From backing up Aretha to 'Rent' in Durham: Actor talks first national tour

"Rent," a rock musical set in New York City's East Village in the late 1980s/early 1990s amid the HIV epidemic, premiered off-Broadway in 1996.

"I saw 'Rent' in high school," Hicks said in a phone interview from Ohio, where the show visited last week. "I saw the movie and I immediately fell in love with the characters and the storyline."

Hicks was also a fan of the character he would go on to play. "Who couldn't love Tom Collins?" he said.

"'Rent' tells a real story. Real people, real situations, which hooked me to this. People are dealing with homelessness, eviction, the ups and downs of relationships," he said. "All the aspects of 'Rent' are still relevant to life today."

Hicks said the show inspires him. "It's a beautiful story in and of itself," he said.

While Hicks has done high school and community theater, he is primarily a vocalist. "Rent" is his first theater tour.

"Traveling was something I had to get used to," Hicks said. "I love long bus rides, but being on a bus every three days can be taxing on your body."

The tour has taken him to Houston, across Canada and even to Hawaii for Christmas. But one of the most exciting moments was returning to Philadelphia, where Hicks got to do a masterclass at his old high school.

"It brought it full circle," he said. "It was an honor to give back a snippet of what Philadelphia has given to me."