High School Drama: Tullahoma High School's WILLIAM KUEBITZ

It's a busy time of year for student actors, as the academic year winds down and commencements pop up everywhere and, seemingly, every day. And for student actors in Middle Tennessee whose schools participated in the 2016-2017 Nashville High School Musical Theatre Awards competition, one of the highlights of spring was the presentation of The Spotlight Awards at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall on Saturday, May 13.

Among those students feted for their outstanding performances was Tullahoma High School's William Kuebitz, a top three finalist for his performance as Bert in Mary Poppins. Performing "Step in Time" from the show, William gained a thunderous ovation from his fellow actors and other supporters in the audience that night, which was the culmination of his high school career.

"I've witnessed William's growth over the years, and it's been exponential," says AaRon Miller, director of the theater program at Tullahoma High School. "I do hope he continues to keep his acting and singing gears well-oiled."

A 2017 graduate of THS, William will head to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to major in engineering. His first high school show as in The Hobbit, playing the Goblin King, a role he followed up with an appearance in the ensemble of The Wizard of Oz. After that, he took on the role of Smee in Peter Pan, a character he played again in the school's production of Peter and the Starcatcher. Further, he was the assistant director of Steel Magnolias during fall of 2016.

The theater bug, if would appear, has bitten young William Kuebitz, who somehow found the time to respond to our queries and is this week's focus of High School Drama. Read on and get to know him better...

What is your theatrical goal in life? Well, I plan on getting my degree first, but I would love to audition for Broadway. Theater has really opened my eyes to a truly amazing world, and with the support of my friends and family, I believe I have a shot at it.

If you could play any role in any show- what would you choose? I would definitely want to be Prof. Harold Hill in Music Man. I love the music and the story, and Music Man was the first musical I ever did, so it has a special place in my heart.

What has been your best theatrical experience to date? While I thoroughly enjoyed playing Bert in Mary Poppins, I think my best theatrical experience was when I was moved to the role of Benjamin in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I was originally in the children's choir, but one of the brothers had to drop out, so some roles got switched and I ended up being one of the 12 brothers. I really had to step into a role I didn't expect, but I faced this challenge and it ended up being an amazing experience.

Who are your favorite actors? I would have to say Hugh Jackman, as well as Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Les Mis is one of my favorite musicals and The Producers is one of the funniest musicals I've ever seen.

What show that you've never seen would you most like to see live, onstage? Honestly, I have never seen Hamilton (a travesty, I know) so if I could, I would want to see it with the original cast. If not, then regular old Hamilton would do.

To post a comment, you must register and login.