I sat down with Michael Musto to a scrumptious lunch at the Cottage Chinese restaurant on Irving Square to catch up on things.
Corine Cohen: It has been over two years since our last sit down
lunch.It has been too long!
Let’s talk about the Broadway season. What did you think of The Color Purple?
It really had a heart! And it reached out to me on many levels. It is a messy show. It is not perfect, but something about it is deeply sincere. In a way you don’t find on Broadway usually.
I loved it, too! I thought La Chanze was wonderful, but Felicia Fields really captured me.
Was she Sophia?
Yes.
She stole the show!
I agree!
La Chanze was so passive, but she gets to raise the roof at the end.
Exactly. What about Sweeney Todd?
Sweeney Todd at first I felt was unbearable.
Really?
I kept thinking, bring on the huge sets, the grandeur of the original production. I’m a little tired of the scaled down minimal approach that the critics go so crazy for, just because it’s different. But then, I thought it really kicked in, and I looked around and Ben Brantley was orgasming; this was right up their alley. And by the end of it, I was with them, loving this austere, creepy spellbinding approach.
Yes, I would agree with you.
Cerveris and LuPone were amazing in roles that you would never think could be played by anyone but Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury.
I loved them in the roles. Did you see it with Dorothy Loudon?
No, just Angela Lansbury.
I saw it with both Angela Lansbury and Dorothy Loudon, and both were wonderful. I loved LuPone’s approach as well. The music is so beautiful!
It is the most Sondheimy of all of his scores. It is so sweeping.
Let’s talk about Jersey Boys!
I have to say, Jersey Boys was a surprise! I did not think it was a great show at all, but it had great singing. Unlike Lennon, which did not have great singing.
I did not like Lennon on the whole, but I thought Will Chase did a great job as John Lennon.
I liked Chuck Cooper, but not much of anything else. Jersey Boys was an absolute phenomenon; everyone thought it would be a blip on the radar on the way to Ring of Fire.
I was really surprised. I thought it would be another Juke box flop. Boy was I surprised and delighted. It is breaking records. It is the next Spamalot!
It was fun, and no one saw it coming! It is so expensive to launch a show so most shows are pre-packaged, pre-merchandised so you don’t have that many In My Lifes.
(Laughs) Well, that is a good thing.
You have to find a Producer with an investor with deep pockets and someone who is willing to lose money. Most Producers on Broadway are safe and predictable.
Right.
So when you have a Jersey Boys, not that Jersey Boys was cutting edge or anything, but it is something that no one would expect to be a smash which proves that there is still a little life on Broadway. It was a surprise!
A grand surprise! I thought the whole cast in Jersey Boys was incredible! I thought that Daniel Reichard who played Bob Gaudio was unreal!
And John has a little Jerry Lewis in him.
Daniel was in Forbidden Broadway a few years ago, and I was really taken by him in that. I also recently went to his one man show at the Ars Nova and he was hilarious. Do you go to Forbidden Broadway?
I missed it this last time.
Did you see the Piazza number?
The Wicked number was the most recent version I have seen.
Oh, there are two versions you have missed! You have to see the Piazza number, it has become my favorite. Did you like the Light In The Piazza?
No.
All right, you have to see it. You will die laughing. It is so hilarious.
(Laughs) Sounds funny!
They make Clara retarded and clapping with sugar cubes in her mouth.
That’s how it should have been, I was waiting for more signs that she was brain damaged.
Yes! She seemed normal to me. You have no idea she is brain damaged.
It was absurd, it was like what’s the problem! It was too tasteful; people can sense when they are being conned.
So what are you looking forward to?
The Pajama Game.
I can’t wait for that. He is incredible!
It is a nice old fashioned show.
Well, I saw Brent Barrett in that at Encores with Karen Ziemba. She was great, too.
She is great and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.
So, who was your favorite interview that you have ever done? My favorite of yours was Dame Edna.
Yeah. That was just on the phone.(Laughs)
I was so jealous of you. (Laughs)
It has to be very trying for Barry Humphries to dress up and always be in character. At least he did not have to dress up for the interview as it was on the phone. I am good at playing along with these people. Getting them loosened up a bit and telling me more about themselves than they wanted to reveal.
What did Edna reveal?
(Laughs) That she was on the way to world domination. To literally take over the entire world.
(Laughs louder) Her last run was very funny and I went twice, but I thought the Royal Tour was hard to beat. What did you think?
She had set such a high standard with the first one, the second one was a little bit of a let down. In fact, I was quoted when I wrote about the first one that I was screaming my guts out with laughter. They used that as part of the ad at the second one so that was really deceptive advertising by the show.
