3/23/2022
Broadway Las Vegas / Performances and Artists
Southern Nevadans will see a familiar face in the national tour of hilarious Broadway musical “Tootsie.”
“Las Vegas will always be home in my eyes,” Hiu says. “Performing in The Smith Center and Las Vegas is quite literally a dream come true.”
With “Tootsie” marking his second time performing in a national Broadway tour, Hiu says he wouldn’t be where he is today without growing up in Las Vegas.
He not only enjoyed an exceptional arts education and performing opportunities here, he says, but he also saw world-class shows that fostered his love for the stage.
“Those experiences were invaluable to me as a young performer, and set a very strong foundation for myself,” he says.
And with “Tootsie” featuring dazzling dance numbers and showstopping tunes, this production showcases all that Hiu can do.
“I think (the show) is really solid all around. Between the writing, music and choreography, it is a joy to watch,” he says. “Being in a show that has the audience roaring with laughter, and getting to hear that every night, definitely lifts the spirits.”
An Artist Shaped by Vegas
Hiu first set his eyes on performing after seeing his sister act with youth theater in his birth city of Kansas City. But only after moving to Las Vegas at age 10 did he truly dive into theater.
Attending Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts (LVA) gave Hiu the artistic foundation that helped him thrive as a double major in musical theater and dance at Montclair State University, eventually launching his career.
“(LVA) is a very special place. The training and resources they have are incredible for a high school,” Hiu says. “Being at a place like that really helped to propel me into college, and get a head start into maturing as an artist.”
He found tremendous inspiration watching shows throughout Las Vegas, he adds, including Cirque du Soleil shows, musical residencies on the Strip, and Broadway musicals like “Wicked” and “Cabaret” at The Smith Center.
He also earned acclaim performing lead roles as a teen with Southern Nevada theater groups, including starring in “Heathers the Musical” at the Onyx Theatre, and originating a role in new production “Bright Side” at Art Square Theatre.
He also performed in shows at Majestic Repertory Theater, Super Summer Theatre and Cockroach Theater, where he even worked alongside actors who had performed on Broadway.
“Those were my first tastes of working professionally,” he says. “Those experiences were huge learning opportunities for me, and certainly helped shape me into the performer I am today.”
Helping Build a National Tour
“Tootsie” serves as Hiu’s first experience with performing a show on national tour straight after its Broadway run – taking him on an exhilarating ride.
“I had the pleasure of working with a lot of the original Broadway team when we were rehearsing the show,” he says. “Our choreographer Denis Jones did the Broadway production, our director Dave Solomon was the associate director on Broadway, and we also had Tony-winning writer Robert Horn (who wrote the show) in the rehearsal room, actively making adjustments to the script.”
This has only given Hiu more appreciation for the witty lines and mesmerizing musical numbers in “Tootsie,” adapted from the Oscar-winning film starring Dustin Hoffman.
Hiu hails the production as “lighthearted and extremely funny.” He assures that both longtime fans of the film and newcomers alike will be entertained and surprised.
“Working with these people was an amazing experience and an immense pleasure,” he says.