Alan Cumming Tells Stories & Sings Sappy Songs in Ptown & Beyond
When he isn't selling out Carnegie Hall or wowing audiences on Broadway (often as the MC in "Cabaret,") he is starring in relevant indie films or turning in Emmy worthy work on CBS's "The Good Wife" or writing honest and revelatory memoirs about his lineage. He also finds time to advocate for LGBTQ rights and is very vocal about his political feelings.
Alan Cumming is a multifarious performer and presence.
Peppered in between his filming a new feature (the upcoming, "After Louie") and playing hedgehogs for Miley Cyrus (nope, not kidding), Cumming has been touring in his acclaimed concert show, "Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs."
This month he will bring his unique awesomeness to Provincetown Town Hall on July 16th, before hitting Las Vegas and Edinburgh, later this summer (as part of the Edinburgh International Festival) and performing at the London Palladium in October.
EDGE recently spoke with the popular artist. Whether he's excitedly discussing his concert show, vehemently speaking out against the current politicos or reminiscing about his weekend with Gore Vidal, Cumming is always captivating. And honest.
Cumming to P-Town
EDGE: What is it that draws you to performing in Provincetown?
Alan Cumming: I always liked the great artistic tradition Provincetown has. I love reading about the times Tennessee Williams was there. I remember the first time I arrived there for the film festival. I walked out onto the street and John Waters nearly ran me over. It draws artists and it draws fascinating people. It's got a lovely spirit, a fun spirit. And I love all the drag queens selling their wares. It's like the ley lines of artistic America are all underneath Provincetown.
EDGE: How do you go about choosing your set?
Alan Cumming: It's a variety of things. Some of them are songs I've always wanted to sing... When I was in "Cabaret" last year I would have parties in my room. Club Cumming. And I would DJ. It was quite an eclectic set list every night. Quite a few of the songs are songs that I grew to love -- I knew there was something about them that I really connected to, but I just had to find a way into them. They come from all places. One's an old Scottish song. The show's pretty eclectic in the types of songs. I go from Miley Cyrus to Jean Renoir.
EDGE: Will it be an intimate show, just with a piano?
Alan Cumming: We have a piano and cello.
Set in Stone
EDGE: Is it all set in stone?
Alan Cumming: Yes. "The show's frozen, baby," as Ethel Merman used to say... I've been doing it since last summer. It opened at the Caf� Carlyle. ("Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, Live At The Cafe Carlyle?")
EDGE: You're a ridiculous renaissance man who thrives in all mediums: Stage, screen, TV, the concert stage. You're a celebrated author. Do you feel more creative in one area more than the others?
Alan Cumming: Yes and no. If I'm writing something I am completely in control of the entire thing. This show I feel is very personal and intimate. It's really at the apex of what I'm trying to do as an artist. It connects people. I just did a movie called, "After Louie," about this older gay man who's very involved in ACT-UP. And then he got stuck in a bubble. It's about the schism between generations of gay men. And even though I didn't write it, I felt very creative because I was bringing someone to life that -- I know people like him, but I've never seen him presented onscreen before. So that felt really great. And politically I felt very enlightened by it, so it varies.
Sometimes when you go in to do something easy, a fun job, all of a sudden you're completely energized. That's the thing. You just have to keep your heart open and keep your mind open.
Being an Activist
EDGE: I have to mention how good your performance was in the film, "Any Day Now."
Alan Cumming: I love that film. It didn't do as well here in terms of box office and attention, but it was actually huge in Japan. It made its money back. It's really fascinating how different places in the world can embrace something. It's been years now since I made it but I'm always seeing on Twitter or conversations like this how people are catching up with it. And that's great. That's the good thing about streaming, the way we watch films now. You can actually find something and it can continue to live for years. That's beautiful.
EDGE: The word "icon" is tossed around too much today, so I will use hero. You are a hero to the LGBT community. And in the wake of current events, I was wondering if you could speak a bit about your activism and your relationship with the LGBT community?
