Broadway star returns to his roots

PLANO -- Hunter Ryan Herdlicka was a long way from home. The 25-year-old was starring in a lead role in a play like he had done hundreds of times before. Only this time, instead of being on stage at Shepton High School, he was in front of 1,000 people on Broadway.

He was not alone, however. With him in the Walter Kerr Theatre were two women who had also made the long trip from Plano to see their star pupil.

"Hunter started the show playing a cello, something he learned just for 'A Little Night Music,'" said Jeni Helms, Hunter's theater teacher at Shepton. "Myself and Carmen McElwain, another one of Hunter's teachers at Shepton, were sitting there and holding each other's hand. We both teared up and said 'That is our baby Hunter.' A flood of emotions and pride came over us."

Hunter's journey from the drama department at Frankford Middle School to Carnegie Mellon University and on to Broadway has finally come full circle. The 2005 Plano West graduate is starring in the Dallas Theater Center's production of "The Tempest," which runs from Sept. 9 to Oct. 9.

"Growing up in Plano, I did theater all my life," Hunter said. "I did shows with the Plano Children's Theatre and with the Dallas Summer Musicals, but I never had a paid professional gig in Dallas. It took starring on Broadway to get me cast in Dallas."

Hunter will star as Ariel in "The Tempest," a role he said he is excited to have.

"Ariel is kind of a supernatural spirit and is the catalyst for all of the events in 'The Tempest,'" he said. "He is the aid to the lead character and carries out his commands. But the role is tough because Ariel is a slave and wants his freedom. The relationship is very trying."

Another proud drama teacher from Hunter's past is Sara Akers from the Plano Children's Theatre. She said she immediately recognized Hunter's talent and is not shocked that he has made it to the biggest stage in his profession.

"He was a student of mine starting in early elementary school and continuing off and on until he was going into senior high," Akers said. "He is a delightful young man and always had a sharp sense of humor. He was a kid who got what it was all about early in his career. I am thrilled he is on Broadway and could not be more proud of him."

Plano to Manhattan

Hunter said he always knew he wanted to be an actor, but it took some convincing to get his parents to see things his way.

"I knew I wanted to be an actor when I was in second grade," he said. "But I had to convince the rest of my family that I would be OK. My parents had lived in New York City and knew how tough it is to live in the city. They were reluctant, but once I got a full scholarship to Carnegie Mellon there was no way we could pass up the opportunity."

Hunter said he had about seven acting coaches who helped him get to the point where he was accepted into the conservatory at Carnegie Mellon. Some of his earliest experiences were at Frankford, where he was one of the first theater students to go through the school's new drama program.

"I was really lucky in that I went to Frankford Middle School its first year," he said. "They had a brand new theater with new lights and a new teacher. Then I went to Shepton and did three to four productions a year before moving on to West."

Helms said when she first met Hunter during auditions for Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap during his freshman year, something about him stood out.

"When he auditioned for the first show, he made a huge impression right off the bat," she said. "You could tell he had a lot of talent to work with. He auditioned for Christopher Wren, a goofy character. His audition was different because he really went for it. He didn't seem nervous like most freshmen and he really brought out the humor in the character. That set him apart from most high schoolers."

Hunter attributes much of his success to the fact he grew up in Plano, a city he said was supportive of his acting talents. He said all of his theater teachers were young, inspiring and gifted and that Plano ISD is very supportive of its fine arts programs.

While at Carnegie Mellon, Hunter focused on acting for four years, preparing himself for the world of professional acting.

"All day long, from 8 a.m. to midnight and sometimes on Saturdays, you have class and rehearsal," he said. "You don't take other classes, so you are strictly doing acting, singing and dance. It was a wonderful experience, but it was also really hard. At times it was too much of a good thing."

As he approached his graduation date in 2009, Hunter said he didn't know what he would do next. He said he didn't think his dreams of being a Broadway star were going to come to fruition upon graduation.

"During the four years that I was in school, I created this fairy tale fantasy that I was going to be like Megan Hilty, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon and immediately won a role in 'Wicked.' During our final senior cabaret, I remember standing there and thinking that I wasn't Megan Hilty after all. That all changed nine days after I graduated when I was cast as one of the leads in 'A Little Night Music.'"

The role didn't completely surprise Helms, who now runs Circle Studio in McKinney. She said she always knew Hunter would go on to big things.

"In some ways it was surprising because it is rare to land a role that big right out of college," she said. "Then you think, 'Wait, this is Hunter.' Then it all made sense. He deserves it."

On Broadway

Making the move from college actor to a professional actor in New York City was something Hunter looked forward to, even though he was not sure what that move would entail.

"When I got cast, it didn't hit me right away that I was going to be on Broadway," he said. "I wasn't living in New York yet so I didn't know many people there and I didn't know how it all worked. It didn't hit me that I was starring in a Broadway show until about six months after we were doing it. Then it started to sink in. I didn't start to feel comfortable until a few months into it. It was a lot of attention to detail and long hours and stress, but it was the biggest blessing in my life. I know when I am on my death bed I will be thanking God for 'A Little Night Music.'"

Rehearsals for "A Little Night Music," which starred Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones, had a grueling schedule that Hunter said took some time to get used to.

"Rehearsals last about four weeks, which is not enough time, but that is how it is," he said. "We had a month of previews where you perform eight shows a week while rehearsing all day long. Once we opened we stopped rehearsing but still performed eight days a week. The show was three hours long, and you have to be at the theater a few hours before show time and don't leave for a few hours after. When you get home at 1 a.m., you are wide awake. You are going to bed when other people are getting up and going to work."

Even with the long hours and hard work, starring on Broadway has its perks. Hunter said during the show's run he was able to meet a large number of celebrities, including former President Bill Clinton and his family as well as Tony Bennett, Goldie Hawn and Nancy Pelosi.

"A Little Night Music" ran from November 2009 to June 2010 before closing for three weeks. The production then reopened with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in the starring roles. The show ran for another six months before officially closing in January 2011.

What's next?

When "The Tempest" closes in October, Hunter plans on moving back to New York City and working to get roles in other plays. He said while he can't go into specifics, there are some promising things in the works.

"Since 'A Little Night Music' closed I have done some workshops on new plays in New York," he said. "I did a reading of a wonderful play called 'Master Harold ... and the Boys.' There is a new musical I have been working on in its developmental stages that is exciting."

Even though he found success early in his career, Hunter said he would still believe he made the right choice if things had worked out differently.

"You have to follow that guidance that Oprah calls her God voice," he said. "Some people spend their whole life trying to find it and listen to it. I was just really blessed that mine was very strong and very loud at a young age. Even if I had moved to New York and not had this Broadway show, I would still know I was in the right place."

Hunter said he doesn't have any plans on moving to California and pursuing a career in film, but things could change. He points to Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane as actors who have conquered both mediums. He said wherever he is performing he hopes to be like Lansbury and Stritch, who are acting well into their 80s.

"Theater is my passion and that is what I enjoy doing," he said. "I hope to be doing it until I die."

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