Behind the Scenes with Tommy Bennett from Trolls LIVE!
Ashleigh Prince spoke with Tommy Bennett from Trolls LIVE! about the live show, the Trolls characters and the movie. Read on for highlights from the interview, or listen to the full interview below. Tune in to Talk of the Commonwealth with Hank Stolz on WCRN 830AM Fridays at 9 AM and Saturdays at 1 PM for more behind-the-scenes interviews.
Ashleigh: Good morning everyone, and welcome back to another exciting episode of Behind the Scenes at The Hanover Theatre. I know that we’re all really excited to get ready for another hair-raising adventure with Trolls LIVE! on May 21 – 22. Today, we’re talking to Tommy Bennett. Hello, Tommy!
Tommy: Hi, how’s it going? It’s good to see or hear you guys.
Ashleigh: It is great to hear you too, and it’ll be even better when you guys are in town in Worcester in just a few weeks. How exciting is that?
Tommy: We are super excited. I know Poppy and Branch cannot wait to see everybody in town. We’re super excited to see you all.
Ashleigh: I know a few kids in my family that are super excited to see Poppy, Branch and Guy Diamond and all.
Tommy: Oh, you already know all the names. Hey, and don’t be surprised if the adults want to go too. I can tell you that the show is for all age groups. You’re going to hear all type of music that everyone is going to be familiar with. The majority of our younger audience is 4 – 9, but I see the parents and all the adults having a good time too.
Ashleigh: Of course. I always say that I need to be the hip cousin, so I like to stay in the know. I am really excited to have them experience. You’re right, I think that a lot of adults really do enjoy Trolls, which is different from some other kids shows. I think it’ll be really exciting for audiences to experience it for the first time.
Tommy: Absolutely. The show is so unique. I can tell you right now, you don’t even need to see the actual Trolls movie or TV show to understand the show.
It is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience that you’re only going to see on Trolls LIVE! stage.
Tommy Bennett
Ashleigh: Excellent. For those of us who maybe aren’t familiar with Trolls and Trolls LIVE!, tell us a little bit about the production.
Tommy: Definitely. Trolls LIVE! is a musical celebration full of positivity and friendship. All the children are going to be able to see their favorite characters like Poppy, Branch, Guy Diamond, Biggie and the rest of their Trolls friends come to life on stage for the first time. We all know Trolls and we know what “Hug Time” is. “Hug Time” actually goes wrong, and Poppy and Branch throw on a talent show to save Hug Time.
Ashleigh: Oh, okay. Interesting.
Tommy: Interesting, right?
Ashleigh: What a wrinkle. I know that you mentioned Poppy and Branch, but what other characters from the movie can we expect to see in the live show?
Tommy: Let me see if I can name them all. We’ve got Poppy, Branch, Biggie, Mr. Dinkles, Guy Diamond, Cooper, Satin and Chenille, Fuzzbert and Cloud Guy.
Ashleigh: Oh my gosh, that’s jam packed.
Tommy: Oh, yeah. It’s very jam packed. We’re all in the house.
Ashleigh: I know! I’m sure there’s glitter for days.
Tommy: Rainbows, sparkles. It’s so colorful. I love it.
Ashleigh: Awesome! This show is obviously going to be very popular with kids. I would like to know, is there a moment in the show that gets people really excited and really happy to get up and dance?
Tommy: Oh, definitely. You’re going to hear music that you hear on the radio, you’re going to hear music that you’ve seen from the movies and the TV shows. That’s always the best part, when everyone is singing along in the crowd. I can say it’s throughout the entire show.
Ashleigh: Great. Is there a particular part that really gets stuck in your head?
Tommy: We all know the song “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Every time that song comes on, I get up off my feet. I see everyone get up on their feet and have a great time.
Ashleigh: Oh, that’s so amazing. If anyone is looking for tickets, you have four opportunities to see Trolls LIVE! on May 21 – 22 at 10am and 2pm. You have lots of chances to come and join all of our trolls friends and trolls village. I know that we have a special opportunity here at The Hanover Theatre; we have limited VIP seating available, premium show seating, a souvenir lanyard, an after-show meet and greet with your hosts Poppy and Branch. How could you possibly pass this up?
