Trevor Lloyd is full of surprises.
The 18-year-old quietly watched as his friends stepped onto stages to perform.
Sometimes he watched from the audience. Other times, from the theater’s wings.
But, friends will be friends.
(Photos courtesy of Frank Stinehour, producer of Into the Woods)
They gave him a shove onto the stage — or at least inspired him to make his move.
“It was something I was always fascinated by, but lacked the courage to do it,” said Lloyd, a graduate of Sunlake High School, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.
And now, he said, “It’s my calling.”
Lloyd soon will step into the role of Jack in the New Tampa Players’ production of “Into The Woods.”
The Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical played across the country in movie theaters last year, with a cast including Meryl Streep, Emily Blount and James Corden.
In two acts, the musical intertwines fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Jack and the Beanstalk.
The central plot revolves around a witch’s curse and a quest by the town baker and his wife to bear a child.
Alas, wishes that come true aren’t always the blessings they seem to be.
“It will be a surprising journey,” said G. Frank Meekins, the theater group’s artistic director and the musical director for “Into the Woods.”
“I think there is a newfound interest because of the movie for people who may not have known about it,” Meekens said.
Jarrett Koski, who performs as the baker, is also the show’s choreographer.
In his role as Jack, Lloyd is a poor farm boy whose mother sends him to town to sell their cow, Milky White.
Lloyd finds it easy to relate to Jack.
“I like his spontaneous spunk and his attitude especially as far as being able to put my personality into the character,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd currently is a freshman at Pasco-Hernando State College, where he hopes to earn a theater arts degree.
He has performed in musicals at Sunlake High School, and at Dreamhouse Theatre in Lutz.
Among his early roles was Gaston, the villainous suitor of Belle, in “Beauty and the Beast.”
“That’s when we discovered my baritone voice,” Lloyd said.
While rehearsing for “Into the Woods,” he also was performing on weekends as the dentist in Dreamhouse’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Lloyd also sang the National Anthem in opening ceremonies for a Tampa Bay Rays’ baseball game at Tropicana Field.
Lloyd isn’t sure what his future holds, but he plans to stick with the theater — perhaps as a performer, stage manager, set designer or teacher.
“I’ll do anything related to my passion,” he said.
What: Into the Woods
When: Nov. 4, 8 p.m.; Nov. 5; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Nov. 6; 2 p.m.; Nov. 11, 8 p.m.; Nov. 12, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Nov. 13, 2 p.m.
Where: University Area Cultural Development Center, 14013 N. 22nd St., Tampa
Cost: $20 adults; $17 students/seniors; $15 presale; $15 groups of 10 or more
For information, call (813) 644-8285, or visit NewTampaPlayers.org.
Published November 2, 2016
