BWW Interviews: Carson Kressley Talks 'Runway,' 'CHAPERONE' and More

Most people will remember Carson Kressley from television's "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy". He was the more outrageous of the so-called Fab Five and was the show's fashion guru. Talking to him on the phone proved that he's not exactly like that. At least not nowadays. He proved to be genial, intelligent and much more of a sweetheart than anyone would expect from his television image. He was eager to chat about his background, his stage acting and his participation in "Broadway Takes The Runway" which takes place on October 4th.

The native of Allentown, PA became interested in the fashion industry through his mother's influence. "Yes, I was born in Allentown. I was almost Amish All of my relatives are Pennsylvania Dutch; they're a group that is very conservative. I had a very nice childhood and grew up in a farming town with a very glamorous mother. Like so many little gay boys I'd watch her get ready to go out to dinner in a tasteful orange pant suit or a knock-off Bob Mackie evening gown when she was going to a cocktail party or something. You know, the 70's were pretty glamorous and people still kindda got dressed up back then. Even if you didn't live in New York City, if you got invited to a party, you put on a long gown and went out. So I grew up watching her do that."

Kressley attended Gettysburg College, where he was awarded a business degree as well as a fine arts degree. He also played minor roles in the college dramatic productions. After graduation, he knew he wanted to move to Manhattan and got himself a job with Ralph Lauren. "I really wanted to work in one of the fashion houses even though I didn't have a fashion background. I had a lot of enthusiasm for it, though. Ralph Lauren was one of the companies I admired for their corporate culture which had been very successful in building their brand."

He continues by explaining that a woman who went to his gym was one of the chief headhunters in the Lauren company. "One day I came into the gym all Laurened-out; I even had a plaid basketball under my arm. The woman looked at me and said, ‘You know, you should really work for Ralph Lauren.' I responded, ‘Well, you should get me a job there.' A couple of weeks later I had an interview. Ultimately they hired me on an entry-level position and I worked my way up onto the design team and later the advertising team. That eventually led to ‘Queer Eye' if you can believe it!"

"Queer Eye For the Straight Guy" began with two men in Boston," Kressely explains. "One of them was straight and the other was gay. They were out together one night; going to a gallery opening and they were in the television business and had done a couple of regional shows for public television in Boston. They went out to have a drink or a cigarette or something and a woman was leaving with her husband. She was kind of miffed at him because he showed up at the gallery opening looking bad. She pointed to two television producers and said, ‘Why can't you be more like them? Why can't you be more like the gay men?' That's when the lightbulb lit up over the heads of the two of them and they thought it would be fun to do a make-over show where gay guys find straight guys and teach them how to dress, cook, how to have some culture and how to decorate their homes with an element of taste and class. That's how the show was born."

It wasn't until Bravo TV expressed an interest in it that a pilot was taped. Someone at Ralph Lauren heard about the pilot being shot and urgEd Kressley to audition. "Of course, I told my boss that I was going to the dentist, but I took time off and went downtown to try-out. They really liked me and kept bringing me back once a week while they found the other cast members. After about six weeks they announced that they'd actually be making the pilot. That was in Boston in 2002. I told my boss at Ralph Lauren that I was going to do this project and I would use my vacation time to do it. I explained that nothing would probably come of it and it would just mean taking a few weeks' vacation a bit earlier than I planned. She was very understanding and told me to go ahead and do it."

Once the pilot was finished, Kressley pretty much forgot about it. "About that time Bravo was purchased by NBC and there was a lot of corporate turn-over with the network executives and the show sat on the shelf for almost a year. Finally the new leadership at Bravo decided that they really liked "Queer Eye" and announced that they were going to make it into a series. When the producers called and asked if I was ready to quit my job, I asked what kind of dental program they had. When they responded that they had none and I said, ‘Yikes!' It was quite a gamble to quit a job that had all those benefits and then some to work for five weeks on a new show that might go nowhere. I was really lucky that it didn't. It really took off. It turned out to be an amazing roller coaster ride, but it's been mostly fun ever since then."

Carson Kressley is still a familiar face to television viewers. He's had his own show called "How To Look Good Naked" and frequently shows up on QVC to promote his Perfect Clothing Line. "That's really a great opportunity because my first love is really fashion. Being able to design a collection and then sell it on TV is great because I get to interact with the customers one-on-one and discuss with them color trends and how to put things together. I find that people are really hungry for information whether it's fashion or decorating or whatever. Being able to show them how to wear it and how to enjoy it is a great luxury for a designer."

Putting all those college drama courses to good use, Carson Kressley recently appeared as The Man In The Chair in the Ogunquit Playhouse's summer production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. It was an experience he enjoyed immensely. "It was absolutely the most positive working experience I ever had! I glow when I talk about that show because it was such a great experience. It was like a dream. Casey Hushion was the director and I believe she worked as an assistant director of the original Broadway version as well as its tour. She is also involved with the current production of IN THE HEIGHTS. I was actually filled with trepidation when I was asked to do this because I'd never done any stage work other than a few small parts in college. I was pretty nervous about being the lead in a major musical. In addition to learning all the+ dialogue, I had to do a few dances and sing one song. All of that was out of my comfort zone. I thought it was a great opportunity and I love Maine. I was charmed by the history of The Ogunquit Playhouse; you know Bette Davis had performed there."

