Davis Haines, who grew up in Birmingham and graduated from Mountain Brook High School, was a fixture at Red Mountain Theatre during his childhood.

But after high school, he moved first to New York and then to Chicago, where, among other things, he performed in a funk band with his twin brother, Charles.

After a few years in the Windy City – which included a nearly fatal biking accident – Haines and his wife, Leeann, moved first to Los Angeles for a couple of years and then New York, where Leeann was in graduate school at New York University.

But the pandemic brought them back to Birmingham.

“We were very close to taking over a small business, an early learning center, on Roosevelt Island, but the pandemic put an end to the discussion,” Haines says. “We also had a 5-month-old at the time, and New York is and was so expensive, so we made the difficult decision to leave and come here to be near family.”

Davis Haines’ previous roles at Red Mountain Theatre included Charlie Price, the shoemaker, in ‘Kinky Boots.’ (Stewart Edmonds / Red Mountain Theatre)

New York’s loss has been Birmingham theater’s gain. Post-pandemic, Haines picked up where he left off, and in the past couple of years, he helped RMT open its new theater complex in a couple of small shows and starred in the theater’s holiday show and productions of “Once” and “Kinky Boots.” He’s now starring in RMT’s “Bright Star,” which opens Friday and runs through April 16.

“This has been a thrilling season for me, personally,” he said. “’Once’ was one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever gotten to work on. As both a musician and actor, shows where I get to explore both of those crafts is really exciting to me.”

Then came “Kinky Boots,” in which Haines played Charlie Price, who breathes new life into his family’s shoemaking business by finding a new niche – making spectacular shoes for drag performers.

“It was one of the more challenging tracks I’ve done as a performer since I barely left the stage, but it was super fun and rewarding.”

Now, he’s on stage in “Bright Star,” a folk musical written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.

In Birmingham, the ensemble cast includes Kyle Holman, Kristen Campbell, Scott Stewart, Jessie Kisor, Kelli Dodd, Amy Johnson, Regina Harbour, Dennis McLernon, Anastas Varinos and others.

Haines had been a fan of the show since he and Leeann saw the national tour starring Birmingham’s Audrey Cardwell, a friend of Haines’ since their RMT days.

“My favorite shows to do are the smaller ones, where the ensemble is intricately involved in the piece,” Haines said. “This cast has been amazing. … This feels like a special cast, and I can’t wait for audiences to see it.”

He finds it difficult to describe the musical – set in the South in the 1920s and ‘40s – without giving key plot points away.

“I usually describe it as a bluegrass musical written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Paul Simon’s wife, and then I follow it up with, ‘Trust me, you will enjoy it,’” Haines said. “I try to keep it simple because the nature of the plot is such that too much information can take away some really exciting twists.”

David Haines, shown here in the Red Mountain Theatre production of ‘Kinky Boots,’ moved back to Birmingham from New York City with his wife, Leann, after the pandemic began. He has enjoyed the variety of roles he is playing for RMT. (Stewart Edmonds / Red Mountain Theatre)

Though Haines has been busy onstage, he’s been even busier offstage with several “day jobs.” He’s the recruitment coordinator for UAB’s Department of Theatre, a music teacher for young children at Fiddlesticks Music and the director of creative worship at Bluff Park United Methodist Church.

He and Leeann are also parents to 3-year-old Tallulah and 6-week-old Hep, “two beautiful dreams come true.”

Haines doesn’t know if he and his family are back in Birmingham for good, but he’s looking forward to more shows at RMT and other theaters, both in Birmingham and, possibly, out of town.

Right now, he’s just enjoying the theatrical ride.

“Going from ‘Once’ to ‘Kinky Boots’ to ‘Bright Star’ has been a blast,” Haines said. “From a band at a bar in Dublin to a shoe factory in England to a magazine publisher in North Carolina, I feel I am living the dream as an actor, living in so many worlds.”