The Flint Journal -
Actress and singer Bethany Joy Lenz is seeing life imitate art.
One of the stars of the WB network's Tuesday night teen soap opera "One Tree Hill," Lenz plays Haley, who left her new husband, Nathan, to join Chris Keller and the Wreckers band on tour.
Now there's a real-life "One Tree Hill" concert tour and the headlining band is ... you guessed it ... the Wreckers, whose members include real music star (and mom-to-be) Michelle Branch and the guy who plays Chris Keller, emerging pop star Tyler Hilton.
The show's show comes to the Royal Oak Music Theatre at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
"They gave me a phone call and I thought, 'Wow. This is a really cool opportunity.' I love to sing and write and play, but I never really pursued it. I was when I was living in New York but it just wasn't the right timing," Lenz said.
"I had put together a little band and played at clubs like the Knitting Factory. Things were moving along, but I was also running out of money. So I thought I had to move to L.A. and start acting because I'm not making any money anymore. I had to drop the ball on that and move to L.A. Luckily, it came back around."
The 23-city "One Tree Hill" tour is all about timing. Lenz is juggling the tour dates with the show's filming schedule in Wilmington, N.C. (new episodes return April 12). Although Lenz's character has been absent from recent shows - because of The Wreckers' storyline - she will return to "One Tree Hill" in mid-April.
"We're flying back and forth between all the gigs. It definitely gets exhausting," she said. "I'm trudging on, though, and we're having fun. I really had no expectations for it. It's been a pleasant surprise for sure - the friendships that you build along the way. Everybody that is a part of this tour has really been a dream. They're so nice and friendly and helpful."
Hilton, a musician for seven years, echoes that sentiment. Hilton, who stars as Elvis Presley in the upcoming Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," is pushing his CD, "The Tracks Of," his debut for Maverick Records.
"I think it's kind of neat. It's definitely different. It's new. It's kind of cool to see the idea come about and see the light slowly turn on in all of our heads. It's very cool to be a part of this," he said. "The jury's still out (on) how it's going to go. So far it's been going great. The crowds have been amazing."
Lenz said the tour shows how television and music can market one another.
"It's an opportunity for people to hear stuff that's not on the Top 100, or Top 40, or on the radio," Lenz said. "I think everybody gets sick of those (songs) after awhile. I know I do. I don't listen to the radio much. However, it's a double-edged sword. Every artist hopes to get their song on the radio. At the same time, it's a cool new venue for artists to push their music."
- Christina Fuoco
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