Interview with Kevin Cahoon.
Who will be appearing in The Baker’s Wife at The York Theater this weekend. Tickets are still available for Saturday but Friday and Sunday are sold out.
Singer, songwriter, actor Kevin Cahoon and his band Ghetto
Cowboy have become one of the most buzzed about new music
events in New York City's downtown music scene, having played
packed shows in such venues as Irving Plaza, CBGB's, Don
Hill's, Ars Nova, Joe's Pub, among others. Their debut album
'Doll' has received The Outmusic Award for Best Male Debut
Recording, The Pabst Blue Ribbon NYC Band Search Award,
and Honorable Mention from Billboard Magazine for it's Songwriting.
Their videos for their songs 'Doll' and 'Fashionista' can
be seen in rotation on LOGO.
As an actor, Kevin has appeared on Broadway in 'The Who's
Tommy', Ed the hyena in the Original Cast of 'The Lion King',
'The Rocky Horror Show', The Child Catcher in 'Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang', and George in 'The Wedding Singer'. Off-Broadway
credits include the role of Phil D'Armano in Manhattan Theatre
Clubs' production of 'The Wild Party', Hedwig in 'Hedwig
and The Angry Inch, and Ellard in The Roundabout Theatre's
production of 'The Foreigner' for which he received a Lucille
Lortel Award Nomination. Numerous regional theatre, television,
and film credits include The Guthrie Theatre, Ross Rothman
on ABC's 'Six Degrees', and Woody Allen's 'The Curse of
the Jade Scorpion'. (From www.kevincahoon.com)
Corine Cohen:Hi, Kevin when did you know you wanted
to be a singer/actor?
Kevin Cahoon: I grew up doing it. I did my first commercial at nine. My first professional theater at age 10 and when I was 13 I won Star Search for singer of the year. That sort of introduced me to New York and I auditioned for things in New York.
Corine Cohen: WOW! I wish I saw you in that. Where did you grow up?
Kevin: In Houston.
Corine: Hedwig is one of my favorite productions.
Kevin: It has an incredible score! And an incredible story!
Corine: Was that your favorite role?
Kevin: You know, it was the biggest challenge and I was 27, I guess at the time. I had left Lion King.
Corine: You don’t look like you are older than 27 now!
Kevin: Well, thanks!! I’m not. (Laughs) I was in Lion King and I went on my night off to see Hedwig. And I auditioned and left the Lion King to go and do that.
Corine: You should have done the movie!
Kevin: I would have loved to have been. I know it was a lot of Canadian actors because they shot it in Canada! I did it in New York and then I opened the Boston company and than back in New York. While, I was rehearsing The Wild Party during the day and then would do Hedwig at night.
Corine: I thought I saw you in that!
Kevin: At MTC. And then I did the Edinburgh Festival.
Corine: Wow.
Kevin: And then I opened in San Francisco and it kept getting
extended so I was there for 8 months. So I had a little
journey with Hedwig.
Corine: So, it was the most challenging role? What would you say was your favorite role?
Kevin: It would have to be Hedwig or Ellard in the Foreigner
at the Roundabout Theater Company. With Matthew Broderick
and Frances Sternhagen. It was not a musical it was a play.
I am endeared to both of those characters. I love both shows.
They have such heart. A huge, huge heart! You have Hedwig
who has sacrificed everything for freedom and love and then
you have Ellard who is just dying for attention and love
and Ellard blossoms and Hedwig does too, moving forward
at the end.
Corine: Tell me about The Wedding Singer! I was dying
to interview you when youwere in The Wedding Singer!
Kevin: I loved doing Wedding Singer! It was fun to play
George.
Corine: Tell me about your band Ghetto Cowboy!
Kevin: We have one CD that was released Nationwide called
DOLL. It was great, we had such great distribution and such
great press. I love playing the live shows at Joe’s
Pub, The Ars Nova and all those great venues.
Corine: Tell me about Rocky Horror! Do you relate to Franknfurter?
