Queer Voices
Queer Voices
August 5 - Sister from Stages, Mean Girls from Queensbury, and Xanadu from the Garden
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Are you ready for some stages in the Summer? First up, Brett Cullum talks with Denise Fennell Pasqualone about becoming a habit as Sister at Stages, now in her 19th year! Then he talks to Marco Comacho about being impossibly gay and incredibly tall in MEAN GIRLS. Finally, Kristen Herink and Miles Estes share their insights into bringing XANADU to life.
Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:
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Welcome And Summer Theater Lineup
BrettWelcome to Queer Voices on KPFT Houston and also at the podcast where you get those. I am Brett Pullum, and I will be your host for this one. Tonight we are diving into summer theater just to lighten up the mood and take a break from all the politics. Up first is Denise Fenol Pollone, who is coming to stages as sister in late night catechism. Sister rolls the dice. She opens on August 4th. Then I get to talk with Marco Camacho from Mean Girls, which will be at Queensbury Theater starting August 6th. And finally, I talk with Kristen Rink and Miles Estus, who are the lead Kira and Sunny at the Garden Theaters product of Sat View, which opens August 14th at the match. Remember, KPFT is a list of funded statement. And if you can, please donate at kps.org. This show was produced by me, Brett Collum, Brian Favinka, and Deborah Montreal are also executive producers. Queer Voices starts now.
Sister Returns For Vegas Fundraiser
BrettHi there, this is Brett Cullum, and today I am joined by Denise Fennel Pascalone. She is going to return to stages for Late Night Catechism Las Vegas. Sister rolls the dice. Previews are going to start on August 4th. The show runs through August 16th. Side note, just in time for our rescheduled Pride. But welcome, Denise, to back.
SPEAKER_01I love that there's always so much going on in Houston. There's always so much to celebrate and such great experiences and parades and arts and theater and restaurants. And yeah, I can't wait to be there. So hopefully I'll make it to the parade too.
BrettIt's going to be right when you're running. So, because what happened was they put it earlier in the year, earlier in the month of June, because of the FIFA World Cup. And then it rained. So they said, All right, we're just going to do it later. And they scheduled it in the middle of the hottest month in Houston. But it's okay because you know it's a pride parade. You don't have to wear a lot of clothes. But you know, afraid of a full habit might be tough on you.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, I was going to say, like, how am I to answer this, this where we've been led?
BrettExactly. It's not going to.
SPEAKER_01It's like August. There's not going to be a lot of people wearing clothes at the Pride Parade. The temptation is there.
BrettYeah, it's it's not a very it's a Denise situation. It's not very sisterly, though. But this is sort of like a debut for us because this particular piece, the late night catechism Las Vegas, when you did it the last time, you were virtual. We were in the middle of the pandemic, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes. And this is like, I'm so glad we're talking about this because I was actually I was on the phone with Ken in Ireland and we were in touch.
BrettAnd I was like Laughlin, old stages artistic director previous.
SPEAKER_01At the time, I believe he was an intern. And here we all were, you know, put in this situation where we were going to do a play on stage. And when I tell you, stages went all in for the set. It wasn't like I was not on sister set. Every detail, Jody Bob, the props manager, everybody knocked it out of the park. The only thing that was different from my perspective is where the audience would be were giant screens and boxes for Zoom. But there was like 25 people on each Zoom box in each section of the theater. And Carlos was up in the balcony with, I believe, four or five other interns figuring out how to run the tech for this. So that when sister calls on you, you know, stand up, sit down, trying to figure out what box. And it's like that was the first time Carlos and I ever met. And it was such a wild time to pull it off, but we did and we were talking about it today. Like what a triumph. And we actually figured out how to interact with people and we saw crazy stuff, you know. To me, that was like when my relationship with Houston went next level because now I was in people's houses. Yeah. There
How Zoom Theater Actually Worked
SPEAKER_01was one point where the premise of this is that we're we're gonna plan a fundraiser because you know, we need some up upgrades at St. Bruno's. Things are dated. So sister's gonna throw a Las Vegas night. And at one point she throws it out to the audience like, we need performers or entertainers. Does anybody have an instrument? Right. People were running in their houses and playing the trumpet. And you know, this is gonna work in a real theater though. It's like so wild to me how fun it was to be a part of that, to be a part of people's lives and to actually have it work. So yeah, now I get to bring it back into a theater live. It's it's next level.
