On the Road with the kids of A Christmas Carol!

Q&A with Max Hauze, East Coast Tour’s “Tiny Tim”

When the Nebraska Theatre Caravan heads out on the road this November with two A Christmas Carol tours, it won’t be just with adult performers. Each year, three Omaha-area youngsters hit the road with each of the touring casts from the beginning of November thru the end of December. We caught up with Max Hauze, East Coast’s “Tiny Tim” to find out what it was like to be on the road with the Caravan!


How many years have you been part of the ACC tours?
This is my third year on tour, but my first with the East Coast tour. The past two years I have been with the Midwest tour.

Have you been involved in other Playhouse shows? Which ones?
Yes, I was in the Main Stage A Christmas Carol in 2006, South Pacific in 2008 and Gypsy this past summer. Currently, I am part of the children's choir for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

What made you decide to audition for one of the ACC tours?
Well, I wanted to broaden my acting experiences and I wanted to work with professional actors.

How does your school help you get ready to be on tour for almost two months?
I think my teachers letting me go in the first place is astounding. I “un-enroll” for the two months I am gone, so I don't get any grades for that time.

While you are in rehearsals at the Playhouse or on the road, when do you work with your tutor on schoolwork?
Well, I try to finish all my homework before I leave so I can focus on the performances. However, I will have the tutor help me whenever I am not rehearsing at the Playhouse or Benson High School (where we rehearse for tech for two weeks) so I can reach my goals.

How many other kids are in your show? Do you guys hang out together on the road or in the hotels?
There are two other kids in the cast. This year they are Jared Ott and Emma Cramer. This is Emma's second year on tour, but we weren't together last year. It’s Jared’s first year. You have to bond with the other kids because if there is any tension on stage it is not a good thing. Plus, I have to share a hotel room with Jared, so of course we hang out with each other!

What do you have to have on the road with you? (ipod, cell phone, favorite snack food, etc…)
For me, Pringles! It is important to have a yummy snack on the bus to help pass the time. I bring a laptop to email my class and keep up with friends. I also have my own cell phone to keep in touch with my family.

Which city/venue was your favorite last year and why?
Green Bay, WI. The hotel was the best. They had a restaurant with great food that was unusually cheap and since you only have $30 a day to spend on food, cheap is a very good thing! They also had free hot chocolate and the coolest pool you have ever seen!

You get paid as an actor to participate in the ACC tour – what do you do with your paycheck? On tour, you get $30 a day for food, clothing (in case you lose something) plus the money I get in my weekly paycheck. That goes right into the bank for college.

Be honest: do you do your own laundry on tour? Or does the chaperone help? Here's how we do it. All the kids and the chaperone put all of their clothes into the machine and work as a group, and that is the truth.

Tell me your favorite memory or story from last year’s tour.
I have so many memories, but I do have a very specific one that's pretty cool. Last year, the kids and a bunch of the adults played a Sumo Wrestler game. We stuffed pillows up our shirts and fought to the death. Well, maybe not death....but it was fun!

Thanks for your time, Max. Break a leg this year!