Alan Cumming: People know I'm not afraid to speak my mind and to say how I feel about things. I think this time that we're living in is really dangerous. An I've been really inspired by "Gays Against Guns." I think (they have) a great fighting spirit. But what I think is really scary right now is there's a fad, led by Donald Trump here and Nigel Farage and the BREXIT people in Britain, of espousing these really racist and fear-mongering tirades which lead to people voting for something where, once they vote for it, oops, there's no plan, there's no back up. Does Donald Trump have a plan on how he's going to get rid of those 11 million people? What, the Army's going to do that? The police? Who is going to do that? It's so dangerous to espouse views like that.
And, of course, since the BREXIT vote in Britain, all these hate crimes have shot up in the last few days. And I think we're living in a time right now where Islamaphobia, racism, homophobia, are all on the rise. And it's because we are living in a time where people in our society are encouraging people to express the very worst parts of themselves. I think we have to be really super-vigilant. As a community, we are much more geared towards being vigilant. Especially older people who've lived through different times. You feel like every advance is great, but you know how easily it could be taken away and how quickly we could be back in a situation where a huge, mass homophobic act of violence could take place. In some parts of the country people aren't prepared to admit that that's what it (Orlando) was.
The thing that got me was when Donald Trump said he "called it." That he was right. Can you imagine someone as insensitive as that being the president of this country? It's just terrifying. So we've got to be vigilant. But I've been really encouraged by this groundswell of activism.
Discovering His Father
EDGE: What has the reaction been to your memoir, "Not My Father's Son," which is about the journey you took discovering things about yourself and your father?
Alan Cumming: Entirely positive beyond my wildest dreams. I was really anxious about how people would react to suddenly seeing me in a different way, realigning myself in the world. And, more so, how it would affect my mom and my brother. And it couldn't have been a more positive an experience for them because they got this wave of support and admiration all over the world. But most of all, I'm still getting this feedback, people saying because you spoke out it's given me the confidence to address something in my family...
I was doing a concert in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday and I was signing autographs afterwards and this girl came up to me and said, 'I read your book and it gave me the confidence to come out as bisexual to my family.' Things like that have been so moving and powerful. And such a surprise. I didn't think it would have that kind of effect. I was so nervous about my own journey, but it's been a really tremendous experience.
I've got a new one coming out in September called 'You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams.' It's more fun. It's more stories that have happened to me. More show-bizzy things and all based around photographs I have taken. It comes out September 13th.
EDGE: 'Cabaret!' You've been involved in this musical in one incarnation or another since you were very young and there are so many possible questions but, having seen the stunning 1998 revival with you opposite the late Natasha Richardson, I wanted to ask what it was like working with her.
Alan Cumming: She was great! I came to New York not knowing anyone. I had done the show before but I was on my own. And because of her whole background, she was this iconic person to me. I thought she was just great and she gave a towering performance in that role. I always remember that at the Tonys where we both won, I was coming back to sit in my seat after we had performed and she had just won. And I saw her in the elevator and she just cried in my arms, and she said it was for her dad. He was called Tony (Richardson). And he had died of AIDS. And I remember thinking in that moment how we were both so vulnerable. It was such a big, big moment for us both. It was a huge thing to happen. Incredible, actually. And she was hilarious. Very funny and very kind.
His Gore Vidal Connection
EDGE: Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about one of the most fascinating figures of the last century, Gore Vidal, since you met with him.
Alan Cumming: Well, actually, in my book there's a whole essay called, 'I'm Writing This Because Gore Vidal Told Me To.' It's what I wanted to call the book but the publishers wouldn't let me because it's too long a title... I worked with Gore, I did a reading of a play of his and I met him and we stayed friends. He said to come visit him in Italy. So I was in Milan doing something, and I went to visit him, and I had this insane weekend, absolutely drunken insane, naughty weekend with him, some of which (I share).
There's still more to tell, actually. It's a really interesting story, because it was about him trying to tell me he'd never loved. The story itself is a discussion about sex and love with Gore Vidal over the course of this weekend. And the photo is the set list for his memorial service, because I was asked to speak at that. So I start with that and then go back to this mad, drunk weekend. And I call it that because I had just finished a novel I wrote, and he said to me, 'Why are you writing a novel? You're not a novelist. You travel around the world and meet fascinating people like me. Write about that!' So, I did. And that's why I called it, "I'm Writing This Because Gore Vidal Told Me To."
For more information about Alan Cumming and to get tickets for 'Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs' at Provincetown's Town Hall, Saturday, July 16, visit his webpage.