BrettWell, I feel like I know sister. I feel like she's a person that I know because she's in front of me so often that I was trying to describe to somebody what it's like to go to one of your shows and just the energy of sister, the presence, the whole thing, why it's funny, but why it's also kind of like takes you back to this time in your life. And but I was really surprised that she's endorsing gambling.
SPEAKER_01How did how did she get onto this subject? Endorsing is a big word, and that's what we have to be careful, you know, labeling. Okay, so I think sisters, she's is that there's a fine line here because charities are big, charitable events are huge. I mean, Houston, Texas alone has so many galas and there's so many fundraisers. And I think where sister has had a tremendous amount of experience with that, she knows that the Las Vegas night is the number one way to raise money. It's also the number one temptation. So, you know, it's vice of and virtue. What are we gonna do here? Moderation. It's very important. But in this case, why it's gonna work for us is that St. Bruno's is the house. We are the casino, and the house always wins. We're putting on the event. So our goal is to get everybody as distracted as possible so that we get as much money for the kids as we can, you know? Yeah. And it's fun. And we're gonna like I I, you know, me, I always want to keep it fresh. So we're gonna have showgirls, and you know, we're actually gonna work on this, like we're planning a Vegas fundraiser, just like we worked on doing other things in Houston and they all came into fruition. So it's it's about community, it's about getting together for a cause and having a lot of fun. So, and there's gonna be karaoke, I think. I just talked to Mary Pat today, and I'm like, I have this idea where like, if we're throwing a Las Vegas fundraiser night, shouldn't there be an Elvis impersonator there? Like, what if there is? What if somebody in the audience like does Elvis on the side? I mean, I've mined for everything in Houston, and there's always somebody willing to share their talents with me. So I I think it's gonna be exceptional.
BrettDon't get me started. I lived in Memphis, Tennessee through the 90s, and I have gone to the Images of Elvis impersonation contest almost every year. I've seen every I have seen five-year-old Elvis, I have seen, you know, lesbian Elvis, I've seen Mexican Elvis.
SPEAKER_01These are a lot of options, and you might be part of that planning committee for me, Brett.
SPEAKER_00You've got it.
SPEAKER_01When you show up and I hand you a clipboard as sister and say you're my assistant, let's make this the best fundraiser Houston has ever seen. Let's go for it, you know? Why not? Gambling and games. And and the thing is, I I don't want anybody, as you know, as sister. My intentions are always so positive. And I don't want anybody to commit sins while we're putting on the fundraiser. So I'm also gonna teach you how to gamble within the guidelines of the Catholic Church. So yeah, and and gambling was invented by Catholics. It's been around since the dice were thrown for Jesus' cloak, the first craps game. We're very familiar with this as Catholics. So it's just about managing it and making it work for us.
Charity Gambling And Audience Antics
SPEAKER_01So magic, you know, there's a there's a lot of magic involved too. Well, not magic per se as Catholics, because we're not to refer to it like that, but magic shows in Vegas are big. So if you know anybody in Houston that does magic, would love for them to to bring their tricks to the show. My god. Yeah.
BrettThis is gonna be insane.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like you know, there's a tally in Houston that comes to all my shows and he wears a top hat, he has a bunny. Um sure he's gonna show up. Probably. This might be the one time I I could actually be like, who has a bunny in this room?
BrettYes, and somebody will say yes, and it'll be magic in a I don't know if you noticed.
SPEAKER_01Like, I just found this out today. The shows are selling out.
BrettYes, of course they are.