Kressley continues, "From the very first day of rehearsals with Casey, she showed the most positive spirit and had a unique way of getting the absolutely best performances out of everyone in a wonderful way. I felt that I was in really great hands. That made all the difference in the world. The people who worked on that show were absolutely sensational, in addition to being friendly, wonderful and nice. Everyone from the guys who built the set to the staff who ran the theatre, was gracious, warm and glad that I was there."

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE also allowed Carson Kressley to work with Georgia Engle who reprised the role of Mrs. Tottendale, which she originated on Broadway. "She's an absolute doll, and so very positive. It all sort of rubs off on you."

Kressley wound up getting some very good reviews for all of his hard work, with the Portland Press Herald declaring he was "perfect" in the role. He also admits that the part was an easy fit for him, adding, "and that helps." The only bad thing about it was the dowdy outfit he had to wear. "I wore two baggy sweaters; a sweater vest and a cardigan!" He adds, "It was a great time and I would love to do it again. Hopefully I will. I don't know how it could be any better because the character was so great for me and the venue was so wonderful."

The actual purpose for this conversation, though, was the benefit for the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation. It's actually the second benefit he's been involved with for the group. "Al Rodriquez was a very close friend of mine who was a Broadway stage actor as well as a film actor. He enjoyed that life and loved to perform. Two summers ago he was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. It didn't come from drug or alcohol abuse. It came because he'd been exposed to hepatitis when he was 18. When a person is exposed to hepatitis, especially certain strains of it, that person becomes very susceptible to liver cancer. Because he was an actor, he didn't have sufficient health care coverage. When he was 18 he didn't even have the hepatitis vaccination and that made him all the more susceptible to liver cancer. Al did, in fact, develop it and it was very aggressive. He died about six weeks later."

Kressley continued by saying, "A group of his friends, including me and Broadway actress Sara Ramirez, decided to help make a difference and to honor his memory. We established a foundation with the mission to educate people about the link between hepatitis and liver cancer as well as encouraging people to be screened and vaccinated for hepatitis. Our motto is "Screen, Vaccinate, Don't Hesitate". The charity's been up and running for about two years. Last summer we did a benefit on Fire Island with Sara and some other Broadway singers. I hosted that."

The Fire Island concert was successful enough to prompt Kressely and Ramirez to decide they wanted to try something bigger in New York. "Al loved fashion and glamour. He loved to do drag, so we decided to do something mixing fashion and Broadway. We're hoping to combine the two worlds. As a result, ‘Broadway Takes The Runway' will feature high end fashion. We're going to have great designers dressing up Broadway divas and obviously they're going to be on the runway. The difference here is that instead of walking the runway, they'll be singing on it."

At the Tony Awards, Kressley was struck by people saying that they didn't know who the designers were. "That's insane because there's nothing more glamorous than both Broadway and the fashion world," he said. "So we're trying to bring those two communities together with this event. They're very similar in many respects." Among the participants will be Sara Ramirez (SPAMALOT), of course, as well as Billy Porter (ANGELS IN AMERICA) and the following Broadway talent: Tony Award winner Montego Glover (MEMPHIS), Tony Award winner Robin DeJesus (IN THE HEIGHTS, LA CAGE), Natalie Weiss (EVERYDAY RAPTURE), Michael Park (SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ) and Christopher Jackson (IN THE HEIGHTS). Other special guests are expected to attend. Schele Willliams is directing the show and Mary Mitchell Campbell is musical director.

"It'll be a great evening of great fashion and great music. Hopefully we'll raise a lot of money to help people get vaccinated and treated. We've already screened many people through the Actor's Fund who we partnered with in their show. We hope to raise enough to vaccinate those people who come in to the clinic and perhaps don't have great medical coverage. One person being vaccinaTed May turn out to be one person who doesn't develop liver cancer and won't have to go through what Al experienced." (For more information about this event, go to www.broadwaytakestherunway.com)

With his newly honed stage skills and his association with so many of Broadway's brightest talent, would Carson Kressley ever consider doing a Broadway show if it was offered to him? He responds with an emphatic "Yes!" and it was suggested that with the revolving door casts of a show like CHICAGO, he might fit in nicely for a 10 week stint.

Kressley considers this for a moment and suggests, "Well, maybe they'd offer me the role of Mary Sunshine and allow me to re-do her couture!" Why not?

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For more information about Carson Kressley, go to www.carsonkressley.com

For more information about the Oqunquit Playhouse go to  www.oqunquitplayhouse.org

 

Photos: Kressley in The Drowsy Chaperone by Jay Goldsmith