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topics in your work and seem to have a strong understanding of the power your medium has and that of the arts in general. Do you go into the writing and creation of your shows with that kind of thought process from the beginning? I honestly don’t. I just go in thinking, “This is


how I’m feeling right now and I really just want to get those feelings out.” I want to explain to people what I’m going through and hopefully, someone else who might be going through the same thing can relate. I never sit down and think, “I really want to hit all these topics...They just happen to be topics affecting my life personally at the time. Sometimes I think that it might be so personal


and so customized to my life, that other people won’t identify with it. But then I hear otherwise from people who aren’t just black men or gay men, or gay women, the people who would typically identify with a story like this. People who are moms have told me they felt something, because they’ve had issues with their children, or people have had issues with their parents not understanding them and not believing in them. It’s been really, really eye-opening to see how they identify with the work and songs so much. I feel the industry has changed so much in the


last four or five years, putting out something that long ago would have been a completely different situation. Now, I think people are super ready for truth in music. They don’t just want to hear songs about big booties or twerking. (Laughs) It makes me feel confident that I can take the risk and do the things that I have sometimes doubted I could do. I recently spoke to the singer Wrabel, he also talks a great deal about his emotions and experiences as a gay man in his music and online, as you have inStraight Outta Oz. How much do you think ac- cess to social media and so many online resources are responsible for that? I think YouTube and other online sources have


had a huge impact on it. Growing up, I only had things likeThe Ricky Lake Show, Maury or The Jerry Springer Show or something ridiculous like it, my grandparents would be watching and that was the only example of what a gay man was for me. Then too, people would explain to me what it was and there was always a disgusted undertone about it. So, I was like, “I never want to be like that.” Kids growing up today come to my concerts and—I get choked up even just talking about this— to watch them clap for me as I tell my story about falling in love with another man at 16-years-old,


36 RAGE monthly | AUGUST 2017


I never thought I could sell a record and be number two on the pop charts. And, that if I work hard enough and I sing about things that I’m passionate about and put in the time and effort, then I can write my own future. I can create my own destiny and find my own path.”


live on stage is powerful. To have them be exited the way I was so excited for Rachel McAdams inThe Notebook, was so eye-opening. For people to bring their children to see the show because they accept it and think it’s beautiful...is the most amazing thing that could ever happen. I think that now, parents who might have an old-school mentality and tell them “This is what gay is,” these kids can go on YouTube and see that this isn’t. That’s not what Tyler Oakley is like, or what Joey Graceffa is like or who Todrick Hall is and they are able to form their own opinions. There are commercials too, and because of the anti-bullying movement, people are more afraid to bully openly. It still can be an issue, but I think kids are much more accepting about it. Some even think it’s cool to be gay and want to have a gay best friend. (Laughs) I think that is really awesome in a humongous way and a step in the right direction. People aren’t afraid anymore. I think it is really cool and has opened up so many opportunities for people like me. Tell us a little more aboutStraight Outta Ozand the documentaryBehind The Curtain, what they mean to you and what else you have coming up. Straight Outta Oz has been like such a healing


thing for me. Often times, I think we as artists and performers can focus on the negative aspects of life and how it’s not fair. That’s what I was doing before I wrote Straight Outta Oz. It allowed me to express everything I needed to express, but without seeming like I was a bitter black man or a bitter gay man who felt the world was mistreating him and I was able to turn it into art. People were able to appreciate the


show and it reached so many more than I could have sitting alone in my room complaining to my friends. It also helped me to prove many things to myself:


I never thought I could sell a record and be number two on the pop charts. That if I work hard enough and sing about things I’m passionate about and put in the time and effort, then I can write my own future. I can create my own destiny and find my own path. I so love the fact that Awesomeness TV was there to document all of it, too, because I didn’t understand when it was coming out what was going to happen. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into and now I have Broadway producers knocking at my door to take the show and translate it into a Broadway musical. I am so grateful for the opportunity and that


people will get to see the documentary as well (Behind the Curtain). To not only see the creation, but to see the hard work it takes to make it all happen. People see you online with millions of views and always say, “I really want to do this. How can I do it?” This really shows the amount of dedication, the lack of sleep and amount of time and effort it takes to make it happen. I’m really grateful and really proud of it and I hope that everyone in some shape or form are able to relate.


Straight Outta Oz is on hiatus right now, though you can see samplings of it on YouTube. However, not unlike the fairytale land it’s based upon, look for Todrick’s live version of Oz to magically reappear soon. The documentary based on it,Behind the Curtain, is available now. For more information on all things Mr. Hall, go totodrickhall.com.


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