Behind the Curtain
Connor Hagan
My Story
1. What initially hooked you about this role, and how has your understanding of the character deepened (or shifted) since rehearsals began?
Dedicated to Gavin Creel. In 2016, She Loves Me was brought back to the broadway stage 53 years after its initial release. In this production, my character was portrayed by an actor named Gavin Creel. Gavin was known in the theatre world as a kindhearted, loving professional who had the ability to bring a sense of hilarious, charismatic authenticity to his characters like no other. I even had the privilege of seeing him perform not once… not twice… but three times on broadway in 2022. Devastatingly, in September of 2024, Gavin Creel passed away after a cancer diagnosis only two months prior. This shook the theatre world to the point of a petition being signed by hundreds of thousands of people to have the lights on broadway dimmed in his honor, which is a long running tradition for theatre legends. Throughout this rehearsal process, I have carried Gavin with me on stage. I hope to spread his loving nature with the world, and I hope to fill his glorious shoes with my original interruption of this wonderfully problematic character that is… Kodaly.
2. Can you walk us through the journey that led you to the Wolfahrt Haus stage-any turning points or mentors who nudged you in our direction?
I failed my audition to get here… Each year, a theatre conference is held in Tennessee which the Wohlfahrt Haus, along with many other regional theatres across the country, attend in able to find the right actors for their wonderful shows. In February of 2025, I was one of these actors. George Bailey, Ali Bales & Piper Bailey were all representatives on behalf of the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre. I approached the three of them while they sat at their station. I actually commented on She Loves Me, praising how much I loved the show. I said I’d love to sing something for them, and they generously fit me into their schedule… and I flopped. I forgot all my lyrics while singing Jingle Bell Rock in February. I hope you laughed reading that. Anyway, months down the road, Piper Bailey reached out to me saying they were looking for a Harold Hill for ‘The Music Man’ and the rest of history.
Thanks Piper!
3. Performing several shows a week can be a marathon-what personal routines or backstage rituals keep each performance feeling fresh for you?
While the audience members are waiting for the show to start, I enjoy peaking through the curtain to scout out the crowd… I may do this professionally, but stage fright is real!! When i sneak looks, I look for things like how many people there are or if are people are enjoying themselves. It helps my performance to get a better idea of how much energy is in the room.
4. Is there a recent audience reaction or behind-the-scenes moment that really stuck with you? What made it memorable?
I broke character very obviously when I played Harold in ‘The Music Man’ here at the Wohlfahrt Haus, I had a big romantic scene with my co-star Emmaline Conlin (who portrayed Marian). In this scene, there was a big romantic song, with a big kiss on top of a footbridge. About 3/4 through this scene, we are scripted to be interrupted by one of the most hilarious actors I’ve ever worked with named Corey Kieslich (who portrayed Marcellus). After nearly 6 weeks of performances, Corey Kieslich runs out onto stage and improvises one of the funniest random weird animal noises I’ve ever heard. Everyone in the room shared the hardest laugh I’ve had in a long time, but when it came time to say my line… I was still laughing! After some time and second-hand embarrassment from my love interest waiting for me to continue the scene, I finally was able to gain some control, and we finished the show with a standing ovation.
5. Outside of acting, what creative passions fuel you, and how do they spill over into the work we see onstage?
I like to draw cartoon characters. This is one of the newer passions of mine, but it’s one I hope to carry with me for a very long time. While I worked backstage in the ‘Fabulous 50’s & 60’s’, I would draw and animate cartoon characters. For a character like Kodaly, I feel as though it has made me more creative and aware with how animated I can be on stage. I’ve even drawn versions of Kodaly to get a better idea of the kind of character he is.
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