ROAD TO HOBBITON

Growing up in Winnetka, Alina Taber wasn’t really exposed to The Hobbit until she started watching the films as a student at New Trier Township High School. But when she landed the role of the half-elven queen Arwen in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s (CST) The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale, which made its U.S. premiere this summer, she couldn’t wait to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary masterpiece.

“It’s been fun learning more about the incredible world that Tolkien built. I see playing Arwen less about playing Liv Tyler’s character from the films, and more about playing Arwen as written by Tolkien. I’m trying my best to do the elves justice. Arwen is a very powerful healer, so it’s important for me to find the balance of that whilst also being an elvish princess,” says Taber, who joined other CST cast members for the show’s November 5 debut at The Civic theatre in Auckland, New Zealand— a country that has become the embodiment of Middle-earth since the release of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning film trilogy adaptation of the novels. “Playing this role in New Zealand is an absolute honor. The theater is located about an hour from the Hobbiton Movie Set. To be able to play an iconic role in an even more iconic location is nothing short of amazing.”

The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale opens with Bilbo Baggins’ 111st birthday celebration in the Shire. When Baggins gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging—a gold ring—it launches Frodo on a perilous quest. Frodo proceeds to travel to the darkest realms of Mordor to vanquish evil, bringing the familiar Tolkien tale to life on stage with live music.

“I play five instruments and learned how to play the harp specifically for this show,” says Taber, explaining how the live Irish and folk-inspired music sets the atmosphere for the magical, Middle-earth tale. “As actors, we are building a world through music, puppetry, and dancing. It’s an incredible feat of live theater, and perhaps the most complex I’ve been a part of to date.”

While she can’t remember the name of the first play she appeared in, Taber does have a distinct memory of being in a production at Winnetka’s popular Together We Influence Growth (TWIG) summer camp.

“One year we did Princess and the Pea so I was probably 9, but there may have been moments before that,” she recalls. “Even as a kid, my friends and I, along with my sister, would make up plays and perform them for our parents. I think that imaginative playtime is where I got my start in theater.”

By the time she got to New Trier Township High School (where she starred as Golde in the school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof), she had an agent. Her big television break on Chicago P.D. came at age 16 during her junior year. Taber played the character of Lexi Olinsky for four seasons, which took her through college. Agents would continue to book her for commercial spots and print ads but soon after earning a degree in history with a minor in sign language from DePaul University, she committed herself to the pursuit of live theater.

“All roads lead back to this,” says Taber, who received rave reviews as Stella in Paramount Theatre’s A Streetcar Named Desire prior to being cast in the CST premiere of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale. “I feel a lot more actualized as a performer with this show. It would be great if this role would lead to more opportunities, and it would be even greater to continue to be taken more seriously as a multi-faceted performer in Chicago and elsewhere.”

For now, she’s savoring the experience of being part of what is shaping up to be a global phenomenon.

“After the show closes, I’ll be staying an extra week with some of the other cast members to explore some of the beautiful scenic spots New Zealand has to offer,” adds Taber, reflecting on how far she’s come this year. “With the fragility of this industry, nothing is guaranteed, so it’s an honor to get this opportunity and I am very hopeful about what will come next.”