Kevin: The great thing about Rocky Horror is you have the liberty to go with anything that comes your way. With Rocky Horror it is really anything goes! And there is an element of danger with it.
Corine: I saw you in the recent benefit. I loved the costumes that MP did for the show.
Kevin: They were great. We put that show together in a day
so…
Corine: You didn’t look it. You were so fantastic in
the role. I wish I had seen you in the role on Broadway.
Did you ever get a Drama Desk Award?
Kevin: No. I did get a Lortel nomination for the Foreigner. And then I did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Corine: I saw you in that. It was my nephew's first Broadway show and he loved it.
Kevin: Was he scared?
Corine: He was three years old. He was. But he loved
it. He loves the bad guys and wanted to get you. It was
so hysterical. You were really scary in that. The make up
and costume was really frightening. Was it fun?
Kevin: It was a blast! That company was so wonderful.
Corine: How was it working with Raul Esparza?
Kevin: We have worked twice now. We did Rocky Horror and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He’s great! O man, he is so talented.
Corine: You had a fun part.
Kevin: I got to fly out at the end. It was a pretty cake part. I loved it!
Corine: But Hedwig and Ellard were your favorite parts.
Kevin: Yeah. I really related to them the most. Also, I had never done a play in New York before. I always wanted to work with Roundabout so it was really cool.
Hedwig is like Hamlet for musical theater actors on so many levels. I can do Hedwig for five years and I am still learning something.
Corine: I really loved you in the Wedding Singer.
Kevin: Thanks! I related to George too. He is like a unicorn. There is only one of him in his town.
Corine: I heard they were bringing it to Broadway.
Kevin: There are always rumors but nothing has come to fruition yet.
Corine: Would you want them to bring it to Broadway and you could star in the show?
Kevin: Oh my g-d. That would be incredible!!!
Corine: So do you want this message to go out to producers all over the World to bring Hedwig to Broadway? And cast you as Hedwig?
Kevin: I am sure John would want to do it. But I would love to do it.
Corine: Well, maybe he could do it four times a week and you could do it four times a week. I heard you were the only one who did it 8 times a week.
Kevin: I was. Usually you do six. It’s a punk rock score and it is very tough on the voice. You are doing everything. I did 8 for a month because there was no one to do it. There was no cover that was ready to go.
Corine: So, if I had a magic wand and could give you
three wishes what would those wishes be? What roles would
you play? Whatever three wishes you want.
Kevin: I just want to keep playing interesting people. That’s
the key, I think! It doesn’t matter where; as long
as it is interesting. This isn’t a strategic thing.
I always think how can this character be a voice for people
who don’t have a voice. And my CD is for people that
normally don’t have a voice.
Corine: Do you have any other CD’S coming out?
Kevin: It took a long time to get it accomplished. It takes
time so no not at the moment.
Corine: Did you write the music.
Kevin: I did.
Corine: I was listening to it on your website. Http://www.kevincahoon.com.
I really love your voice!
Kevin: Oh, thanks! Thank you so much.
Corine: Where did you go to school?
Kevin: I studied at Circle In The Square and NYU. I loved my teachers. I also learned from my peers. You learn so much by watching. By being creative and staying open. Following impulses, that is the key.
Corine: What do you think of the current musicals running on Broadway? What did you think of Avenue Q?
Kevin: I loved Avenue Q.
Corine: Would you ever want to do something like that?
Kevin: Sure. I did Lion King. So I worked with puppets.
Corine: Did you enjoy doing the Lion King?
Kevin: I loved it. To be part of all that. To be part of
the original cast over ten years ago.
Kevin will be starring in The Baker’s Wife this
weekend at The York Theater. Catch him Friday- Sunday and
you can also buy his CD on his website.
Thanks for doing the interview, Kevin. It was a pleasure
meeting you. I am looking forward to seeing you on Broadway
in the near future.
Photos by Joan Marcus
Interview conducted by Corine Cohen
