This is the second of a three-part series that focuses on siblings Caleb (a senior) and Kensington (a sophomore) Van Hook and their vast experience performing in live musical and theatrical productions nationwide since they were children. In this story, copy editor Serenity Li profiles the older sibling and whether he plans to stick with the entertainment business for his college and career goals.
He’s been seen waving his arms and exclaiming about “kids these days,” zooming around the room with an aviator’s hat and goggles on and cracking jokes in a cockney accent.
This isn’t a case of alter egos – this is an actor. Senior Caleb Van Hook has played many comical roles in his performances, which he says he draws inspiration from professional actors like Jaleel White and Danny DeVito.
Like the two, who are well known for their comedic roles, Van Hook said he aims to make a career out of acting but would want to find his own acting style and take inspiration from a spectrum of different sources.
So far, Van Hook’s performance resume spans a variety of roles in over 30 performances ranging from Bert in “Mary Poppins” to Buddy in “Elf: The Musical” to Puck in William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” Out of the 30, Caleb was a lead role two times: Buddy in 2023, Bert in 2024 and, as of Tuesday, Nov. 12, will perform as the Nutcracker on Dec. 19.
This weekend, the senior continues his performance as Harry McAfee in the musical comedy “Bye Bye Birdie,” first performed on Broadway in 1963 and now performed by the actors and actresses of Spero Program for the Performing Arts. This will be Van Hook’s last year performing in children’s theater organizations like Spero.
“Bye Bye Birdie” ends its run with a show on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m and two shows on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2 and 7 p.m. at Hope International University in Fullerton.
“Caleb is so in character, from his voice to his movements, he really brings the stereotypical ‘1950’s dad’ to life. He has great comedic timing and musicality,” said sophomore Abigail Veyna, who performed in the same musical with them.
Besides their fellow actors, those in the audience had positive comments about the musical even if they didn’t know Van Hook and his sister, who plays Harry McAfee’s daughter, Kim McAfee, in the musical, as much.
“I thought the performance was fun, exciting and entertaining; the humor was great and the actors were extremely talented,” said junior Gwyneth Morrell, who only knows of the siblings through a mutual friend. “Caleb was hilarious, as per usual, and [his sister’s] acting and singing in the lead role was amazing.”
CENTER STAGE
Caleb Van Hook said he first got hooked on live performance when he was 6 years old after getting cast in his first production, “The Boxcar Children,” as Benny in South Bend, Indiana as part of the South Bend Civic Theater when the family was there for the father to get his PhD in political theory and constitutional studies.
“Since my first show, I just latched onto [theater],” Van Hook said. “I love all aspects of theater: the directing, acting, stage management, choreographing – all of it.”
The Van Hook traveled from Indiana, where the Van Hooks’ father was getting his PhD, to Colorado, where he worked at the Air Force Academy and settled in California where, as of Monday, Nov. 12, he works at Biola University as an assistant director of recruitment and marketing and a Torrey associate professor at Biola University in La Mirada.
The senior was enrolled in Sunny Hills after the family moved to California in 2021. Van Hook said he developed the confidence to go on stage after taking theater classes in 2012 when he was around 5 years old.
“I saw my brother in an acting class and I, being the little brother I was, wanted to do it for myself,” the younger Van Hook brother said. “I wanted to be the Crocodile [in a 15-minute version of ‘Peter Pan’].”
The senior said he also learned early on that he had an advantage being one of the few boys joining a children’s theater troupe. In fact, that’s how he got cast to play the lead role in that brief “Peter Pan” adaptation at a children’s community theater company called Academy of Children’s Theatre in Colorado Springs.
“A ton of my friends in theater are girls, and it’s nice because it’s not like if [they] get this role I won’t get this role,” Van Hook said.
Besides his early desire to follow in his brother’s footsteps, the Broadway musical, “Wicked,” became an inspiration for the aspiring professional actor when he watched it at 7 years old while the family lived in Indiana in 2013.
“When I saw the Broadway show of ‘Wicked’ and figured out that you could be paid to act, the rest was history,” the senior said. “I really poured myself into gaining important theater skills – dance, acting, and vocal training – to be the best I could be.”
Van Hook also participated in a few more acting classes such as “Winnie the Pooh.” After moving back to Colorado from Indiana, he participated in the classes for “Annie,” “Willy Wonka” and “Into the Woods” with the Academy of Children’s Theater and joined their productions of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” as Edmund’s understudy and “Willy Wonka” as Augustus Gloop.
“I never really thought about quitting; I found a hobby that I really loved and just haven’t gone back,” Van Hook said.
