North Reading native
Greg Kalafatas on his role in ‘Hairspray,’ the beauty of TSA PreCheck, and Anthony Bourdain’s influence
North Reading native Greg Kalafatas is having the time of his life playing Edna Turnblad in the national tour of “Hairspray,” coming to the Emerson Colonial Theatre for five performances Jan. 19-21. “We were in Boston on the tour last year for two weeks, but I was playing smaller roles. To come back as a lead is what I’ve always hoped for,” he said. “Broadway is the next big thing.” Kalafatas, 43, who said he grew up going to musical productions at Boston venues, has performed in regional theater shows, on cruise ships, and on national tours. He said that “Hairspray” — based on the 1988 film of the same name and recipient of eight Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2002 — is set in the early 1960s and focuses on spunky teenager Tracy Turnblad (Kalafatas plays the character’s mom) who chases her dream to audition for a popular TV dance show while also working to integrate the dance competition. “I think the secret to “Hairspray” is that it’s a message wrapped up inside of this catchy, fun, and what you think is fluffy show. It’s about accepting yourself,” he said. “The message is there and really you’re getting preached to without [the show] being preachy.” We caught up with Kalafatas, who spends most of his time touring but still calls North Reading home — to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? I’d probably head someplace a bit warmer than Boston in the wintertime. I’ve worked on a few cruise ships, so I’ve been able to see some great destinations, but usually it’s from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., so I have a long list of places I’d love to return to and explore further. Top of my list probably is Thailand or India.
Where was the first place you traveled to after COVID restrictions were lifted? I visited one of my best friends who lives in Louisiana. He and his husband live outside of Baton Rouge, and we also made a jaunt over to New Orleans. We caught up, relaxed by their pool, and ate some great food.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? I pretty much always book on my own. I’ve never personally used a travel agent, although my first time ever on a plane was thanks to a travel agency. It was an impromptu-ish school group trip to Paris that we found in The Boston Globe back in the ‘90s. It was really cheap.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation? I love it. Although, I’m not much of a sit-on-the-beach-witha-good-book traveler, so I’m usually semi-plugged in, but usually for maps and finding food.
Do you use all of your vacation time or leave some on the table? All of it. I don’t get typical vacation time as a touring actor, but when I worked 9-5, I definitely used it all.
What has been your worst vacation experience? The security line at MCO [Orlando International Airport]. That singlehandedly made me get TSA PreCheck.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? I think the best vacations offer a bit of all three. You don’t want to be too stressed out, so I try not to worry about seeing everything, but I love to learn and experience the history, culture, architecture, scenery, and cuisine of wherever I’m going. Travel is always an adventure.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? My passport. I’m not a big vacation reader.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? I would have loved to have had the opportunity to travel with Anthony Bourdain. I loved his show and the way he traveled was really influential to me.
What is the best gift to give a traveler? Time. I think time and money are the two reasons most people don’t travel as often as they would like. I’m not sure you can really gift time, though, so maybe an airline upgrade?
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Some nice cold grapes are always good for a road trip — refreshing, cool, a little bit of sugar for a pick-me-up. At the airport — if I’m flying through Chicago — I almost always pick up some Chicago Mix popcorn.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation? That’s a hard one. I have an authentic Indonesian puppet that was retired from performing whom I love. That or the didgeridoo from Australia that I almost couldn’t bring back home.
What is your favorite app/website for travel? Skyscanner. You plug in your home airport, select everywhere, and see where your dollars can take you.
What has travel taught you? So much, but a few important lessons are that the world is both massive and small at the same time, that the key to understanding people is trying to understand their culture, that we aren’t so different from one another, and that people are not often represented by the ways their governments and leaders act.
What is your best travel tip? Try to learn at least “hello” and “thank you” in the native language of wherever you are traveling. People really light up and appreciate it, even though it’s such a small gesture.