A.J. Holmes The hottest ticket in town is for an event Tues., Feb. 21 through Sun., Feb. 26—the Theater League’s presentation of Mel Brooks’ nationally touring and wickedly funny Broadway musical “Young Frankenstein” starring Conejo Valley native A.J. (Andrew James) Holmes in the leading role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.

Born 22 years ago at Westlake Hospital, Holmes was also born to the boards. Growing up in Agoura Hills, he spent his early years as a child actor on stage at the Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks.

His parents, Devery and Jim Holmes, acted in and directed productions there featuring their son, including “Big: The Musical” in 2001 and “Once Upon a Mattress” in 2005.

In 1999 and 2005, A. J. Holmes received the Dick Johnson Educational Award from the Conejo Players, in recognition of his dedication to the theater and his acting abilities.

“A.J. was a natural on the stage and showed so much promise as an actor from the beginning,” said Conejo Players director emeritus Dick Johnson. “He was a positive, professional kid and brought a high level of energy to the theater.”

Holmes’ energy came from his passion for the stage.

“I loved everything about the Conejo Players Theatre. Watching my parents onstage directing and performing in productions . . . was the life I wanted,” said A. J. in a recent phone interview from Ann Arbor, Mich., where he was taking a break for a few days from the national road tour of “Young Frankenstein,” produced by NETworks Presentations.

On the road since last November, Holmes will sing and dance as the lead in the production through August. The tour wi l l take him across the United States from New London, Conn., to Thousand Oaks and hundreds of medium-size cities in between.

No stranger to the hard work of a creative life, Holmes has been consumed with music, acting and creating his own productions since his start at the Conejo Players Theatre.

He started playing piano at a young age and took up the trombone in sixth grade as a student of Lindero Middle School.

“He was an absolute delight to teach,” said Matt McKagen, the school band’s director.

McKagen thought Holmes showed signs of pursuing a musical career even then.

“He loved music and went on to form his own jazz band and perform at the Reno Jazz Festival. You could tell that he was going to go places,” McKagen said.

During his years at Agoura High School, Holmes co-wrote, directed and acted in an original science fiction musical comedy film, “Doppelgangers,” which was screened at the Westlake Village Twin movie theater in the of summer 2007 after he graduated from high school.

The year before, in May 2006, he directed and co-starred in the student production of Jason Robert Brown’s unconventional Tony-winning musical “Songs for A New World,” which was presented at AHS.

In 2009 he co- wrote the lyrics and music for a popular YouTube video, StarKid Production’s “A Very Potter Musical,” starring “Glee” headliner Darren Criss.

Holmes says it was his decision to attend the University of Michigan for further training and study after high school that made all the difference

Mentored in high school by AHS music director John Mosley, Holmes was encouraged to pursue a career in musical theater.

“He had everything,” Mosley said. “He not only could play musical instruments well, but he also had a great singing voice, could dance and was a very good actor.”

Mosley made sure the University of Michigan knew this.

“He had the whole package, and I wrote this in my recommendations to the university.”

Holmes also wanted the Wolverines as his alma mater.

“I’d seen UM listed in the playbill credits of many actors I’d watched, so I knew that would be the best place for musical theater training,” said Holmes, who also considered the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in Pittsburgh.

Michigan won out. While there, Holmes was awarded Student of the Year in 2011 for his accomplishments, including rewriting the school song, “Hail to the Victors,” which was performed for President Obama when he spoke at the graduation of the Class of 2010.

The clincher for Holmes was UM’s senior student showcase at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York.

“It’s basically a two-day review and audition held at the Alvin Ailey by the university that puts you in front of musical theater’s hiring authorities,” Holmes said. “It’s attended by New York agents, managers, producers and talent scouts. You’re seen by the best, and they’re looking for new people for upcoming productions.”

On the second day of the review, two months before graduating and before he’d knocked on a single door, Holmes was hired for the lead in the touring company for the hit show “Young Frankenstein: The Musical.”

Holmes says he is living his dream.

Is there a downside to visiting city after city on a 10-month tour of almost every state in the union as the lead in a famous musical?

Holmes says that sometimes it’s hard to heed the 5 a.m. call to board the bus for the next destination, but only for a fleeting moment and it’s all in a day’s work.

Tickets for “ Young Frankenstein: The Musical” start at $49 and are available at www.theaterleague.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office or by calling (800) 745-3000.