By Angela Marshall
Taylor-Corbett, who grew up in Rockville Centre and now lives in New York City, recently returned from five months of filming the new children's show in Australia. "Hi-5" is an American version of a hit Australian TV show by the same name. After an exhaustive search to cast the show, Taylor-Corbett was selected at a New York City audition last year. There's a lot of work involved, but the 24-year-old said he's enjoying every minute.
Taylor-Corbett, who is Native American, shares the spotlight with four co-stars, Kimee Balmilero, Karla Cheatham-Mosley, Curtis Cregan and Jennifer Peterson-Hind, all of varying nationalities. They perform high-energy skits in stylish clothes in front of colorful backgrounds. Taylor-Corbett described "Hi-5" as "Sesame Street"-meets-MTV. "It's a really hip show," he said.
The show is broadcast weekdays at 7:30 a.m. as part of TLC's Ready Set Learn! commercial-free programming block for children.
Each cast member has his or her own segment of the show. Taylor-Corbett's is "Shapes and Space." He conveys lessons through adventures, games, music and more.
"It was a huge exercise in memorization," Taylor-Corbett said. He and the rest of the cast were relatively inexperienced when shooting began. In addition to knowing their lines, they had to figure out which camera to look at and other tools of the trade. But Taylor-Corbett said it was not an overwhelming experience. To the contrary, he said, it boosted his confidence. "They really nurtured us," he said.
Taylor-Corbett also had to learn some lesser-known skills for his role. Producers expected him to ride a unicycle for the show. He was determined to learn it, Helena Harris, co-creator and executive producer of the show, said. But, since he lived in a city, there was really nowhere for him to practice.
He finally settled on an empty construction site next to a police station. "He ended up conquering the unicycle," Harris said, "in the process, gaining recognition and notoriety from not only passers-by, but also the police who worked in the station next to the construction site."
Controlling the unicycle on the slippery studio floor was a totally different challenge. But Taylor-Corbett conquered that as well.
Harris said Taylor-Corbett was cast because he "has a great voice and moves really well. Most importantly, he can be himself on camera; he can connect with that child on the other side of the lens and really be Shaun."
Harris also said, "Shaun has a quiet playfulness, particularly when working on 'Sharing Stories' with the other cast members. He explores different voices for animals and other characters -- which is great fun for the audience."
During the workday, cast members found time to joke around and bond. "I have three sisters and a brother now," Taylor-Corbett said.
He and the others were taken all over Australia during breaks in the shooting and, according to Taylor-Corbett, they were treated like royalty. "When they say, 'No worries,' they mean it," he said, laughing. "I'm just loving the lifestyle."
Although this is his first TV show, Taylor-Corbett is no stranger to show biz. While growing up in Rockville Centre, he spent lots of time visiting his mother, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, an award-winning choreographer, at any number of theaters. Lynne has created ballets for the American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Ballet and many other companies. She was also the choreographer for the movie "Footloose." In a number of published reports, she said her proudest achievement was Shaun.
Prior to college, Taylor-Corbett took to the stage only once, playing Tevya in South Side Middle School's version of "Fiddler on the Roof." He wonders now if the audience laughed so hard during the production because he delivered a great performance or because a young Native American was playing an old Jewish man.
After graduating from South Side High School in 1996, Taylor-Corbett studied international relations at the University of Delaware. He thought being a diplomat would provide much more stability than being an actor. But once he auditioned for and won a role in the college's production of "Pippin," he gave in to his love of the stage. "I've always been a performer at heart," he said.
Despite his resolve to take up acting, Taylor-Corbett stayed on at Delaware, graduating magna cum laude from the school's honors program.
Hi-5 premiered on Feb. 24, and producers are hoping it will catch on like "The Wiggles," another Australian hit recreated in America.
As for Taylor-Corbett, he's looking closely at the kids passing him on the street, knowing that one day soon they might start to recognize him. The cast is scheduled to tour parts of the U.S. before heading back to Australia.