SPEAKER_01I had I don't know. I've never really had shows sell out this far in advance. So it's really exciting to me. And today I put a lot of work into the script and just kind of making it fun and the venial sins and the mortal sins and new sins against the millennial, and you know, some corporal works of mercy and and some new bits. You know, I always like to try out some new routines because I love my huge audiences. So yeah, I'm coming locked and loaded. I got some some new material that I'm excited to.
BrettNo, if if I'm right, this is the script from creator Mary Pat Donovan. She originated this particular iteration of Sister.
SPEAKER_01We did, and it's great because it was one of the shows that I got to kind of be an observer watching how she worked with Mark Sylvia, her writing partner. And I got to watch her actually develop this one on its feet. So I have a lot of her in me when it comes to this show, and that makes it so much fun for me to, you know, if I'm involved in a bit and I think, oh my God, this reminds me of Mary Pat. And we we were talking about it yesterday, just again, hearing the excitement from her and the willingness as a playwright to let me explore new stuff. You know, we were even as far to say, like, what about a mechanical bull? Like, if sister was having a Las Vegas night, like, would it be wrong, Mary Pat, for sister to be like, let's get a mechanical bull? Because people like that stuff and they love the rodeo. Like, she's like, Absolutely, sister could have a mechanical bull, you know. You have to talk to me.
BrettComing to the place where we could have that.
SPEAKER_01Right. And I'm like, oh my God, we could do that, you know?
BrettYes, no, it might that might be much easier than you suspect.
SPEAKER_01I know. I know it's like, you know, with Jose Altuve, you asked to meet him and and then you do.
BrettHe'll he'll probably be there again, too. What the heck? So I know I ask you this every time we talk, but how long have you been working with Mary Pat?
SPEAKER_01This is now almost two decades. Yeah, it's really interesting. And I I was just actually back in New York for five days with Rick. And somehow I ended up staying. We stayed at a a family's apartment, but it ended up being on a street that I lived on, one of my first apartments in New York City. And it was such an interesting five days to kind of go back and reflect on where I started with Tony and Tina's wedding in New York City, to having Mary Pat meet me and champion me as one of the religious sisters in her tribe. And it was just a fun time to kind of go, wow, it's been quite a bit and a really fun ride. And it just keeps getting better, which is wild because the piece is timeless and it's fun, it's fresh every time. There's not a minute that I do this show that I feel like I've every time feels like the first time for me. So, but yes, for years now.
BrettWell,
Keeping Sister Fresh Every Night
Brettit's so interesting to me because I've done a show. I did a show once that I ran for three years, and I just felt like I was on autopilot by the end of it. But this changes every night. I mean, this has got to be like the least boring thing to run over and over again. But when did you first start coming to stages? Where I was trying to remember that.
SPEAKER_01I want to say it's close to 18 years, almost 19 years now. It it was like really, I don't know, I don't have the exact year. That's I can't even think about that today, but quite a while now. Enough that, you know, I mean, so much has happened there. My whole career, it's the longest relationship I've ever had. Like it's it's so much good, so much history with everybody, and so many friendships. And it's it's really wild when you think of your journey in life, you know, and all the different paths you could take and where you could have ended up if you made different choices. And here I am living a big, beautiful life. My I have a great husband, I have kids, I have a great career, the nuns are booming, and the two projects that we created in Houston are also selling all across the country. So it's like it's like one of those quotes some days you, you know, remind yourself these are the things that you dreamed of. So I'm so grateful and so excited to come and you know, and and all every character that I'm playing is different, but I love Sister. There's just something about it, you know, really being able to handle it. And so that to me, they they asked me recently, somebody was doing an interview and they said, What's your favorite version of late night catechism and or the most fun to perform? And I said, for me it's it's the character of Sister, and then it's the audience, you know. Like here I am, here we are, anything is possible. It's so fun for me to imagine that.
