#FFB: Curtis Holbrook
Finally the last piece to the three-part series on the amazing Broadway couple, Curtis and Cort! My impression of Curtis was that he is incredibly multi-talented but also so humble. He offered me a few quick tips about photography during our shoot which turned into a full tutorial on my camera (which I really needed! Thank you Curtis!) Between performing, planning his wedding, and running a photography business, he remains balanced and admiringly selfless making him FIT FOR BROADWAY!
FUN FACTS:
I am a HUGE San Antonio Spurs fan. I bleed silver and black.
I really tried to not like her but Taylor Swift is my go-to for tunes.
I’m a Texas boy and that means I can’t resist Tex-Mex or BBQ… Burnt ends ALL DAY.
My closest friends call me Curtie.
My Mom taught me how to dance.
INTERVIEW:
Q: Curtis!! :) This is the final piece of the Cortney-Curtis 3-part feature! What’s your background? How did you end up in this wonderful world of Broadway?
A: I have kind of a crazy story that taught me the importance of preparation meeting opportunity. I grew up dancing at my Mom’s dance studio in San Antonio, Texas. In my high school years I would spend a month in Los Angeles training at the EDGE PAC. I had always wanted to be a backup dancer for Britney Spears and that is where I was hoping that my career would take me hahahahahah. The summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school, I heard about an audition for Footloose on Broadway. A teacher at the EDGE gave me all of the info and I just showed up. Casting director Julie Hughes was at the studio where the audition was and I walked right up to her and asked if I could audition. She asked if I had an appointment… Or a headshot and resume… Or a song to sing… I answered no. I didn’t know ANYTHING about the business at that time. I thought she was gonna send me packing but she said "ok you can dance for the choreographer". I danced and then they asked me to sing a song. I didn’t have sheet music, so I asked the accompanist if he knew “Love Potion #9”. He did! So I sang- quite poorly, I might add. After I was finished, Walter Bobbie said "you are a fantastic dancer but you should start taking voice lessons". I walked out thinking that was the end of the story. Two weeks later I got a phone call from Julie and I remember so clearly her saying to me “Are you sitting down?”. It was 7am LA time and I was still in bed. Trying to sound as awake as I possibly could I said “YES!”, and she replied “Congratulations! You are getting an offer for Footloose”.
Q: How did fitness and health become a part of your career (and your life!)?
A: Fitness was always naturally a part of my life from the countless hours I spent in the dance studio. It wasn’t until later, in my twenties, when all the Tex-Mex and BBQ started catching up to me that I started really thinking about health/wellness/fitness. I was doing All Shook Up on Broadway and I was playing a role that didn’t require much physically from me…. And I put on TWENTY POUNDS. No joke. That was when I started exploring eating better and exercising.
Q: Cortney is a Body Conceptions gal (like me!) What’s your weekly workout schedule?
A: Usually whatever show I am in determines what type of workout I do. During a show like West Side Story it was A LOT of yoga so that I could stay strong while still lengthening. During that run I did yoga with my buddy Isaac Calpito (who is know known as the Fat Assassin) 3-5 times a week. I swear my dancing completely changed and the yoga that we were doing made me stronger than ever. When I’m in a show that requires less physically, I am able to hit the gym and do a lot of lifting. I recently found a training program called evolution359 which is KILLER if you are looking to build muscle. That is my current workout. It’s six days a week and you rotate muscle groups each day. Chest and bi’s, Back and tri’s then legs day. Then you start that all over again.
Q: You were so positive about your experience with The Whole30! What are your top 3 favorite Whole30 meals?
A: Top 3...
BREAKFAST! Cort and I eat a HUGE breakfast. Always scrambled eggs with salsa mixed in, some kind of potato and sugar free bacon! (Whole 30 showed us that sugar is LITERALLY in everything!!! YIKES!)
Lamb meatballs with homemade mayo! YUM! Yes you can have homemade mayo and it is so delicious and super easy to make.
Pork shoulder….. Its crazy good. Put that pork in a crock pot, let it cook and them shred it up.
Q: Top 3 fitness/ health tips for performers…
A: It’s amazing to me that the simplest things really are the most effective...
Plenty of rest.
Chug water.
Eat colorful things.
Q: Your headshot photography is gorgeous! It’s always fun to see actors expressing creativity in other ways! How did it all come about?
A: Thanks! I’m also quite fond of the photography that you do for your blog as well! Around 2005, I had been in a number of shows that closed very quickly and I was looking for another creative outlet. I never imagined I would become a professional photographer. I was just looking for a hobby. My final assignment in photography school was a series of self portraits. After that I became interested in taking more portraits. I would shoot friends for fun. Tyler Hanes and I would have what we called photography parties. We would just drink some wine and create some fun images. All of this just snowballed over a couple of years and then knowing personally how awkward it can be to have your headshots taken and how expensive it can be ($1300 dollars for headshot!? Come on!) I decided to become a headshot photographer and made it my goal to make the experience as painless as possible and also affordable. But sorry guys, wine is not included in our packages ;)
Q: You and Cortney are a perfect team for your headshot business because you both have so much insight and advice to offer young performers in the city... Headshots + Broadway advice!! It’s an aspiring performer’s dream! What are the most common questions you and Cortney receive from aspiring performers? —and the answers, of course ;)
A: Oh man! So many! “How do I make it?” “How do I get an agent?” “How do I format my resume?” We truly want to help the people that come through our door in anyway possible. In fact, we still email with clients we shot months ago to help them out. Cortney just cleaned up a clients resume the other day. The truth is, there is no set way to make it. You just have to be prepared at all times for whatever opportunity comes your way. Go to every open call. Go to workshops with casting directors. Don’t wait for someone to hand you something. Go out there and make a splash.
Q: Quote to live by…
A: "Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard."
Q: What obstacles have you encountered throughout your career? How did you overcome those obstacles?
A: My biggest obstacle was breaking out of the ensemble. When Walter Bobbie said to me I needed to work on my voice I started right away. When I moved to New York to do Footloose I immediately used every resource here to better myself. I found a voice teacher and an acting coach and just worked my butt off to become a triple threat. After a number of years of only being seen/cast in the ensemble I finally had to start saying no to those auditions. It was really hard because I wanted to continue working. But at a certain point you have to take control of your destiny and focus in on what it is you want to be doing.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring performers who want a career on Broadway?
A: Say yes to everything. You never know who you might meet and what connection you might make. Find your voice/niche/place and then drive that home. You have to be realistic about what your type is and how that translates into the roles you can play. NEVER go into an audition trying to please the creatives. They want you to be good so you already have them on your side. Make choices that excite you. You will have much more fun that way and I guarantee you it will be much more interesting for your audience.
