ERIN TUTTLE, a 1994 graduate of Woodford County High School, says she’s “ridiculously proud” of her son Addison, who is portraying Quasimodo in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at Woodford Theatre. (Photo submitted)
Auditioning for roles in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” was an opportunity for Woodford County native Erin Tuttle and her son, Addison, to be a part of a musical that they’ve enjoyed watching.
So they embraced an opportunity to tell this beautiful story to Woodford Theatre audiences, but Erin is more excited for her 22-year-old son because playing Quasimodo is a role “he has worked on singing for years, for years,” she says. “And so this was really special. I don’t think a week goes by where someone in the cast” doesn’t remind her how “ridiculously proud” she is of Addison.
Erin, who plays Madam Matildas, an ensemble role, says, “We dance past each other a few times,” but watching her son portray Quasimodo from backstage lets her see his growth as a performer onstage.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” says Addison, who graduated from the University of Kentucky with a theater degree last fall.
Seeing a live performance of “The Lion King” exposed him to people on stage, who he says got to act, sing and dance all at once. The experience made him realize “that’s what I want to do.”
His introduction to Woodford Theatre happened before he was born. In 2002, Erin remembers telling others in a cast that she was pregnant. Later, he came along for rehearsals – “running around that backstage” – as a baby, she remembers.
“So before he even knew it,” she adds, laughing, “he was kind of already a part of it.”
Addison joined his mom onstage for “It’s a Wonderful Life” in Lexington as a young boy, but audiences at Woodford Theatre will remember him in “Grease” when he portrayed Roger.
Erin says she and her husband always told their sons, “We want you to do what makes you happy in life.”
Their 18-year-old son, Xander, remains involved in musical theater and acting, but she says, “He’s leaning more toward the music side,” producing music and writing songs.
Erin, who graduated from Woodford County High School in 1994 and also serves as director of educational programming at Woodford Theatre, says, “We are hoping to move back to Woodford County soon because this is where my heart is and this is where I grew up.”
Being onstage is an opportunity to do what she has loved doing since high school. Being onstage is also important so her acting students can see her do what she’s teaching them to do, she explains.
For her son Addison, being onstage is an opportunity for him to inspire younger actors with his work and dedication – and maybe, he says, they can find their love of theater too.
So when Addison was recently asked: How long did it take for you to put on the Quasimodo voice? He told the young artists, “It took a couple of days to really find it. And then it took like a month to really perfect it,” but he acknowledges, “It’s an ongoing craft that never stops.”
For him, getting better at his craft – and never believing “I can’t” – means going to Chicago and then New York. “I have my ambition and goals set pretty high,” he says, like being “the greatest actor in the world.”
Performances of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” continue through May 31, with curtain times on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit the box office (Tuesday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or woodfordtheatre.com or call 859-873-0648.