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ArtsceneHis own story sets stage for Fringe entryBy Dominik Kureksaid.OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFThe show features songs from oldBroadway musicals and Judy Garlandichael Hughes had somemovies, with new arrangements.difficulty pursuing theThe shows content is taken rightMcareer he loves and is usingout of Hughes life, who said he washis personal story to tell others tothe only musical person in his family. accept who they are.I went to an arts school in TorontoThe 28-year-old Sheridan College(Cardinal Carter Academy for themusic theatre program graduate isArts) but I was still probably the onlystaging a one-man musical show atperson who was passionate about thethis years Toronto Fringe Festival,arts, he said. It was before Glee hap-where he will enact his lifes trials,pened and made theatre and musicalong with some imaginative assis-more mainstream and acceptable. Ittance.was a struggle being somebody who isIts sort of my own life with anpassionate about Broadway musicalsimaginary aspect. It is taking me fromand old black and white movies, whichwhen I was a child to adulthood. Ivenow seems to be popular.been acting since I was about nine-The inspiration also came fromyears-old, Hughes said, who gradu-real life. He received a call from hisated from Sheridan in 2005.childhood psychiatrist, asking how heHis show is called Mickey & Judywas doing as an adult.and will have seven showings betweenAs a child, I was very into dressingFriday, July 8 and Sunday, July 17,up and playing characters. My motherduring this years festival.thought it was more than a phase andHe describes the show as a being ashe just wanted to make sure that Ihybrid between a musical, play andknew who I was because I was alwayscabaret, which plays off the crowd.playing characters, Hughes said of The show features personal anecdoteshis time spent with a psychiatrist.form his childhood spent cross-dress-Basically, what the doctor said is theying and channeling Judy Garland andshould get me an agent, Im going tocontinues through his lifes journey tobe an actor. From six years old, mySUBMITTED PHOTOadulthood as he discovers variousfamily sort of accepted that.performing art forms.Hughes was also able to read someON BEING YOURSELF:Michael Hughes, 28, is putting his own career journey on stage in a one-man musical at this Its basically about how Iveof his old charts, which helped makeyear's Toronto Fringe Festival. It will have seven showings between July 8 and 17.become an adult version of how I wasthe show.which I spent a lot of my high schoolwith another Sheridan graduate of Tsujiuchi plays the piano, also onas a kid, but now I get paid for it, heWhen I read his charts from hisyears doing and then I realized, asthe same program, Chris Tsujiuchi,stage.said.interviews when I was six-years-old, itsoon as I accepted not being normal, Iwho graduated in 2010. The pair metTheres lots of music throughoutIts about being able to followwas so funny, the things I was doing,became a lot more successful in mythrough an instructor at the pro-and hes just a genius at doing that. Ityour dreams, how important it is tothe things I was saying. I read some of career.gram.makes the show just so much moreaccept yourself for who you are, notit for my friends and they all said, Youworrrich, put together and new, Hughesying about beingFor the show, Hughes partneredWhile Hughes acts on stage, normal See Show page 22www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 1, 2011 20