BrettBut I don't think people realize you travel all over the country with this act, this sister act, if you will. I mean, you you really appear all these other places. It's like amazing. Like when I see you on social media, I'm like, oh my gosh, she's over here now. And now sister's like appearing here, and now you know, this is there. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it is crazy. And but like, there's so many great places to go to and to see, and there's so many beautiful theaters across the country, and it's it's amazing to me, you know, the people want to come and experience it. And I'm I'm on board. I mean, I leave stages and off I go. I mean, the next weekend I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Then I'm in Boston, Massachusetts for lessons learned, which you you got to see the first performance ever of that show.
SPEAKER_05Oh my god, yes.
SPEAKER_01Literally, the words ever spoken out loud ever, ever in front of a live audience was that night. And that's gone on to we won the best of the fest in Los Angeles. They're bringing us back for three shows. So it's like, thank you, Houston audiences for and you for championing me and giving me a great platform. It's they're all super successful, and you don't get to say that that often.
BrettNo, no. I mean, you throw stuff against the wall, see what sticks. And sister obviously stuck.
SPEAKER_01Sister really stuck. And just it's such a great character. I think about it often, you know, even with my conversations with Mary Pat, it's like, thank you. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for creating this character and for allowing me to be part of this whole experience. It's been wonderful, and that's how we know each other. So Yeah.
Denise Vs Sister And Real Life
BrettWell, I you know it's so fun. I always lay awake at night and I think about there's this real difference between Denise and Sister. I know some people call her Sister Denise, but I don't think that that's really quite accurate because Denise is very different than sister. Denise has a very different just presence. And we got to see that in lessons learned, which is so great because we get to see you without the habit. But I always think about this idea that you've done so much as this character. Do you sometimes feel like you are her? Like, can you become sister in the real world when it is at to your advantage to become sister?
SPEAKER_01I would get I've are you can can you imagine? Just imagine on an airplane. All right, everybody sit down. There's people here that are trying to make connections. You know, I think the world could use it for sure. I think if anybody could do it, I could. But Mary Pat, when I first started out, she said, just what if Denise was a nun? Like that was sort of, you know, what would she do? Like what what events would she throw at the convent? You know, would she would she go out to lunch? Would she want to go to a concert? Like, who is Denise as a nun? And I think I get right up to the edge. I also met so many incredible, like Sister Virginia O'Donnell, who I've become dear friends with, and you know, just so many incredible clergy. I don't know if you know this, but I was just in Houston quickly earlier this year to do a benefit for the St. Dominic's at the River Oaks Country Club, where I basically was hired to have a conversation with bishops and cardinals and the higher up hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Houston. It was awesome. And see, this is this is the kind of thing. It was unbelievable. Everybody knew who I was, and everybody wanted to have their picture taken with me, and it made me very excited that they welcomed me into the community, that that I play the character in a way that pays tribute to not only the incredible play that Mary Pat created, but to all the religious sisters, in particular the girls that I know in Houston, with their approval, stamp of approval, and a level of respect and to who they are and what they brought to the communities.
BrettOf course, we've talked about sister and we've gone round and round about her, but let's find out a little bit about Denise too. How are things going with Rick?
SPEAKER_01Rick is amazing. It's funny because he's like he's sitting off. He always loves to be a part of it. So he says hello. And he, you know, we're just like laughing together because we were talking about you today and just how lucky we are, and just what it this is our life. It's wild to be part of the theater world himself and the performer, just to kind of stop and take a moment. We were both like, yeah, things are going great. So cool, good. How long have you been married now? I was trying to do the five years. It was our five-year anniversary this summer. Yep. Mm-hmm.
BrettWait, really?
SPEAKER_01Yes, isn't that wild?
BrettYeah. I I'm I'm speechless. I still think of you as newlyweds.
SPEAKER_01I still feel like a newlywed. Five years is a lot for me. That's a that's a that's a big that's a big commitment. Five years. Honestly, the amount of time we were saying, like we we've written all these shows and like, you know, but now I'm always away.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, it's it's it's but he's working on the TV version of Lessons Learned and he's busy himself.
BrettAnd I it's I don't feel like there could ever be a TV version of Sister in a weird way. I mean you could, but it would be very it would take away some of the charm of the off the cuff.
