BY CHARLIE ROCAFORT
Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley says he was bitten by the Broadway bug when he was 10 years old and his family took him to see Annie. “After the show, I memorized the cast recording and was sure I was only a perm away from being a star!” he says.
He claims he can’t sing, act or dance, but says, “I’ve never let a lack of talent hold me back before, and I’m not going to let it stop me this time. Hello Broadway, I’m coming your way!”
This month, for four weeks only, Kressley joins the cast of off Broadway’s NEWSical The Musical – the forever-changing, completely un-sanitized musical mockery of all the news that’s fit to spoof. He is the latest star to grace the NEWSical stage, following gossip guru Perez Hilton, Broadway’s original Annie Andrea McArdle and, most recently, Saturday Night Live’s Cheri Oteri.
He says he decided to join NEWSical The Musical after seeing his friend Perez Hilton in the show. “I was really impressed with the show and the intelligence of its humor. Perez told me it was a great time and that I should give it a try.”
Tom D’Angora, the show’s producer, says fans are going to thrill over how the king of make-overs makes over NEWSical.
“Maybe I’ll do an ode to Rachel Maddow,” he hinted to The Village Voice’s Michael Musto. “I don’t know if I’ll just sing about Rachel Maddow. I probably won’t be doing drag because I’m not that good at it, ironically. Also, I grew up in Allentown, and we might make reference to the fact that I was practically Amish. Now that Amish is the new black – it’s cool to be Amish – I’m really trying to exploit it as much as I can.”
In addition to Kressley, NEWSical The Musical stars Broadway phenomenon Christine Pedi along with Michael West, Tommy Walker, Christina Bianco, Emily McNamara and Ryan Knowles.
Carson Kressley appears in NEWSical The Musical from February 6 to March 3. NEWSical The Musical plays
at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Tickets are $85 – $110 and can be purchased through Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250. For performance schedule and more information visit NEWSicalthemusical.com.
[box_tip]
QUEER EYE FOR SUCCESS
Carson Kressley is excited to add stage divo to an already lengthy resume that includes television star, celebrity stylist, author and fashion designer.
Since becoming a household name on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” Kressley has starred in several television shows including Lifetime’s critically acclaimed “How To Look Good Naked” and the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Carson-Nation.” Of course, who could forget his stint on “Dancing With the Stars,” where he was voted a “fan favorite”? Kressley recently completed a headlining gig as the host of Dancing With the Stars Live in Las Vegas.
He has also been a style contributor on The “Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America” and “Live! with Kelly.”
If that isn’t impressive enough, Carson Kressley is a New York Times best-selling author with three books to his credit, including “You’re Different and That’s Super,” a children’s book promoting diversity and tolerance.
And he has his own signature line of women’s sportswear and accessories, “Love, Carson,”
available exclusively at Shop NBC.
[/box_tip]
