“I listened to it, and thought it was fantastic. But just listening to the soundtrack, out of context, I had no idea what was going on. That was the time before YouTube, and it would be a long time before it would be staged in this region,” Teoh told FMT Lifestyle.
“But I managed to find the script. And I would listen to the music and read it at the same time, and imagine it being performed in my head.”
If you had told teenage Teoh that two decades later, he would be acting in the Hollywood film adaptation of the musical, alongside celebrities Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, he’d not have believed you.
Yet as the musical itself says, “everyone deserves the chance to fly”, and audiences can watch him play the supporting role of Avaric in “Wicked”, currently screening in cinemas.
Teoh, a vocal teacher for nine years, was a well-known name in the local theatre scene, starring in musicals like “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Tick Tick… Boom”.
He moved to the UK with his wife Adeline in 2017, starring in the travelling production of “The King And I” and “But I’m A Cheerleader”.
According to Teoh, he almost missed his audition for “Wicked” as the date clashed with a work trip. He originally planned to send a tape of himself, but was persuaded against doing this by his wife and agent.
“One thing I’ve learnt is that auditions are not just for people to see how good you are. There are probably a thousand other people who can sing and act like you. People also want to see your demeanour, how you are as a person. Can they establish a relationship with you? And you can’t do all that through the camera,” he said.
And so, he gave up the work trip and attended the audition instead, aware that there was no guarantee he’d get the part.
Thank goodness he did, as Teoh nailed the audition, securing himself a meeting with “Wicked” director Jon M Chu. He was told his character should wear something a little more formal: so he donned a Baju Melayu!
The meeting went well, but months passed with no word about his audition. He figured he hadn’t made it. Then one day, his agent called, saying: “Congratulations, you’re going to Oz.”
“I thought I had misheard him at first. My wife and I were jumping all around that night, calling all our friends and family to give them the good news,” Teoh said.
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” – currently the second-highest grossing musical in Broadway history – tells the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the two witches from “The Wizard of Oz”.
Teoh’s character, Avaric, is a student at Shiz University, and is classmates with Elphaba and Glinda.
Working on “Wicked” has been wonderful, Teoh said. He described Grande as being nice and friendly, and actor Bowen Yang, who plays the character Pfanee, as hilarious.
One of his favourite experiences was filming the song “Dancing through Life”, which required a lot of choreography.
Teoh, of course, is not the only Malaysian in the film: another is Michelle Yeoh, who plays Madame Morrible.
“She’s great. When we all met her, she had just won her Oscar. She walked down the steps of the Ozdust Ballroom with the Oscar, and everyone just cheered,” Teoh reminisced.
It’s been quite the journey for Teoh. He hopes other Malaysian performers will also be inspired to pursue their dreams and ultimately, defy gravity.
“A life in the arts can be difficult, there’s no doubt. I think you have to be a little crazy to do it! But to succeed in anything in life, you will need to work hard anyway. If there’s something you like that fills you with joy, you should go all out for it,” Teoh concluded.
Follow Aaron Teoh on Facebook and Instagram. As of press time, ‘Wicked’ is screening in Malaysian cinemas.