Meet The Cast: Taylor Bloom as Paul Simon
Taylor Bloom is an actor and creator based out of New York City. One of five brothers, he was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley near Middletown, Virginia, but it was his time at Shenandoah Conservatory College that instilled his love for acting, writing and directing.
Taylor grew up around music. His mother played artists like Cat Stevens, Dan Fogleburg, and James Taylor whenever they were in the car, and his brother Joe taught him to play guitar while showing him the structure and functions of music.
When asked about his earliest memories of Simon & Garfunkel, Taylor remembered the first time he heard the song “America.”
“I was in my teens and I had no idea what I was listening to, but I remember thinking ‘whoa, this is amazing!’”
After spending years performing as an actor and singer, Taylor noticed an audition posted for The Simon & Garfunkel Story and immediately began training.
“Usually, I’m just acting and singing. I thought Simon & Garfunkel would be a fun and rare opportunity to put my talents and my guitar skills to work.”
After getting the gig, Taylor spent the next few weeks furiously tearing through Simon & Garfunkel records in order to become familiar with all of their music. But it was his time with the cast that transcended his performance.
“It took lots and lots of practice to seal our performance together. Working side-by-side with Ben Cooley (who plays Art), and with the band, propelled us. Performing with six people every night, and an audience, is a collective high wire act that takes tremendous focus and relaxation.”
While the work has been intensive, Taylor explains there’s an energy that comes from playing these musical legends.
“I have a privilege that few have ever enjoyed. I get to play some of the greatest music ever written every night, backed by a marvelous band, and performed to exacting detail before an audience of adoring fans. I am forever indebted to Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for that. It comes with pressure, though. Not only to do the music justice but to do the band justice.”
Taylor tends to lean into his biggest inspirations, Ben Platt and his four siblings, when feeling the pressure. He also finds peace in listening to Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, and John Mayer, playing the ukulele and piano, and writing music for his band Coastline when he’s not in character. His favorite song to perform on the stage is “The Sound of Silence.”
“This is my first tour so exploring the states throughout all of this is really exciting. We have seen some amazing places, rural and urban, new and old. In recent memory, we had a day off in Nashville, which as you can imagine, is like Disney World for touring musicians because musicians are fans first. We got to enjoy some proper country at Robert’s Western World and it was fantastic! I’ve never been west of the east coast so I can’t wait to see more of the country. Tell everyone to come out and see us!”