SPEAKER_01It's interesting, you know, because it's such a working with the three different shows, they're such different experiences for me because you know, sister is such a a character in every regard. And there are, you know, boundaries of you you cannot cross it. You are not. You know what I mean? Again, as I said to you, I get up real close with them. It's just the the interaction with the audience for me is in all of the shows that we do are so important.
BrettYeah.
SPEAKER_01So important.
BrettWell, and I think that that's what makes you unique as in theatrical experience, is there is that community feel. There is that sort of thing. Like I've gone to a sister show and recognize somebody from the audience and be like, oh hey, I remember you, you know, or whatever. I mean, it's like it's almost like this bond. There's this tribe.
SPEAKER_01And and you know, and it's interesting because as I start to, you know, play other characters, I feel so lucky that people support me and find them just as enjoyable. And the interactions also, while they are different, they too are very fun and thought out and you know, evoke the audience to have a conversation with you, which is really what makes it fun for me.
BrettIt is so unique. Netflix will never talk back to you.
SPEAKER_01But Netflix just keeps coming up for me, and I'm just like so excited about that.
BrettWell, okay, so what are obviously Rick Pascaloni and you are doing well. What is next? Are you working on anything? Is there anything you can reveal as far as incubating something new?
New Shows Brewing After Loss
SPEAKER_01Yes, totally. I always shoot straight with you. It's interesting because, you know, as you know, theater books a year in advance, and you know, the bride for us, it was such a huge success and so much fun. So that's booked into a couple of really amazing performing arts centers. And I have my schedule booked pretty much right now until May of next year. And it's just like it's really exciting. It's between sister and lessons learned and the bride. And then we also, you know, last Christmas was interesting for to for me. And I went through a t a difficult time with losing my mom. And, you know, I bond with my audience over life experiences. And for me to be able to be truly who I am, I have to live authentically in the moment of where I am also. So when I was there last in January during The Bride, I thought a lot about that and and and how people responded and how kind everybody was in grief. And I thought about my mom, and my mom loved Christmas, she just loved Christmas. And I was like, this makes total sense. So we're developing a show called Have Yourself a Wicked Awesome Christmas. And, you know, it it's sort of like what the holidays are like with family and traditions that are created, and recipes that are passed on, and you know, what can Happen when families get together. You know, we thought about some fun ideas for the second half, which is a Yankee swap, like one of those white elephants, which I think will be a blast. So, and it's kind of in honor of my mom and keeping traditions alive. And you know, at my shows, you know this. We laugh, we cry, we share, we open ourselves up to each other, and that's what makes me tick. So I'm I'm excited about this this new one. And we're just giving ourselves some time to write it and work on it, and obviously we'll be bringing it to Houston at some point or another, because that's just my whole heart is in Houston, and you know, like it's just such an exciting opportunity. So yeah, I haven't really given that proposal to anybody yet, but yeah, that's what we're working on. And and then the TV version of Lessons Learned shortly after we put it up in Los Angeles, that's sort of where everybody went with us. Like, this is a Netflix special, this could be an episodic. So Ricky penned a pilot episode and we read it out loud, and it's really funny. It's it's kind of like everybody loves Raymond kind of vibe, but more Boston and very neighborhood, like where you go back and forth between this character's life of what it was like in 1980 and how she's applying it to parenting her kids in you know, 2026 in Los Angeles, which is very different than Boston Wooden Spoon. You know, this is this is candles and chai latte. This is very different. So yeah, and and Vegas and Houston, and then like I don't know, I'm booked out for six months. I always say it like the thing about Sister, which is a great character, and playing yourself is you just I'll never age out of it. I can play it forever.
BrettSo exactly you did a smart thing, you got the tattoo that doesn't age you, basically.
SPEAKER_00What costume can you get in? That it's like I mean Mary Pat's howling. It's like you know, it's nothing. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01And I think you know, Houston always brings it.
