AJ Hunsucker is a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and an alum of both the Red Mountain Theatre Company’s youth programs and Point Park University in Pittsburgh. He’s touring the country as part of the ensemble of the national tour of “The Producers,” which lands in Huntsville for performances this weekend.

Early start: Hunsucker was 6 years old when he started dancing at Birmingham Dance Theatre. Soon after, he was cast in a Summerfest production of “The Wizard of Oz.” “My mom just took me to an audition at a library,” Hunsucker recalls. “She thought, if he likes dancing, maybe he likes singing and musical theater.”

Throwback style: Hunsucker says he’s more Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly than Savion Glover and Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I’ve always loved classic film musicals, like Golden Age musicals,” he says. “That’s what I seem to have done throughout my career.”

Birmingham’s AJ Hunsucker has forged a career on stage since graduating from Vestavia Hills High School and Point Park University. (contributed)

Working actor: Hunsucker, 26, has worked pretty consistently since college. “Throughout college, I did summer stock every summer at West Virginia Public Theatre, so I made a lot of connections through that,” he says.  He’s worked for a number of theaters and sung in concert with Broadway stars singing the music of Jerry Herman and Cy Coleman. “Thankfully, I’ve been able to work pretty often because Point Park helped me with my dance,” Hunsucker says. “Birmingham had helped me vocally, but Point Park really helped me become a triple threat. I could go into a dance hall and stand up next to some of the top dancers; or go into a principal singers call and stand up next to those people. That has created a lot of opportunity for me.”

Gotta dance: As part of the ensemble of “The Producers,” Mel Brooks’ Tony-Award winning musical about two men trying to produce the world’s worst musical, Hunsucker finds himself in a strictly dancing role for the first time. “They were having an audition, and a friend of mine said I should just stop by,” Hunsucker says. “I never thought I’d be doing ‘The Producers,’ honestly. My ‘type’ is Golden Age material. I don’t do many contemporary musicals, but this is a contemporary musical with the feel of a Golden Age show.”

Life on tour: “I love theater , so any chance to do theater is great,” Hunsucker says. “It’s a chance for me to travel the country. I’m seeing cities I’ve never seen. We’re performing in states I’ve never been in.” His only regret is that the tour doesn’t stop in Birmingham, where his parents, Fred and Angie, live. (They went to see the show in Panama City.). Hunsucker has a sister, Alex, who lives in Birmingham, and another sister, Tori, who lives with him in New York.

Life post-‘Producers’: After “The Producers” tour closes in March, it’s back to New York and auditioning for Hunsucker. “I’m working on contracts for the summer, and I have an agent in New York working on booking me in things in the spring.” His dream role? Cornelius Hackl in “Hello, Dolly!”

Lessons from Birmingham: Working at an early age in Birmingham and throughout high school with Red Mountain Theatre Company taught Hunsucker a sort of professionalism most actors his age didn’t have. “I feel that I had a step up from many people my age in the business because I’ve my work in Birmingham,” he says. “They treated us like adults. We weren’t treated like children.”

Alabama Spotlight shines a light on actors, dancers and other performers from around Alabama. They may be working in the state or taking their talents elsewhere.  Know of someone who should be spotlighted? Let us know at alnewscenter@outlook.com.