January 27, 1965– Alan Cumming
In spring 2014, I had an extended stay in the hospital when 5 months of aggressive chemotherapy left me without much of an immune system. I was kept in isolation. Doctors, nurses and visitors were required to wear a hazmat suit in order to enter my room in a wing that I had to myself on the Oncology floor. Not much was interesting to me as I studied the slow drip-drip of the Morphine IV. I turned on the television just as an episode of The Good Wife (2009-2016) was starting and by the time 3 more episodes had gone by, I was hooked on the series (and the narcotic). Why hadn’t I engaged this show before, with a cast filled with Broadway regulars, bringing their characters to life with smart, economic, wry writing? I was especially drawn to Alan Cumming’s blunt political strategist, Eli Gold. When I was back home, we watched 113 episodes in 30 days. I guess you could say that I am a fan.
The other evening while channel surfing, The Husband & I caught the film The Anniversary Party (2002), written, produced, directed and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Cumming, and we decided to stay with it, although we had rented it years ago. I kept thinking about the career of Cumming. I was first became aware of Cumming in 1998 with his Tony winning turn as the emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall revival of the landmark musical Cabaret. He certainly was a very arresting figure when I saw him on that Tony broadcast. I was intrigued. I wanted to know more.
Cumming studied at the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama. He was soon being celebrated in his homeland for both his work on Scottish television series and his stand-up act.
He has played roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company including Romeo, and at the National Theatre. His Hamlet at the Donmar Warehouse in London caused a sensation. In London and on Broadway, Cumming has performed in works by Euripedes, Noel Coward and Anton Chekov. He played in a one-person production of Macbeth to great acclaim in NYC & London in 2012.
In films he has worked as a superhero (X-2, 2002), a Bond villain (GoldenEye, 1995) and a Jane Austin character (Emma, 1996).
But, his main image seems to be: naughty impish scamp, a persona that holds my interest. Cumming has done nothing to discourage this, playing a variety of louche characters: Dionysus, Mack The Knife, The Devil. He has even played the Pope. He is a Tony and Olivier Award winner, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award. Cumming is also the author of a semi-autobiographical novel Tommy’s Tale (2002) about a sex obsessed, drug ridden bisexual and an engaging, well written memoir Not My Father’s Son (2014) He has appeared in a provocative campaign promoting Cumming, his special scent.
I downloaded his rather good album Blue Car, with songs of love & loss by such songwriters as John Bucchino (A Catered Affair), William Finn (Falsettos) and Jimmy Webb, as well as originals by Cumming. I am impressed with his non-theatre singing & his surprisingly touching interpretations. Cumming is currently touring in his concert Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, which features some very special A-list surprise guest stars joining him in each city.
Cumming is an outspoken supporter/activist for Civil and LGBTQ Rights and Sex Education causes including AMFAR, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, The Matthew Shepard Foundation, GLAAD and The Trevor Project. His special passion is for Intact America/Norm-UK, an anti-circumcision campaign and education organization.
I can be so very juvenile, I still giggle as I type his last name. Cumming lives in the East Village in NYC along with his husband, illustrator Grant Shaffer, and their dog Jerry.
He is supremely entertaining on talk shows & he gives good Tweets. I don’t know how I could possibly think that Cumming could be groovier, until I discovered that his portrait was hung in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in the spot previously occupied by Queen Elizabeth II.
“I have a healthy sexual appetite and a healthy imagination. I still define myself as a bisexual even though I have chosen to be with Grant. I’m sexually attracted to the female form even though I am with a man and I just feel that bisexuals have a bad rap.”