BrettSo well, we will bring it for late night catechism.
SPEAKER_01You do you do know this that like both Sunday shows are sold out, one of the Saturday matinees is already sold out. There's like they're adding performances, and and I can only be there for two weeks.
BrettSo I'm like Yeah, we're gonna have lunch performances, we're gonna have like mid-evening performances. I'm sure it's gonna be crazy.
SPEAKER_01Like, we're just gonna keep going.
BrettWell, that'd be great. Well, of course, it's late night catechism, Las Vegas. Sister rolls the dice, starts August 4th, runs through August 16th. So too short. For me, we get Vegas, we can roll the dice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we're gonna like I'm gonna just do this and then and then see kind of where we go next. Yeah. But I'm really excited about coming back, and I haven't really processed, you know, the whole thing of my next phase.
BrettBut I whatever it is, it'll be fabulous. Sister and Denise, popular chicks. So there you are.
SPEAKER_01But I always stay so grateful and hope that it's not the last time I ever come to Houston.
BrettAnd it will never be. We've already adopted you, it's fine.
SPEAKER_01I hope not.
BrettWell, I'll see you on the fourth. Yes.
SPEAKER_01You will see the fourth? The fourth be with you?
BrettYes, I'll be there on the start.
SPEAKER_01You might even be there that day.
BrettWell, great. Last time I went to the gym with it. Just kidding.
SPEAKER_01I can't even I can't even take it.
Meet Damien From Mean Girls
BrettHi there, this is Brett Cullum, and I'm joined by Marco Camacho. He is in Mean Girls, which is going to be at the Queensbury Theater August 6th through the 16th. Just a reminder, August 13th is their Plastics Pride Night. So welcome, Marco. Glad to have you with me. Hi, Brett. Thank you so much for having me. All right.
SPEAKER_02So you got to tell me what character are you in Mean Girls? So I am playing the lovable Damien Hubbard. I'm so excited to play this role. This is definitely one of my bucket list roles. So I'm so, so happy to dive in.
BrettWell, tell me a little bit about Damien and about Mean Girls as a plot in case there's like somebody that has been in a coma since like whatever year that movie was released.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so Mean Girl, so Mean Girls Musical is based off of the very popular Mean Girls movie that was made in 2004. Tina Faye from SNL wrote the script for the Broadway musical, and it was nominated for a bunch of Tony Awards back when it was when it first opened on Broadway. So it's just Damien is the hilarious gay best friend that tries to guide Katie Heron, who is new to North Shore High. And him and his best friend Janice kind of help navigate her through the world of high school. She comes from Kenya, and it's just a very, very funny story. It's, you know, the SNL writers, of course, it's gonna have that comedy that is just definitely my comedy that I love. So reading this script, I'm just constantly laughing at the humor behind just the brilliant minds. And so that's I I'm so ready. I'm so ready for Houston to see this too. Well, Tina Faye, I mean, you can't go wrong. She's so funny. Oh my gosh. She's so brilliant, and she does a really good job with like taking the the jokes that everybody loves and knows so well from the movie and kind of just like giving them a little revamp, but still staying true to that humor. And so I love that. So it's like you're you're getting the iconic lines, and then some of them are tweaked a little bit to be a little more relevant for today's audience. And that's where I just think that it's brilliant because the story really is timeless. You know, we there are people that are newer generations that are just now discovering Mean Girls through the movie musical because there was recently a movie musical with Renee Rapp, and Tina Faye was actually in that as well, reprising her role as Miss Norberry. And so we've got a younger generation that now is getting into it. There's a Mean Girls Junior out there for schools to do. And so then you've got like the older generations that definitely understand and know the high school trope from Heathers or the older classics that also have those iconic mean girls in them. So there's definitely something for everyone in this show, which I love. I love how popular it is in pop culture as well. Like everybody knows, even if they haven't seen it, they've heard these lines of On Wednesday we were pink or so fetch or you can't sit with us. And so it's just, it's very cool to be able to have such a mainstream production here at Queensbury. And it's just, yeah, it's so far, it's been such a blast to just even go through the pre-production phase of the show. And
Pride Night And Queer Representation
SPEAKER_02now diving deep into the rehearsal process, it's it's definitely one not to miss.
