in that moment, I was so defeated and felt like them reporting me was the cruelest thing any theatre arts teacher could do to a student who was so inspired by musical theater. The worst part was having to tell my excited cast that the production had to be cancelled. But, being the fighter that I am I went to the internet and found a loophole. The Wizard of Oz was in public domain, meaning sure I had to change a few things, but if I wrote an entire new script and new songs, I could create my own version of OZ with modern songs, pop culture references, cool beats and current comedy and so I sat down and wrote my very first song “Someday!” Those teachers might have been trying to knock the wind out my sails, but they actually sparked a fire in me that ultimately lead to the YouTube channel I created and the brand that brought you all to me.
Over 20 years later, I am now releasing three of my 6 original musicals for audiences around the world to enjoy. During the pandemic I got together with over 20 of my favorite Broadway voices to bring these songs to life for the first time in over a decade and I cannot wait to share the magic of these musicals with you. Todrick Hall musicals is launching THIS YEAR, so tag your musical theatre teachers, community theatre lovers, directors, choreographers, producers, etc and get ready to mount your own productions of my first creations. These shows are my babies, they are so fun, so hilarious, so hip and current and I cannot wait to release them for new generations to enjoy.
Follow @todrickhallmusicals Los Angeles, California
As of today I have uploaded 731 videos to youtube that have collected me over 900,000,000 views (thank you all for that) But they weren’t always glamorous videos. This is the first video I ever uploaded of myself singing my favorite Boys II Men song “It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.” Many of you may know this, but I am not and never was very confident in my voice. I grew up training to be a dancer since the age of 7, and singing was just something my mom forced me to do at church lol. But, at age 20 I made my Broadway debut in Oprah Winfrey’s “The Color Purple” dancing right my idol Fantasia Barrino (who I voted for a billion times btw). I got to see first hand how American Idol changed her life and it lit something inside of me to want to prove to myself that I could sing. I had worked at Six Flags over Texas and had a little experience singing on stage, but I was always the dancer who could kind of sing, never a singer who also danced. I auditioned for American Idol years before I actually got onto the show (fun fact) and because I was doing 8 shows a week on Broadway at the time, my voice was absolutely fried. I got all the way to the judges and choked and got told no. For me it confirmed that I wasn’t a singer, and I actually started my youtube channel because I was afraid they’d show my audition and I wanted there to be online evidence that I could actually sing. Moral of the story, I went back to idol and made it to the semi finals and then amassed an audience of over 7 million followers across all social platforms. Never give up. When life closes one door in your face, don’t walk away…knock again. Opportunity might just answer the next time.
Enjoying going down memory lane, reposting my videos and giving context about what was going on in my life at the time I made them. Look closely, one of the only videos providing evidence that I no longer have my original teeth. 🦷 😂 Los Angeles, California
My favorite Disney classic is Beauty in the Beast. My first job out of high school was to Dance at the B&B Stage show at MGM Studios and my first national Tour was the national tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, so I knew this music like the back of my hand. But, even as a child I’d always wondered why the folks at Disney animation didn’t think enough of black people to even animate us into the backgrounds of the villages and bars in this film, it always bothered me. I had already had YouTube success with the McDonalds video, but I wanted to try something new. A parody of one of my favorite Disney scenes. I called Katie Stephens who was on my season of American Idol and asked if her if she’d be down to play “Belle” and she said, “I’m on my way” literally I’d have an idea and shoot the video that same day or the next day. I was like “Wouldn’t it be great if this thing just kept going and introducing more crazy characters and cameos. Now, I was cancelled for making this video at the time because a lot of black people felt like me making this was perpetuating negative stereotypes about black people. I received a lot of backlash for this, but I made this video with a lot of my fellow black friends and comedians. The night we recorded this in the studio was one of my most memorable studio sessions ever, we were crying laughing. When I showed the video to the youtube company that had just signed me to make viral videos, they refused to let me post the video saying they thought it was offensive and that Disney would shut down their network. I begged them to let me have the video and post it on my own on a separate channel if the clear alternative was to destroy the footage…after hours of arguing and persuasion they agreed. I posted the video and to this day out of over 730 videos that I’ve done, this video is the only video of mine to hit over 1 million views in just one day. That YouTube company at their words and never questioned my videos again and Disney DID call, to hire me to write music for them. Follow your gut, it might piss some people off, but it will never lie to you.
