Farragut actor returns home as 'Bert'

Morgan

Taylor Morgan is excited to play his hometown of Knoxville in the Jan. 1-3 Sesame Street Live stage production of "Elmo's Green Thumb." But friends from his Farragut High School theater days won't recognize the 26-year-old.

The son of Dennis and Shirley Morgan portrays Bert, the quirky, fretful "Sesame Street" character and pop culture icon, in the show at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. In the role the actor/dancer/singer wears a "full body" character costume complete with the big Bert head, orange puppet hands and big saddle oxfords.

This is Morgan's second year with the touring show, but the Knoxville stop is special.

"I'm excited to finally get to play in my own town, to show people I made it professionally," he said earlier this month in a telephone interview.

Morgan has plenty of experience as Bert of the "Sesame" duo of Bert and Ernie. This is his fifth VEE Corporation Sesame Street Live show playing the paper-clip collecting, tuba-playing character.

The shows are prerecorded with the much-recognized voices of the characters. While he doesn't speak, Morgan does lots of dancing and moving while remaining faithful to Bert's eccentric yet lovable personality. A cable runs from his costume's head to one hand so he can move Bert's lips along with the character's dialogue.

"I try to stay as true as possible to the character on the TV show," Morgan. "He's uptight. He's got a stiff personality but at the same time he's a 7-year-old. He's very worrisome about things, but he tries to have fun."

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Morgan says he wanted to be an actor for as long as he can remember. A children's theater production of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" Morgan saw when he was very young helped seal his decision. He was probably 8 when he first stepped on stage, playing "the husband/father character" in a class-written play.

The Morgans moved from Dayton to Farragut when Morgan was in elementary school. He joined local children's theater camps, took dance classes and performed in show choirs.

"If I wasn't in a show or at a theater summer camp, I was performing in the house. I was always putting on shows. I remember we would go to Ohio to see my grandparents and my mother would say to me, 'Taylor, please this time, no plays!' "

When Morgan got to Farragut High, he joined the theater program shepherded by teacher Vickie Wells. As a senior he was the lead in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The 2002 Farragut graduate played Rolf Gruber that year in the Oak Ridge Playhouse's "The Sound of Music."

He then landed a role in the Cumberland County Playhouse production of "Cats." Later he had parts in other plays at the Crossville theater; his credits include "42nd Street," "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" and the musical "Two by Two."

While working at the playhouse, he auditioned for a part in the Sesame Street productions.

"They don't cast by what you look like," Morgan said. Instead, actors are selected based on their height for the character costumes. During the audition he had to perform a routine from a Sesame Street show and dance tap and ballet. He was asked if he had any gymnastics skills. "I did cartwheels."

He was working at Aubrey's Cafe in Farragut when he got the call that he'd landed the Bert role. In the future, Morgan hopes to earn a part on Broadway or in a touring Broadway musical. For now, he's the best Bert he can be.

"My goal as far as being an actor is just trying to keep everything as fresh and new as possible. I try to make it like the first time it's ever being done. The same thing as a dancer - you try to make it your own."

Amy McRary may be reached at 865-342-6437.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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