Wilson Cruz and Scott Nevins :: The new and gayer 'Will & Grace'?

I love it when two very talented celebrities combine their skills and produce a stage show that embodies all that is entertaining. We get a little laugh, a little song, and a whole lot of fun. Actor/singer Wilson Cruz ("Rent," "My So Called Life," "Party Monster") and comedian/host Scott Nevins (truTV's The Smoking Gun Presents, Instinct Magazine Cover model) do just that with the debut of their new show together Up Close & Personal with Wilson Cruz and Scott Nevins, a show of live performances, comedy, scandalous stories, interviews, and some surprises.

Their show at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco this Wednesday (October 26) kicks off this duet of talent between friends giving the audience a whole lot that is pleasurable to see, pleasing to hear, and hilarious to laugh at. These two developed a friendship over five years ago, and from my interview with them, it appears a bond of rioting good times have ensued.

Farts rainbows!

BeBe: Other than being one of the gayest cities in the world, what is it about San Francisco that makes it fun for you to work here?

Scott: I love San Francisco, and I think Wilson is kind of the same as me, I love history and love gay history I actually studied gay and lesbian studies in college. Obviously San Francisco is such a huge part of that. But besides that, I've performed there about four times, and every time the audiences just get better, and better. The people are great and know how to have a good time, but they are also very smart and politically aware. Being a native New Yorker, it kind of feels like a little piece of New York on the West coast.

Wilson: I've never not had a good time in San Francisco. And I've been there a lot! You can't help but pay homage to the people who came before you when you step into the Castro. People who have made our lives possible today. I love going back and remembering that, remembering the work of Harvey Milk and people like him who have availed me to the kind of life I am able to live today. But, I've never actually performed in San Francisco. This will be my first time.

Scott: We really want to come there so we can recreate the trolly song in "Meet Me In St. Louis".

BeBe: You know, Scott, many reviewers and critics have compared you to Kathy Griffin. They have called you a younger (can see that), a sexier (definitely can see that), but a gayer Kathy Griffin? Can anybody be gayer than Kathy?

Scott: Yeah! Because I represent for the real gays. She has always played on the sidelines. She wants to be an honorary one. I am one! Wilson, come on, am I gayer than Kathy Griffin? Be honest.

Wilson: He farts rainbows!

Scott: My famous catch phrase is that I explode into a ball of glitter!

Songs, gossips and juicy bits

BeBe: This "Up Close and Personal" show is not new for you Scott because you have done this type of show with 'Idol' alum Kimberley Locke before, correct?

Scott: I did. We actually filmed it. It was a big hit. It was a lot of fun. Basically it is an excuse for me to work with my friends, and people who I think are incredibly talented like, take Wilson. A lot of people know Wilson being an extremely talented actor and very handsome, and if they were lucky, they got to see him perform on Broadway in "Rent" and know he is a singer. But, a lot of people still don't know that he has this gorgeous voice. So, for me it is a wonderful excuse to travel with my friends, do this hilarious show where we will tell gossipy stories and juicy bits and pieces about each others careers and lives, and then I'm going to push him out and make him sing a couple of songs so the audience can see what I've become such a huge fan of which is his singing.

BeBe: Wilson, speaking of that, you've done so much.....

Scott: ....and so many!

BeBe: Another good reason to come to San Francisco! But I think a lot of people forget that you have quite a few years doing what you do. And with that, you still get very anxious when working new projects in film, television, and stage, which is probably great for the energy you bring to your work. But, what would you say has been your most challenging role you've taken on in either three of those forums?

Wilson: Well, I think anxiety is a good thing at times because it means I'm excited and care about what I'm doing, and I am invested in it. But challenging... hmmmm. "My So Called Life" was challenging in the sense that a lot of it was based on stuff that had happened to me, and so we were using that as a sort of template to tell the story of this boy. "Party of Five" was another thing that was hard because I was coming into a show that was coming to and end, and the writers were bringing me on the show, to be honest, because a lot of the people on the show didn't want to be there anymore. So, they wanted to write for somebody who wanted to be there. "Party Monster" was difficult because I played somebody that actually existed. The story itself was so sad for me in the way that his demise was so brutal and devastating, and the story hadn't been told. I wanted to be respectful of that. And "Rent" was just hard because, you know, four-inch heels!

Scott’s impressions

BeBe: Honey, you are talking to a drag queen. Four-inch heels is nothing!

Wilson: Wait, let me finish. Four-inch heels jumping on that freakin' table every night in a freakin' Santa Claus suit! I don't know whose idea that was. I think I lost 5 lbs each night. By the time I finished that show I was 115 lbs and a size zero. It was not a good look.

BeBe: Ooh, Chil'!

Wilson: They have all been challenging for different reasons. I say this all the time that I play predominately all gay characters, but too me they were all different and diverse and could have not been more different from each other.

BeBe: How will the format of "Up Close and Personal" show presented to the audience?

Scott: We both will be performing individually, then the interview part will be both of us on stage. It basically is what you would see of us if we were having dinner. It'll be very funny. I've been trying to get Wilson to tell me stories he has told me in private that he is probably too embarrassed to share. Which means I will then tell them for him. And then we are going to open it up to the audience to ask us questions. And I'm sure all that is going to be is 40 wedding requests for Wilson. I'll be sitting there like the fat kid in gym class who is last to get picked.

BeBe: Now Scott, you do voice impressions I have heard. Which voices do you do?

Scott: Well, it's really funny because I've made a list. So, if you'd like to know, I'll read it to you. I do Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Cher, Eartha Kitt, Harvy Fierstein, Little Edie (Edith Bouvier Beale) from Grey Gardens, Carol Channing, Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman, Tina Turner, Louis Armstrong, Ellen Greene, and Fantasia. And I'm currently working on my Tony Bennett one because I'm totally obsessed with the new Tony Bennett "Duets" album.

A gay youth advocate

BeBe: That's an impressive list. That's Rich Little-like!

Scott: I've always impersonated people since I was a kid. I would imitate teachers and stuff. So, I thought I would do it on stage and would do Judy because everyone is familiar, and the audience was stoic. So, I thought they hated it. And people said no we couldn't speak because it was so eerie. They liked it. So, as long as they liked it, I'm good.

BeBe: Sounds like Sally Field!... 'They like me. They really like me!' (more laughter). Now you guys are doing only one-nighters with this show from city to city, correct?

Scott: Yes. San Francisco is our first one, and then we are "pullin' out" and leaving town.

BeBe: Now both of you have done a lot of community work and have given of yourselves and time. Wilson, you in particular, have worked as an advocate for gay youth.

As I look at the images we have of our gay culture, there are definitely more positive images of gays in television and film for youth then definitely when I was growing up over 40 years ago, yet we still have youth struggling to find some kind of acceptance that will help them endure the bullying and ridicule they continue to receive. Wilson, what are your thoughts on what we, as a community, should be doing more of to help these kids?

Wilson: There's a lot. I don't even know where to begin with that question. I work closely with an organization called GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Educators Network), a national organization that works to make all of our schools across the country be safer for GLBT students. And they are the national headquarters for the GSAs (Gay Straight Alliance) on school campuses. And for me that is my biggest concern (to make sure schools are safe) because we can't control what happens in someone's home, but what we can do is make sure that when our kids are at school that they have sanctuary and can feel safe.

Also when we are talking about GLBT youth, many are coming from homes which are not completely supportive, so there are organizations like The Point Foundation which gives scholarships to GLBT students so they can get their higher education. Then there is the initiative in California (Fair Education Act) where GLBT history will be included in the teachings in high school which is important to document and tell for the fact that if we don't tell or teach our history, people won't know that value the GLBT community has in this country. And we teach the values of our community it makes it harder for us to be dehumanized, and it will also give a sense of pride to these students to let them know that they come from a community that has given so much and done so much and fought so hard. Those are a few of the things we can do and support.

Self-esteem issues