{"id":97628,"date":"2018-11-30T18:07:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T23:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=97628"},"modified":"2023-02-01T13:51:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T18:51:23","slug":"snowman-showman","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2018\/snowman-showman\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowman Showman"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1913\" height=\"2560\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-scaled.jpg 1913w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-475x636.jpg 475w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-765x1024.jpg 765w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-768x1028.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-1148x1536.jpg 1148w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-1531x2048.jpg 1531w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-747x1000.jpg 747w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1913px) 100vw, 1913px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photo courtesy of Disney Theatrical Productions<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Theatre<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSnowman Showman\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Meet Greg Hildreth, the man behind Olaf from\u00a0<em>Frozen, the Broadway Musical<\/em><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">November 30, 2018<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background has-cyan-color has-secondary-background-color\"><em>This was originally included in the Winter 2018-2019 Class Notes. Story by Megan Woolhouse<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you asked me in high school or college to describe my perfect job, this is actually it,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm3344292\/\">Greg Hildreth<\/a>&nbsp;says of the role he is playing on Broadway these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boston native Hildreth (\u201905) is the preternaturally cheery snowman who loves warm hugs in Disney\u2019s $30 million production of&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/frozenthemusical.com\/\">Frozen, the Broadway Musical<\/a><\/em>. \u201cI get to sing, I get to be funny, I get to puppeteer,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a little out of the box, which I like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That might be an understatement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever Hildreth makes his bumbling stage entrance with the cumbersome&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/frozen.disney.com\/olaf\">Olaf<\/a>&nbsp;puppet tethered to his body, children in the audience go wild. And all ages enjoy Olaf\u2019s signature anthem about yearning for a beach vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote is-style-modern has-image has-image-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1913\" height=\"2560\" class=\"bu-blocks-background has-background-opacity has-background-opacity-50 wp-image-97633\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-scaled.jpg 1913w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-475x636.jpg 475w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-765x1024.jpg 765w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-768x1028.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-1148x1536.jpg 1148w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-1531x2048.jpg 1531w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-747x1000.jpg 747w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1913px) 100vw, 1913px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\"><em>Bees\u2019ll buzz, kids\u2019ll blow dandelion fuzz, and I\u2019ll be doing whatever snow does in summer. A drink in my hand, my snow up against the burning sand, prob\u2019ly getting gorgeously tanned in summer.<\/em><\/div><footer class=\"caption\"><\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Hildreth may be a veteran of the stage in the prime of his career, but operating the Olaf puppet, a four-foot-tall contraption that weighs 12 pounds, is harder than it looks, even with help from a backstage crew. Identical to the animated character in the blockbuster Disney movie, the Olaf rig takes the help of two people to put on. Hildreth\u2019s right hand operates levers in the snowman\u2019s foam head that make him talk, blink, or wiggle his eyebrows, while his left hand controls the twiggy arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He says that early on it felt like learning to spin plates, but now, with nearly 300 performances under his belt, it comes more naturally. (He does still work with a physical therapist twice a week.) \u201cIt\u2019s a physical strain, but it\u2019s also this extreme mental challenge as well,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a full-body experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also not his first time performing on Broadway. Before Olaf, he played the rebel Jean-Michel in the 2013 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Cinderella<\/em>. Among his other Broadway credits: roles as Alf, the lady-loving seafarer in&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.playbill.com\/production\/peter-and-the-starcatcher-brooks-atkinson-theatre-vault-0000013872\"><em>Peter and the Starcatcher<\/em><\/a>, and a university president in the 2010 hit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.playbill.com\/production\/bloody-bloody-andrew-jackson-bernard-b-jacobs-theatre-vault-0000013661\"><em>Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between Broadway appearances, Hildreth has won roles on television and film, including Gary, an angry IT guy in the long-running CBS hit series&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs.com\/shows\/the_good_wife\/\">The Good Wife<\/a><\/em>, and Altheon employee Evan Urqhardt in the smash FX series&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theamericans.fandom.com\/wiki\/Evan_Urqhardt\"><em>The Americans<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"336\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/hildreth-stage-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-97631\"\/><figcaption>Hildreth describes his Broadway character Olaf in&nbsp;<em>Frozen, the Broadway Musical<\/em>&nbsp;as \u201cthis joyful object of love.\u201d&nbsp;<em>Photo by Walter McBride\/Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Jim Petosa, director of the School of Theatre and a professor of directing and dramatic criticism, says Hildreth\u2019s success comes as little surprise. \u201cGreg is an authentic character actor,\u201d Petosa says. \u201cHis humanity is palpable, appealing, and accessible. Like all exceptional actors, he combines generous use of his own persona with a set of refined skills and savvy instincts that make for a genuine theatricality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hildreth was a natural choice for Olaf. The musical\u2019s initial director, Alex Timbers, as well as successor Michael Grandage, cast him after a reading and without an official audition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former BU acting professor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theatre.umbc.edu\/about-us\/faculty\/eve-muson\/\">Eve Muson<\/a>, now an associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, says Hildreth is really good at \u201cthe happy-go-lucky guy, the best friend guy,\u201d but she\u2019s sure that he can have a wide-ranging career, because he\u2019s funny, smart, and always creating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a man who is going to do musicals, but he also plays Shakespearean roles and television roles,\u201d Muson says. \u201cHe\u2019s going to play everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hildreth says he admires and emulates actors like Nathan Lane and John C. Reilly, who are known for their versatility as supporting actors, but are also able to land leading roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which brings us back to Olaf, a beloved character instantly recognized by children around the globe. Hildreth, whose hobby is creating small plant terrariums, says he\u2019s still getting used to a part that means he has to \u201cstep out from the sides\u201d and take center stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet front and center he is at the St. James Theatre since the opening of&nbsp;<em>Frozen, the Broadway Musical<\/em>&nbsp;in March 2018. He credits his training at BU and later at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lamda.ac.uk\/\">London Academy of Music &amp; Dramatic Art<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">\u201cI get to bring that wealth of knowledge and experience to something like&nbsp;<em>Frozen<\/em>,\u201d he says. \u201cOlaf is this joyful object of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-collection-billboard magazine-block-editorial-collection-billboard\">\n\n\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-intro-title\">This Series<\/h3>\n\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-article\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"collection-billboard-media\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"collection-navigation-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-Thumbnail.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-Thumbnail.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Snowman-Showman-Greg-Hildreth-Thumbnail-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-media-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2018\/snowman-showman\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-media-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>Snowman Showman<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"collection-billboard-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-small-title\">Also in<\/h4>\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/collections\/class-notes\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>Class Notes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"collection-billboard-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">August 8, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2023\/class-notes-winter-2024\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Class Notes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">May 24, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2023\/class-notes-summer-2023\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Class Notes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">October 11, 2022<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2022\/class-notes-winter-23\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Class Notes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/collections\/class-notes\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>Series home<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/article>\n\n\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This was originally included in the Winter 2018-2019 Class Notes. Story by Megan Woolhouse \u201cIf you asked me in high school or college to describe my perfect job, this is actually it,\u201d&nbsp;Greg Hildreth&nbsp;says of the role he is playing on Broadway these days. And why not? Boston native Hildreth (\u201905) is the preternaturally cheery snowman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6310,"featured_media":97634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,378],"magazine-topic":[393],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[388],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97628"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97628"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97661,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97628\/revisions\/97661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=97628"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=97628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}