Tennessee Tech alumnus Jake Hoot takes the stage in ‘Christmas in the Air’
Tennessee Tech University alumnus Jake Hoot, winner of season 17 of NBC’s The Voice, is taking on a new kind of stage this holiday season as part of Christmas in the Air at Beau Rivage.
Fresh off a second win in The Voice: Battle of Champions all-star competition and an appearance on actor Rob Lowe’s game show The Floor, Hoot is stepping into a new challenge: a multi-night theater production.
“I was told when I first entered the world of acting that being in a theater production is very similar to being a musician. I prep the same, and I emote the same. I live with the script, and my hope is that, in the same way I deliver lyrics in a song, I can connect emotionally through the words I’m given,” Hoot said.
Christmas in the Air at Beau Rivage is a family-friendly holiday production featuring synchronized dancers, singers and actors along with appearances by Santa and other holiday characters. The show is produced and directed by Jeb K. Rand, whose previous production credits include Footloose the Musical, Elf the Musical, Grease the Musical, A Christmas Story the Musical and, most recently, Shrek the Musical at Beau Rivage.
In Christmas in the Air, Hoot plays multiple characters in a variety of sketches. Performing as someone other than himself marks a new creative experience for Hoot.
“I’m trying to just listen and react. Even if my character has a big persona, I am trying to get better at listening to the script and reacting how I would as myself while still honoring the role,” he said.
A 2013 graduate of Tech’s College of Emerging and Integrative Studies, Hoot says the versatility of his studies helped prepare him to adapt to the different demands of a career that now includes both music and acting. He also played football for the Golden Eagles during his time as a student.
“My areas of study were education and Spanish at Tech. Having essentially ‘two brains’ while getting my degree was preparation for a career I didn’t even know would happen yet. I use what I learned at Tech every day of my life as both a musician and actor,” Hoot said.
Music remains his primary focus, but Hoot says his experience with Christmas in the Air has opened him to the possibility of pursuing more acting roles in the future.
“I just want to tell stories,” he said. “Whether through songs or as a character in a production, stories matter most to me.”
Christmas in the Air at Beau Rivage runs Dec. 12-27 at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. For tickets and more information, visit the production’s website here.