Tommy: Definitely! You can actually check out those tickets on TrollsLive.com which has all the information on there that you may need.
Ashleigh: Of course! There’s always also TheHanoverTheatre.org and you can find your information for the show either way. So, let’s talk a little bit about you and let’s go over your history as a performer.
Tommy: Yeah, definitely. I’ve been in this industry for a while and I just I love to perform, I love to be in front of people, I love just bringing people to come out to see Trolls. As a spokesperson, my job is to make sure that everyone’s having a great time and they’re getting be able to see this great show that we have. I just want to make sure that you all are having at a time. My favorite part of being with Trolls LIVE! is just seeing all the kids so happy and seeing all their favorite characters come to life in front of them.
Ashleigh: Yeah, absolutely. I was in the crowd for a children’s show very recently and it was so nice to see everyone just lit up, having so much fun and doing their little dances. I know that my little cousin Owen is really excited for Trolls LIVE!
Tommy: Especially after we all went through the COVID-19 phase and Trolls LIVE! did have a hiatus for about two years. So, we’re super excited to be back in front of everybody. I can tell you that we do adhere to the venue’s guidelines, so if anyone has any questions about masks, vaccination or anything like that, just make sure you check the website of the venue.
Ashleigh: Yes, absolutely. All the information that you will need for visiting Poppy and Branch and friends will be on our website. Be sure to check our socials, too, because we’re very active there and we’re posting about Trolls very frequently. Make sure you head over to our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and all the things, and we’ll be happy to connect you with your tickets. Tommy, let’s throw it back to Trolls. I would like to know who your favorite character is!
Tommy: Oh, that’s such a hard one. I love them all. I have to say my favorite character would probably be between Biggie and Cooper. I love Cooper’s humor and he’s just unapologetically himself. He’s hilarious and he has all these one-liners. I love Biggie because I just love their height. I’m a tall guy, I’m about 6’2” and Biggie and Cooper are our tallest trolls. I think I just resonate with them with the height and the personality as well.
Ashleigh: I do have a question, because I know that Trolls 2 came out last year. Is there anyone from the second movie that we can expect to see in the show, or is it mostly the first?
Tommy: You’re mostly going to see your friends from the first movie, just because it is a whole other storyline. It’s not based off of Trolls 1 or Trolls 2, Trolls LIVE! is just super unique. It’s going to be a new experience that you haven’t seen before.
Ashleigh: Right. I think it would be an extra-long title [if it included] Trolls World Tour.
Tommy: Exactly.
Ashleigh: We cannot wait to have you in Worcester. I would like to ask you if there’s any parting words you’d like to share with our audiences? Why should someone come and see Trolls LIVE!?
Tommy: You should definitely come see Trolls LIVE! because, like I said, it’s a one-in-a-lifetime experience and you can definitely always keep coming. It’s going to be an experience you’ve never experienced before with the music, the glitter, the light and the colors, and you’re going to walk away with a great message. We love our trolls friends.
At the end of the day, you’re going to walk away knowing that you can do anything by working together with your friends, and keep being persistent to get any job done.
Tommy Bennett
Ashleigh: That’s such a beautiful message, right? Everyone, do not hesitate and go to TheHanoverTheatre.org and get your tickets today. Tickets started just $19, so how could you pass it up? How could you possibly pass up such an amazing opportunity like this?
Tommy: I can’t wait to see you all.
Ashleigh: Absolutely. Again, remember that there is that VIP experience if you want to get a little bit more from your experience here at The Hanover Theatre. Be sure to keep an eye on our lobby TVs before the show starts because I made sure that Trolls trivia will be running before the show. Brush up on your Trolls knowledge and your fun facts because there will be a test.
Tommy: That sounds awesome. I can’t wait to see it.
Ashleigh: Absolutely. Thank you all for joining us for another very exciting segment of Behind the Scenes with The Hanover Theatre.
Tommy: We can’t wait to see you all!