Follow @todrickhallmusicals Los Angeles, California
I have been obsessed with the “The Wizard of Oz” since I was 8 years old. In high school I decided to mount my own production of Oz, I auditioned my high school friends, adapted the screenplay into a musical, rented my high school auditorium, cast the show and started rehearsals. My drama teachers were so upset that my show was competing with their planned season that they contacted Tams-Witmark (the company that owns the licensing rights for the 1939 film) and got my show shut down. I was devastated, but I found out that if I wrote my own musical based on L. Frank Baum’s original novel then I could still perform the show. I had never written a song before and I didn’t even know where to begin but I went into my backyard and wrote the song “Someday” which you can hear here. My drama teachers tried to take me down and put me in my place, but all they did was light a fire in me that never died, so thar for that I thank them. The first song I wrote was about Dorothy’s experience, but as I listen to the lyrics today…I realize I was singing this song about my very own life as well. I am so thrilled that now community theatres, high schools, children’s theatres and regional theatres all over the world will be able to bring my first creation to life to inspire a whole new generation of musical theatre lovers. Follow @todrickhallmusicals and tag your local theatre directors, choreographers, producers, etc. because there is so much more to come! Los Angeles, California
Ok, just to be clear, I don’t condone stealing pizzas, but if you’re going to do it…jk. So, after being on American Idol I thought my phone would be ringing off the hook, but that was not the case. All the friends who had been writing me every week and claiming to be my bestie when I was on the show suddenly got super busy and disappeared the moment I was eliminated from the show. I didn’t know whether to go back to working at Abercrombie and serving tables at Razzoo’s in Ft. Worth, Tx or to keep chasing my dream. BUT, I got one call from Gateway Playhouse in NY asking me to be “Seaweed” in “Hairspray!” My first lead role in a musical. I took the job and the entire cast actually lived in this house for the summer. It was like summer camp and was so much fun. At this point I only had one viral video but I was ready to try to make another so I asked the cast if they would do a video with me. After I got a yes and scheduled the rehearsal and filming, I wrote the song (I thrive under pressure with a ridiculously impossible deadline). This video was one of the hardest, because you couldn’t predict who you were going to get or how they would react and there was no postmates app to warn us when the delivery man might arrive (this was the olden days) so we were just some musical theatre gays and gals hiding in the bushes full of adrenaline until this unsuspecting man walked up to the door. I loved these videos because we only got one take, it was SUCH a thrill. This is not one my most popular videos, but one of my favorites from that era. I am a creature of habit and that was my real Domino’s order btw, I ate it so much and so often that when I met Taylor Swift years later, she would order this exact meal for me every time I’d go over to see her and when they discontinued the Cinna sticks, she found a way to custom make them for my birthday. It’s so cool to look at the cast of this video now, so many television and broadway stars in the mix and one salty broadway casting director who won’t talk to me or respond to my DM’s for some odd reason. Oh well, we still have the memories and for the record, I did pay for this pizza! 🍕
The second musical we’ll be licensing at @todrickhallmusicals is the second musical I ever wrote. “CinderellaROCK” has some of my favorite music that I’ve ever written and the cast that’s singing the cast album is honestly iconic. I remember teaching the cast the finale song “Don’t Forget to Dream” when we were in rehearsals for this show and seeing the cast get emotional. I’ve listened to this song sometimes when I’ve wanted to give up and it gets me right together. “CinderellaROCK” will be the first Todrick Hall Musical available to stream later this month. What Broadway stars do you hope to hear on these albums? Follow @todrickhallmusicals for more THM updates! Los Angeles, California
Following the first 50 people to follow @todrickhallmusicals and help us get to 10k! Once that account is at 10k I’m announcing the titles and logos of the first three musicals I’ll be licensing! Let’s GO!!! Los Angeles, California
Yesterday @todrickhallmusicals got to 10k and I was able to post clips from the 3 original musicals I’ll be licensing to theatres around the world soon. Which one of the three are you most excited to hear? One of the cast albums releases on the 24th just FYI, but I just realized I may be the first black theatrical licensing company which, if true, is kind of cool. I’m so excited for your local theatre or school to bring these shows to life! Also, what broadway star would you like to hear sing one on the albums. They’re already recorded, but with over 30 Broadway icons, I bet some of your favs have joined the THM movement! Who are you hoping for? Let me know, tag your local theatre teachers, producers, directors and choreographers so that they know there’s a new music theatre writer/composer in town! Follow @todrickhallmusicals for more info, cast and release dates 💕 Los Angeles, California
Yesterday @todrickhallmusicals got to 10k and I was able to post clips from the 3 original musicals I’ll be licensing to theatres around the world soon. Which one of the three are you most excited to hear? One of the cast albums releases on the 24th just FYI, but I just realized I may be the first black theatrical licensing company which, if true, is kind of cool. I’m so excited for your local theatre or school to bring these shows to life! Also, what broadway star would you like to hear sing one on the albums. They’re already recorded, but with over 30 Broadway icons, I bet some of your favs have joined the THM movement! Who are you hoping for? Let me know, tag your local theatre teachers, producers, directors and choreographers so that they know there’s a new music theatre writer/composer in town! Follow @todrickhallmusicals for more info, cast and release dates 💕 Los Angeles, California
Yesterday @todrickhallmusicals got to 10k and I was able to post clips from the 3 original musicals I’ll be licensing to theatres around the world soon. Which one of the three are you most excited to hear? One of the cast albums releases on the 24th just FYI, but I just realized I may be the first black theatrical licensing company which, if true, is kind of cool. I’m so excited for your local theatre or school to bring these shows to life! Also, what broadway star would you like to hear sing one on the albums. They’re already recorded, but with over 30 Broadway icons, I bet some of your favs have joined the THM movement! Who are you hoping for? Let me know, tag your local theatre teachers, producers, directors and choreographers so that they know there’s a new music theatre writer/composer in town! Follow @todrickhallmusicals for more info, cast and release dates 💕 Los Angeles, California
The third musical “Todrick Hall Musicals” will be releasing is my newest project “U.G.L.Y. The Moo-sical!” A fun family musical about bullying and the importance of embracing your weirdness and feeling comfortable in your own…well, feathers. With 10 original songs by yours truly, U.G.L.Y. is sure to remind young audiences that your differences aren’t your weakness, they’re your superpower. Follow @todrickhallmusicals to get updates on the performance license for your theatre, the album release and the Broadway cast that brought these songs to life for you to hear, learn and enjoy! “Cuz I look in the mirror and I’m loving who I see, cuz that’s who I, who I be!” Los Angeles, California
