July 15, 2008: Neil Haskell, best known as a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance" where he finished third, is currently performing the role of "Luke" in the Off-Broadway musical Altar Boyz. He started the show on April 22, 2008.
Here we interview Neil on his dancing background, his performance in Broadway's Times, They Are A Changin', and what it's like being an Altar Boy!
 Question: How did you get involved with dancing as a child?
Answer: I fell into dance. My best friend was taking class and I wanted to hang out with her more, so my brother and I started taking class. I was five then. Years went by and I was asked to be in a competition group. I'm a little bit of a competitive, and our group did very well.
Q: Did you ever think that you would end up doing theater?
A: I was in theater and chorus at school (My first role was the Mayor of Munchkin City in The Wizard of Oz) , but the first time I thought that I wanted to be in NY and a dancer was when I saw Moving Out. The show was inspirational from a dancer's point of view.
Q: This isn't your first time on stage though, right? You were in Times, They Are A Changin'. Twyla Tharp! Now, that's a dancer's show.
A: During my freshman year in college, some of my friends decided to go to Moving Out auditions in Dayton O-H-I-O. Keith Roberts, from the original cast, ran the dance auditions. After the end of the audition, with just a few people left, he asked if I could do acrobats. I guess he thought I was good, because he recommended that I audition for Twyla's new show Times, They Are a Changin'. Twyla was in my first audition and I had no idea what she looked like, so I was very frightened and surprised when she introduced herself. I had to fly in 5 or 6 times to audition until I got a role in the ensemble! The show was a dancing dream, because of the acrobatics and intense nature.
Q: But, so is Altar Boyz! How did you first hear about Altar Boyz? What made you come in for the audition?
A: I first heard about the show from [original cast member] Tyler Maynard. I had never seen it but had heard it was an amazing show. I was nervous for the audition because it's not only a dancing show, but a huge singing show as well, and I needed to be good in both of those things.
Q: What is the difference in performing in front of a camera as opposed to performing on stage?
A: Performing in front of a camera, you have to sell yourself to the camera. Even though there was a studio audience, the real audience of 5 million people was through the camera. So, I had to play more to the camera than the audience. Here, I get to really interact with the audience. Their energy is easy to play off of.
 Q: In what ways do you relate with your character Luke from the show?
A: Luke often doesn't think about what he is saying before he says it, but he is always able to get himself out of the holes that he digs himself into, or rely on his friends to help him out!
Q: Altar Boyz has been playing for 3 ½ years now. What do you think has made the show so successful?
A: It's a pop rock musical that brings families in. Little kids can see it as well as adults. There are a lot goofy things that go on which makes Altar Boyz good for kids, and it's good for adults because there are several jokes that will go over the kid's heads, but the adults will appreciate.
Q: Altar Boyz has a huge fan base, known as the Altarholics. Tell us how they affect the energy of the show and your performance.
A: I love the Altarholics. There are Altarholics at almost every show. They bring their energy not only to the cast but to the rest of the audience and make it okay to just enjoy and have fun while watching Altar Boyz.
Q: You are probably most known for your success in Fox's reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance." How was that experience?
A: It was a good experience overall. It opened up a lot of different doors and opportunities like being able to work with a lot of choreographers and being able to perform in front of a lot of industry people. The best part about the show and being on tour was being able to meet all of the fans of the show and listening to them share their experience watching the show and how it affected them.
Q: You've done a lot of things - TV, Movies, Broadway. Now you are in a show Off-Broadway. What do you love so much about being an Off-Broadway actor?
A: Off-Broadway is a more intimate experience with the audience than other type of performances that I've done so far. It's not a traditional theater, therefore you can explore more because there are such different types of productions playing Off-Broadway. You don't have to expect a traditional "legit" show. Off-Broadway can cater to more people and audiences. And it's cheaper, too!
More about Neil Haskell:
Neil is a talented dancer who first started dancing at age five at the David DeMarie Dance Studio in Clarence, New York, and American Academy of Ballet in Williamsville, NY. He also appeared in small roles in movies. At age 14, he began intensive training in ballet at the Chautauqua Institution for three summers. He attended Point Park University for a year, majoring in dance. Haskell has described his dance style as jazz/ballet. He earned the title of "Male Dancer of the Year" at the American Dance Awards in 2005. He got his equity card the summer before auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance.
He has performed in the Twyla Tharp Broadway show The Times They Are A-Changin', with music by Bob Dylan, and in Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's performances Grease, 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Beauty and the Beast. [2] Neil recently landed a spot in MTV's new musical, The American Mall which will start filming in January 2008 for broadcast and DVD release in summer 2008.[3] In Spring 2008, Haskell, along with former SYTYCD contestants Sabra Johnson and Danny Tidwell is featured in movmnt magazine's cover story to promote 'Keep it Real' the publication's awareness non for profit. [4] He is currently playing the role of "Luke" in the off-broadway show Altar Boyz.
On the reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, Haskell was paired up with contemporary/hip hop dancer, Lauren Gottlieb. The couple danced together until Week 6, when the couples were assigned new partners. Haskell was then partnered with Sara Von Gillern, and debuted their disco routine. Haskell noted that he wants to use his experience on the show as a "springboard for the rest of [his] career". After making it to the top 10 finalists, Haskell joined his fellow contestants in So You Think You Can Dance's 2007 dance tour that concluded on November 30, 2007.
Neil Haskell Trivia
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Haskell was MVP of his high school volleyball team in his junior and senior year.
- His favorite professional dancer is Charlie Hodges.
- He has a twin that took dance and gymnastics with him, but no longer does either.
- Appeared in the soap opera One Life To Live for the "Prom Night: The Musical" storyline playing the part of a male dancer.
- Neil served as judge for the University of Pittsburgh's Greek Sing 2008.
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