After his first two acting classes in Colorado, Van Hook performed in his first full length play, “The Boxcar Children” and musical “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” when the family moved to Indiana. After they moved back to Colorado due to the father’s occupation, the senior continued in his acting classes at the Academy of Children’s Theater.
He also performed other musicals like Mary Poppins, Music Man and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Colorado at multiple companies like Colorado Ballet Society and ACT II. After another move to California for the same reason, Van Hook joined Spero in their production of “Wizard of Oz” as Scarecrow and his eventual role as Harry McAfee in “Bye Bye Birdie.”
ENTER STAGE LEFT
The senior first joined the school’s theater program in his freshman year when he auditioned to enroll in English and theater teacher Christian Penuelas’ Theater 2 and 3 class, the drama teacher said.
“He performed a monologue, and I just remember thinking he was very talented and professional,” Penuelas said. “I could tell he had theatrical experience.”
Van Hook also joined the SH improv team in 2023, the beginning of his junior year; besides polishing on his acting skills on campus, Caleb Van Hook said he didn’t mind being the rare male student in a predominantly female class for Dance 2 in his freshman year and Dance 3 from sophomore year to this school year.
“I think it is pretty cool to be one of the only guys in dance,” Caleb Van Hook said. “I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone and especially the other guys because it feels like we have a special bond because there are so few of us.”
In his sophomore year, Van Hook was excited to perform in an SH musical and decided to audition for the spring musical of “The Sound of Music” for the role of Uncle Max, but Penuelas cast him as Rolf Gruber instead.
“I feel like it is fun to perform in front of SH students, teachers and parents because I am familiar with a lot of them, and it is fun to get to perform for people I already know,” the senior said. “I feel like I know a lot of people and many of them have seen me in dance concerts, so it’s fun to show them a different side of [myself].”
One of those people is sophomore Leah Nyberg, who has been friends with Caleb for a year ever since they performed in “The Little Mermaid” together in July 2023.
“I think it’s crazy seeing Caleb onstage; he’s really good at getting into character,” Nyberg said. “I don’t see Caleb; I see whatever role he’s playing, and he can still make me laugh even if I’ve seen the show 100 times.”
EXIT STAGE RIGHT
As of last month, Van Hook said he has applied as a theater/musical theater major to a variety of private colleges nationwide – Abilene Christian University in Texas, Belmont University in Tennessee, Cal Baptist University in Riverside and Syracuse University in New York). Out of 50 colleges on his list, he said he did research to find which colleges were the best fit for him.
“My top colleges really just stood out to me more than all the others; my top school, Abilene Christian University, really just bubbled to the top of the list,” the senior said. “I am a Christian, and I think it is very important to get that strong faith backing as I head out into the rest of my life and into my chosen profession, so that is one of the reasons it is my top school.
Michelle Van Hook said she has seen her son’s hard work over the years to improve his dancing.
“He was already gifted in acting and singing but he has worked for years on his dancing and so it’s been so fun seeing that come through as an equal strength,” their mother said.
As for the senior’s father, Matt Van Hook, he has shared how — not only Caleb Van Hook but — all his children have led him back to his love for theater.
“I love the joy they found in theater and the performing arts at a young age and want to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to continue to grow in their craft,” Matt Van Hook said. “I am so proud that they have outshined all of us by more than I could possibly express! “
Penuelas also has high hopes for his student.
“He’s definitely someone who I can absolutely see working in [the theater] industry,” Penuelas, who plans to see “Bye Bye Birdie” on either Nov. 15 or 16, said. “I would not be surprised to see him [at] a professional show 5-10 years from now.”
Caleb Van Hook acknowledged his family as his biggest supporters and that he is blessed with directors to help him grow as an actor.
“I am so blessed to have such a supportive family and directors, who have helped me learn and give me the confidence I need to pursue my goals,” Caleb Van Hook said.
The senior plans to use his talent to share fun and powerful stories on the stage and also regards it as an opportunity to share his faith in God to others, he said. Among all musicals, the senior says his favorite is Mary Poppins but also likes Newsies because of its emphasis in dance and strong vocals.
“I have always wanted to be in Newsies on Broadway; I would just want to be a dancer, but that show just has such a special place in my heart,” Caleb Van Hook said. “It would be so cool to be my debut. I would also love the chance to be Bert in Mary Poppins and ensemble in Wicked and Hairspray, [and] I think all of those shows would be a dream come true.”
Those interested in watching the Van Hooks’ performance in “Bye Bye Birdie” can purchase $15 tickets from the Spero website. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
