Christian Thrailkill

As I said in my review of NTPA’s Evita, seeing an exciting new performer is one of the great thrills of going to the theater. Hearing Christian Thrailkill’s soaring tenor and watching his ease and confidence on the stage as he brought Che Guevara to life was one of those rare thrilling experiences. Christian has been away from musical theater for a while, but his recent experience in Evita has renewed his interest and he will be auditioning much more. That’s great news for all of us. Get in line right behind me for the next Christian Thrailkill musical. And while you’re waiting for that opportunity, take a moment or two to read about this unbelievably talented young man’s influences and goals. STAR!

When was your first time on stage?

 I think it was middle school, in some children’s play my brother was teching. 

 My first musical was in high school when I was 14. I went to an all-boys school, and a group of guys was convinced that the best way to meet girls was to crash the neighboring school’s musical auditions. We all signed up, but every guy bailed on me when it came time to audition. So, I accidentally fell into it, but it was the best accident that’s happened in my life!

  When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

 The first time I got to be in a musical. I liked stage acting fine, but combining acting with song just unlocked something intrinsic in me that told me this was the most fun I could ever have performing.

 That eventually led to me experimenting with all types of combinations of song and stage, whether it was opera or rapping or dance crews or making a band. If I can create a character through song and acting, I’m in the zone.

  Who is your greatest mentor?

 I’ve been lucky to have many incredible teachers and mentors, but none were more impactful than my high school choir teacher, Miguel Ochoa. 

 More than anything, he taught me a genuine love of music and theater that remains at the core of anything I participate in. The mantra he taught me was this: We pursue the performing arts as a vocation for many reasons, but the most primal one is that it’s FUN. And keeping that joy of performance as both craft and play is what keeps me coming back to the stage!

 What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

 I’d have to say this current turn as Che Guevara in Evita. 

 It was a challenge, because the real-life Che comes from the same group of Argentine-Irish clans that my Grandmother came from, and he was personally responsible for causing my Mom and her parents to flee Cuba after the Cuban Revolution. Finding a way to honor my own family history with Che and honor the actual life and ethos of a living person and present their worldview with honesty was a fulfilling challenge to take on!

  Do you have a dream role?

 Bobby from Company. Sondheim is my favorite composer of all time, and Bobby is my favorite of his characters. 

 Besides that, I’d love the opportunity to take on Valjean from Les Mis or Jekyll in Jekyll and Hyde. And lastly, either Jesus or Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. I’d love the chance to bring some actual rock vocals to a rock musical. You should sound like Led Zeppelin instead of Ben Platt!

 What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

 My favorite stage actor, Raúl Esparza, first and foremost. 

 I have an incredibly one-sided rivalry with him. We’re both Cuban-American Actor-Singers, we’re both from Miami, he went to my grandfather’s high school, Belen Jesuit, which also happens to be the rival high school to my own high school in Miami, Christopher Columbus High School. He even played Che in the national tour of Evita at the same age I played Che, 28! 

 I have a very selfish goal to try and outdo him in any role he’s played so I can rep for my school and the Cuban American community in general.

 Besides that, selfishly as a singer, I’d love the chance to sing with Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, or Brian Stokes Mitchell!

 What performances have you seen that impressed you?

 The three performances I remember as being formative in my understanding of what musicals can be are Bernadette Peters as The Witch in Into the Woods, Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd in the film version, and Jesse Martin as Collins in Rent. After that, I understood how rich and fleshed out a character could be when an actor can use music as part of characterization!

 A more recent performance I’m a huge fan of is Ethan Slater as SpongeBob. Translating a literal cartoon into a compelling stage character is incredibly challenging, and I think he should have gotten the Tony that year!

 What are your career goals?

 To continue to tell stories that matter, and hopefully be paid a living wage doing it! I’ll be auditioning around town more frequently after my experience at NTPA.

 Besides that, I’ve been steadily working as the front man of Dallas’s best rock band, Low-Key Colors! And I’ll be part of that project until I die. Nothing like making your own music! 

  What would people be surprised to learn about you?

 I’m a huge comic book fan. I’ve read tens of thousands of issues! X-Men is my ride or die series.