Boy George returns to Broadway
Rock stars famously don’t get up before noon, and rock stars in big Broadway shows each night surely stagger awake late in the day. Not Boy George.
“I’m not really rock ’n’ roll,” he says, laughing. “I’m more frock ’n’ roll.”
The singer-songwriter and beating heart of the iconic band Culture Club is playing the role of the impresario in the TonyAward winning “Moulin Rouge” until May 12.
The musical is a stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 2001 film. It’s packed with pop tunes by Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones and Elton John.
“One of the great things about ‘Moulin Rouge,’ which proves my point, is that pop music works in a theatrical space and theatrical music works in a pop space,” Boy George says.
Boy George, previously on Broadway in 2004 with “Taboo,” is a trailblazer in fashion and music, with a string of hits including “Karma Chameleon,” “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Time (Clock of the Heart).”
This interview with Boy George has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Welcome back to Broadway. How does this feel in comparison to “Taboo”? A:
It’s very different to my last experience, because, obviously, breaking a show on Broadway is a different story altogether. It is an entirely different experience stepping into this big, boisterous, colorful show.
Q: Is it fun playing an overthe-top nightclub owner? A:
One of the great things about “Moulin Rouge” is it’s such a slap of joy. It doesn’t need me, so I just add something. Do you understand? It works without me. But if you can bring something else to it, that’s super exciting.
Q: The show has old and new songs. Do you find many fans out there going back to find the roots of today’s music?
A:
There are lots of kids who dig a bit deeper in the same way that I did. When I was a kid, I could have just hung on to what was on the radio, but I went through my parents record collection. I went into junk stores and I found albums like, “Oh, this looks interesting. Who’s this?” I had that kind of pioneering spirit to find things. Even now, I get excited about finding a singer I didn’t
know about.
Q: You’ve got tattoos of musicians like Marc Bolan of T. Rex and David Bowie. Are both of them in your music as well?
A:
I think all the best music is a mixture of everything you love. You know, people say to me all the time, “Oh, that sounds like Bowie.” And I’m like, “Not by accident!”
Q: In your latest memoir, “Karma,” you write that you’ve grown kinder to yourself and others. That’s nice, right?
A:
If you told me 10 years ago, 20 years ago, that I could actually change the way I think about things, I would have laughed at you. I would of gone, “Yeah, no, I’m definitely stubborn and opinionated.” And, you know, it’s quite nice to discover you’re wrong.
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