How funny. Well, the second one was still good enough for me to see twice, so I guess you had no problem with it.
Yes.
He is an artist too. Did you talk about his art?
No.
So what show do you think will be the winner this year?
Ring Of Fire. The Johnny Cash musical. This is the year of Johnny Cash. There was Walk The Line and now Ring of Fire.
Who do you think will win best Actor?
Michael Cerveris from Sweeney Todd is one of the leading contenders.
What do you think for Actress?
LuPone. Chita is great but Dancers Life is not considered up to par. It was being compared to Elaine Stritch, but she did not tell anything that earth shattering like Stritch did, and it is always going to be compared to Elaine Stritch’s one woman show.
Didn’t Patrick Pacheco have something to do with Chita Rivera’s show?
I think he is a Producer of the show.
A Producer, really? I heard he did some of the research for the book, but I had no idea he was a Producer.
He is a big time Producer. He is someone we should all hook up for our one person shows off Broadway.
I think Musto on Broadway is a good idea.
Or I should say, Off Off Broadway. (Laughs)
Well you were in Newsical last season. And I saw Fred M. Caruso the Producer of Newsical and said where is the Musto song. It was hilarious and was one of the highlights of the show.
I would love John Tags to play me.
That would be great. So, you have been with the Voice for over 21 years, so what do you want to do next? Is there something you always wanted to do? If I was Galinda, from Wicked, and I had the power to grant you three wishes, what would they be and why?
This sounds like a TWILIGHT ZONE episode. (Laughs) The one where the guy ends up as Hitler. So, I am afraid to share that with you. First let me say, working for the Voice is a dream job first because it is a home base and I can do whatever I want on the side. I have done TV SHOWS (E, Theater Talk) Musto’s three wishes: I would like to have my own talk show. Not a co-host, just me!
Would you call it MUSTO TV? I always say, I want my Musto TV. What would you call your show?
Musto, Gusto.
Musto, Gusto. That is a great title. I like it. What would be the dream channel?
Bravo or Comedy Central.
Ok, so that’s wish number one. You still have to answer wish number two and three.
I don’t want to wish for a boyfriend then I might get it and then what would I do?
You would have great sex. (Laughs)
No, you get great sex when you don’t have a boyfriend.
Laughs, Oh yeah, I read that article about the Sex club, it was so funny, and shocking at the same time.
Let me tell you about my second wish. I never feel that I am given enough recognition from the gay community. I would love to get a Glad award. I have pushed through a lot of boundaries. I wrote a lot of things that were controversial at the time, like outing celebrities, those were the things I pushed for. I would love for them to say, lets give this Queen a lifetime achievement award.
Lifetime achievement award.
I don’t know why, but that would mean something to me.
I hope they read this.
They will. People google themselves all day. I would also love it if my column would become syndicated and pop up on weeklies all around the Country.
I wish I had a magic wand and could make these three wishes come true, but I don’t see why they can’t. I have to get with Chenoweth and borrow her magic wand. So, those are your three wishes. Anything else?
Plus WORLD PEACE.
All we are saying is give peace a chance.
Now I sound like MS America.
Have you ever approached the Networks?
I am terrible at pitching. I like people to come to me.
You need an agent. OK America, come and get Musto, I am pitching you now! I want my Musto, Gusto. TV. If you could interview one person that you have not gotten to interview who would it be?
Madonna. I think that would be so cool, because she started in the club scene and our paths have crossed so many times.
Have you ever asked her?
No.
Why not?
I don’t know. Isn’t that weird.
Madonna, if you are reading this give Musto has fourth wish.(Laughs)
I guess you want to have one thing to dream about.
You don’t want to do it because you will feel like now I have done it all and then what?
That is it.
Who do you admire most?
Nathan Lane and Harvey Fierstein, because you can put them in any show and they will be always appealing. Harvey was a pioneer when it came to gay issues. And everything he said was right on the money. Everything he pushed for is coming true. And to be that political and that entertaining rolled up into one cuddly ball is something to admire. So I think he will go down in history.
So, have you interviewed Harvey?
Yes, many times.
Did you see that interview in New York Magazine with Boris?
He ruffled Harvey’s feathers.
Speaking of feathers, I loved LA CAGE. Wish it was still running.
Yeah, I loved it.
What do you think about the Hairspray movie. I heard they are considering John Travolta for the role of Edna. Instead of Harvey Fierstein. I think it is ludicrous. I mean Harvey originated the role. What do you think about that?
I think it is potentially tragic. Harvey owns that role and no one else should be allowed to do it.
Photo: Michael Musto and friend (by The Drama Dept.)
Interview conducted by Corine Cohen
