TM
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the production, so they handed him a pair of tap shoes and six months
talent as well as his passion for the arts and invited him to move to Los
later… yes, Tor was doing pirouettes down the hallways and the cof-
Angeles and give Hollywood a whirl.
fee grinder between classes. With each musical theater production, his
dance vocabulary expanded and he became proficient in various styles.
Things didn’t happen as quickly for Tor as he would have liked. (It hardly
Tor was a natural, landing roles in 42ND STREET and BYE BYE BIRDIE.
ever does) He had to start all over again. He managed to secure a theatrical agent and build a resume but auditions and bookings were slow. For
As with most high school graduates, he wasn’t quite sure what his next
step should be and couldn’t fathom even the possibility of making a career out of performing. In an attempt to figure out his life, Tor joined the
Job Core in Cleveland, Ohio. But he could not escape his destiny. When
you’re born to do “something”, that “something” will inevitably find you,
no matter how far you veer away from it. Near the end of his Job Core experience, that is exactly what happened. Tor sang at an annual Job Core
event and the applause and accolades he received refueled his passion
the first time in his life, Tor was a struggling artist. So back to the land of
familiarity he went and began working as an admissions representative
for a small college in LA and later at a massage therapy school. Acting,
dancing, and singing were still very much in his heart, but he couldn’t afford to have it in his life. Longing to dance and perform again, Tor began
to teach kid’s classes at Bally’s. After a few short months, the manager
referred him for an audition to sing and perform in various productions in
to pursue his dream. So off to Marymount College in New York City he
went! He immediately jumped into theatrical performances. Tor became
such an integral part of the Drama department they mistakenly labeled
him a Drama major. That dance thing would not leave him alone. He
somehow chasse'd his way into taking over the Student Dance Company
at Marymount College. Now he was on his way! Right?
So, a few years later Tor emerged from college with a BA degree in Communications and a minor in Musical Theater. “So…What do I do now?”
He pondered. Tor always wanted to see the world, so he went with a
friend to a flight attendant interview for United Airlines. He traveled
with United, enjoying meeting new people and visiting amazing places.
That is until that dreadful day of 9/11/01 when he lost some very close
friends and co-workers. Once he was done mourning, the reality that it
could have been him set in. He would never take life for granted again.
It was time to live it to the fullest and do the things that provide the most
joy. So Tor went back to where he was most happy and became Resident
Student Assistant at the Institute of Technology in New York, a role that
was very familiar to him while at Marymount College. Being back in the
Big City, Tor signed with an agent and booked his first audition, out the
gate!
Soon Tor booked another gig, touring with the show “Cover Girls.” He
graced the stage as a singer in this musical which was produced by Matthew Knowles and TD Jakes and starred Kim Fields and Ann Nesby. Tor
was living the dream! The show was scheduled to be on the road for a
year, but, unfortunately it ended much sooner, forcing a move back to
home to reposition himself for his next endeavor. On the bright side,
Tor’s friendship with Kim Fields blossomed. She recognized his immense
Page 31
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