BrettWell, auditioning for the show, was Mean Girls particularly meaningful for you before you did this?
SPEAKER_02I mean, was it were you a fan? Oh yeah, I definitely was a fan. I've always like loved the high school Mean Girls trope. Like any of those movies, I always have just been drawn to because usually the fashion is so great. You know, movies like Clueless or Heathers, as I mentioned, and Jawbreaker, like all of those movies I grew up with and Mean Girls actually came out when I was in high school. And so I have always just kind of had that connection with it to be able to see it go from being a movie onto the Broadway stage, then a movie musical, and now regionally, like it's just very cool to be able to be a part of this and to be this role. Like, this is definitely one of my bucket list roles, as I had said, it just to the humor, to the songs, to the nostalgia for me. So I'm really excited. I think it's definitely a millennial's dream. You know, I was always a Heathers guy, but I love Heathers too.
BrettI really do. I think I've I think I've aged out of Heathers other than maybe the principal or one of the teachers. So there you are. But now you've done a lot at Queensbury and around town. So tell me what I might know you from.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I probably my biggest claim to fame with Queensbury is I played Buddy the Elf when they did Elf the Musical back in 2018. I played The Cowardly Lion and The Wizard of Oz here at Queensbury and Charlie Brown and a Charlie Brown Christmas. But I've also had the privilege to work at other theaters around town recently in the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Theater Under the Stars. I played Leaf Coney Bear. I did the world premiere of drag wonderettes at stages, which was such an amazing experience to be a part of. It was, it was, it just, I love everything about the arts. I love being like painting, I love designing, I love costumes, I love just everything. And I felt like that show really, I mean, we were painting our faces, we were, you know, wearing these high heels, my calf muscles were just getting jacked, and it just was such a great experience. And so yeah, I've had the privilege to be working around the Houston area for for years. Main Street Theater is another place that I've worked at. It's just, yeah, it's a privilege to be in a city that has so many great theaters. And I am very happy to be a part of Queensbury as Queensbury's kind of finding their footing again with main stage musicals. It's just been a blast, and I just love working with so many incredible artists on stage and offstage. And it's very cool that the majority of them are Houston-based.
BrettWell, you know, Holland Bavra is in your cast, and she originated a lot of the One Dret stuff. So now you guys can get together backstage and just do one dread songs.
SPEAKER_02100%. They she no, we yeah. When we were doing Wizard of Oz, we had just Holland and I both did it together. She played Glinda, and it just right after Wonderett's, I'm like, oh my god, did you guys ever have to do this? Or, or, you know, they changed this for drag Wonderett's. Like, what was it before? Or I would listen to recordings of them, and it just was really cool to be able to like see all of the Wonderette shows at stages and then be a part of Drag Wonderett's. And so I love that Holland is, you know, she's done a couple shows here at Queensbury. She was insideshow, she was in the Wizard of Oz. Like, I think that this role of her playing all the adult characters, including Regina George's mom, is just like Chef's Kiss casting. And I just can't wait to see what she delivers. It's Holland. It's gonna be so good. And she can do anything. Right. I know. She will she will thrive on Pride Night. We just we're always like gay night, it's gay night. Like, we're so excited for gay night. Like everybody in the cast just knows that like the Pride Nights are the place to be. It's so much fun. We have complimentary refreshments afterwards. We usually have like drag performances or karaoke. Seasons 52 is graciously donated light bites to us, and it's it's so much fun. So that yeah, that is August 13th post performance, and that's one of my favorite nights because the crowd is also just so fantastically just on fire and unapologetically like excited. And I think this show for mean girls is definitely gonna be the right crowd for Brett.
BrettIt's so interesting how I mean there's not really a super gay plot of mean girls, but I guess we've all gone through it, you know. Right. