Gideon Ethridge

Gideon Ethridge is truly a force. I've admired his talent for years, watching him bring characters to life on stage, from a German schoolboy to Elvis Presley. But it was his unforgettable performance as Frank Abagnale Jr. in Garland Summer Musicals' Catch Me If You Can that showcased the extraordinary power he commands on stage. He's a triple threat—singing, dancing, and acting with an energy that captivates every audience. Never miss the opportunity to see Gideon perform live, and take some time to learn more about his inspiring journey.

When was your first time on stage?

My first official time on stage was in a production of Wagon Wheels West at the ripe old age of 8 with CORP, however I consider my first show to be A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Theseus at Austin Academy for Excellence. Truly the show that set me on my path and made me realize how much I loved the stage.

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I actually grew up playing baseball, and for a very long time I thought I would go down that route after getting scouted by several D1/D2 colleges my freshman year of high school on my travel ball team. However, that same year I was a part of several shows at Garland High School, and was met with a tough decision as I'd found something else I truly loved doing. All the while, I'd been in the choral program under Cheryl Wilson and as time went by, I fell in love with singing and music after stepping away from my classical training on the viola. Eventually, my Junior year I auditioned for Garland Summer Musicals season of My Fair Lady and Kiss Me Kate as well as for Dallas Young Artists Children Of Eden, and after being cast in all of them, I had a summer that I'd never forget working as a professional actor in 3 musicals. Learning that this wasn't just a pipe dream, I finally took the leap and dived headfirst into the world of music and theatre and the rest, as they say, is history.

Who is your greatest mentor?

I've had several mentors throughout my life, from teachers and coaches who changed my way of thinking, to directors who opened doors to me and taught me different tools and methods to become a better actor, a better singer, and a better person, however at the end of the day I think all of the greatest lessons I ever learned came from my father and my mother. Between teaching me about work ethic and how to give your all to something, about preparedness and how crucial it is to weigh your options and ensure you have all the details before making a decision, and of course, how to interact with others, be it in a personal sense or in a more business setting, how important each person, they taught me the lessons I still use the most today and provided the cornerstone that made me into the person I am today.

What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

This is a tough one. I've been lucky enough to play some absolutely phenomenal roles in my time as an actor, from Gabe in Next To Normal, J. Pierpont Finch in How To Succeed, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakening, and of course most recently, Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can, I think I have to give it to a role that has stuck with me since I was 17, St. Jimmy in American Idiot. This is a close one for me, as Frank certainly felt like an enormous step in my career and all of these have changed me/my life in some way, but I have found myself reminiscing about that experience the most.

Do you have a dream role?

Oh boy, do I. My list is far too long to give them all, so I'll try to stick to my top 10 (but I make no promises). Jesus/Judas in JCS, Jamie in TL5Y, Roger/Mark in RENT, George in Sunday In The Park With George, Jekyll/Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde, Bobby in Company, Pierre in TGCO1812, Emcee in Cabaret, Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight, Pippin/Leading Player in Pippin, Huey in Memphis...I think we've passed 10, but the list continues! I'd be remiss to not include Hermes and Orpheus in Hadestown, and while I may have a few years until it becomes an option again, I am desperate to do Jean Valjean again in Les Miserables, for as much as I loved it and thought I gave a good performance, I was also barely 18, and knowing what I know now and what I'm sure I'll continue to learn as the years go by, I feel there's definitely an even better performance there waiting to be had. 

What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

There are too many names to list here, but my big celebrity ones would definitely have to be Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. As a long-time fan of theirs, I find their acting to be brilliant and incredibly truthful (albeit in different ways) not to mention the voices attached. To share the stage with someone I respect as much as the two of them would be a dream come true. Also, I'm not certain if it counts, but I would've loved to have worked with Stephen Sondheim, truly one of my all-time favorite composers, and a lot of how I approach writing my own music is inspired by him. and this is not even mentioning the laundry list of more current performers who I hope to one day share the stage with. More locally, I have been privileged to share the stage with some amazing humans, but some of the highlights of folks I'll always share the stage with include Brigitte Wilson, Jayden Russell, Ben Meaders, Janette Robinson, Lexi Nieto, Andrew Nicholas, and that's barely scratching the surface. 

What performances have you seen that impressed you?

Andre De Shields as Hermes in Hadestown, Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters as George and Dot (respectively) in Sunday In the Park With George, Cassie Levy as Diana in Next to Normal, Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice. And that's only on the bigger stages; there is too much local talent to count, but special shoutout to some of my favorite voices, Brigitte Wilson, Jayden Russell, Janette Robinson, Luke Weber, Caroline Rivera, Lexi Nieto, Ben Meaders, Johnny Brown, Malcom Payne Jr, Andrew Nicholas, and many many others.

What are your career goals?

My career goals are, to put it succinctly, to create art for the rest of my life. Alongside my acting career, I write and produce my own music (follow along for album updates on TikTok @gideonethridgemusic), love voiceover work as I have far too many silly voices to let them go to waste, and I also draw and paint when time allows. To me, a successful career is one where I find success creating art, in whatever form it may come. I have found a home in music and in theatre, but I plan to dabble in other artforms throughout my life as I continue to grow as a musician, an actor, and as a person. I believe that will lead me to success, whatever it may look like as I follow the paths for each one and see what lies at the other end. So, I suppose the long-short of it is, do what I love and get paid to do it.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

The number of instruments I play (currently at 8, 9 if you count the voice), I played baseball for a decade and was on route to continue down that path before I found the arts, I'm a huge nerd (although I'm not sure that's exactly a surprise), I write and produce my own music