Broadway star Tyler Hanes has checked into the Heartbreak Hotel for an extended stay until the end of May.
Hanes is one of three actors portraying “The King” in various stages of his life at the Marriott Theatre for a musical biography packed with over 40 hit songs.
Haynes is an out and proud performer who has appeared in 10 Broadway musicals, including A Chorus Line, Hairspray and The Boy From Oz. He was born in Florida and raised in Georgia before eventually making his New York Broadway debut in 2002 for the revival of Oklahoma!
On television, Tyler portrayed Jerry Orbach on FX’s miniseries Fosse/Verdon, starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. He has worked as a choreographer on Dancing With the Stars and El Chico de Oz in Peru, among other projects.
Tyler talked to Windy City Times about stepping into an icon’s “Blue Suede Shoes.”
Windy City Times: Congrats on opening night at the Marriott. Is playing Elvis a workout?
Tyler Hanes: Yes, it is quite a heavy lift, but so much. I have had a blast so far on this ride.
WCT: Have you impersonated Elvis in the past?
TH: No, this is my first time stepping into Elvis’ shoes. I am new to Elvis’ world, even though I have always been a fan. There are elements of his movements that have always been a part of my dance background.
A while back, I did a production of All Shook Up at the Marriott Theatre. It was a musical based on Twelfth Night with Elvis music. I played Chad opposite Jessie Mueller’s Natalie. That was my first time getting to know Elvis’ catalogue, but I wasn’t trying to be him.
I played Rum Tum Tugger in Cats and incarnations of the role have been based on Elvis or Mick Jagger, but for me, the influence was very different.
WCT: How did you approach becoming Elvis?
TH: When the creative team came to me about playing Elvis, I started doing my research. I got to know his world and Elvis as a human, not as “The King of Rock ’n’ Roll.”
I am playing Presley, but he is also a character in a show. I worked internally on personifying and it has been fun exploring his background.
WCT: Externally, was the homework overwhelming?
TH: I have worked on him for about seven months and I have digested as much material as I possibly could. I have watched movies and interview clips. I have read five different books.
My acting coach and I started diving into the text of the play. Our incredible director and choreographer, Deidre Goodwin, wanted a real human and not an impersonation, so we tried to capture his essence.
Now that I am in the run of the show, I am trusting the work and there will be more textures that I will add along the way. I feel like I will be adding more in until we close because there is so much to pull from, such as mannerisms and facial ticks.
I have freedom now, where I am running with my instincts after all of the homework.
WCT: Do you enjoy performing theater in the round?
TH: I love it. I have had a relationship with the Marriott Theatre for 21 years. I did a production of Footloose here in 2005 and that was one of my first experiences being in the round. There is an intimacy that I find exciting and performing in the round is an experience unlike anything else.
WCT: How has your experience been working with your dramatic scene partner, Rob Lindley, who plays Colonel Tom Parker?
TH: First of all, Rob is such a warm and wonderful human. He and I hit it off on day one and we have many mutual friends in common.
There are certain relationships in the show that I was curious about exploring, such as the Colonel and Gladys Presley. The Colonel is a very controversial figure and there are many points of view on him.
I feel like I am in the World Series of acting with Rob in a game of tennis. We are so present in the moment and it is never the same twice.
Doing the scenes with him and Amanda Walker, who plays Priscilla Presley, are both exciting and exhausting. They are great people on and off the stage.
WCT: The Ann-Margret scenes are full of camp in Heartbreak Hotel.
TH: Oh, yes. Their chemistry in Viva Las Vegas just pops off the screen. Her energy is wild and dialed up on another level. It’s why she had such an impact on Elvis.
WCT: What is one thing you learned about Elvis that surprised you while researching this show?
TH: I learned about his humanity and how he was a loyal person. I didn’t know about his relationship with his mother and how closely they were meshed together.
From what I gathered, his mother had a huge impact on his life and her death left a hole in him that he never recovered from. There is something tragic about that and also beautiful.
Elvis’ legacy and impact to this day still speak volumes. Learning about him as a person told a different story and he was extremely loyal to those around him.
WCT: Have you visited Gracelend?
TH: I have been twice. I went back in 2000 when I was on tour and I went again in 2008.
WCT: How has being such a chameleon helped you in your career?
TH: As an actor, it’s what I hope to accomplish. I have an active imagination and I like to challenge myself with new things.
I don’t want to be put in a box and I try not to do that to myself. It’s where growth comes from, putting myself into someone else’s shoes that is different, is exciting to me. At this phase in my life, it is what I am seeking.
I had not played a real-life person on the level of Elvis an
d at first, that was terrifying because of his massive presence. I got over it and dove in.
I hope there are more opportunities like this one in the future so I can explore and grow.
WCT: What is your favorite musical of all time?
TH: West Side Story checks every box for me artistically and on the comedic side there is Hairspray. I remember watching the original Hairspray cast right when I moved to New York. I was fortunate enough to do the show on Broadway a couple of years after that. It was just as joyful to watch it as an audience member as it was to be in it.
WCT: Talk about your experience on the television series Fosse/Vernon.
TH: When I was in high school, I went to a summer training program run by Ann Reinking called the Broadway Theatre Project. That was when I was first exposed to Mr. Fosse’s work. Ann changed the trajectory of my life. She gave me my first adult professional opportunity with the first national tour of Fosse. I was on the tour for a year and I became immersed in his repertoire.
When Fosse/Verdon was first on the horizon, Andy Blankenbuehler, who is my mentor, was a choreographer on the show. I told him I would do anything to be a part of it.
The audition process was fun and people were cheering each other on by the end.
I played Jerry Orbach, who was the original Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago and we rehearsed for a few weeks with choreographer Susan Misner.
It was a dream to work with everyone, but for me to act opposite Michelle Williams was awesome. I will cherish the experience forever.
WCT: I met Michelle once and her voice reminded me of Marilyn Monroe because of the movie she did, My Week with Marilyn.
TH: During one scene for Fosse/Verdon, we were cheek-to-cheek and they were setting up our lighting. When looking in the mirror, she said in Gwen Verdon’s voice, “Look at us.” That was a special moment and she is one of the best actors of this generation.
WCT: I interviewed your partner, Van Hansis, for the LGBTQ+ film festival Reeling. Was he there on opening night?
TH: Van is currently on General Hospital out in LA filming. He couldn’t come to opening night, but will visit later in the run. He could have come for a preview, but I wanted to settle in before he saw it.
He has watched a lot of Elvis content with me and he’s a massive Ann-Margret fan. Bye Bye Birdie is what changed it for him and we have a piece of art that is a still frame from the movie.
I was with Van at the festival for his movie Kiss Me, Kill Me, so I was right there when you interviewed him.
WCT: Congratulations on your 20th anniversary next year.
TH: Thank you. You did your research. It will be 19 years in May and 20 in 2027.
WCT: Do you have any upcoming gigs?
TH: Once this finishes, I have a week off, then I go to Lima, Peru, to direct and choreograph a show. Marco Zunino is a Broadway actor and he is acclaimed in South America. We are building a show for him that will open in Lima.
It’s a one-man show, but along the lines of Just in Time, where it’s his story, but has a big cast. Now that Heartbreak Hotel has opened, we are going to be working virtually on his upcoming show until I get to Peru.
Book your stay at the Heartbreak Hotel from now until May 31 at MarriottTheatre.com.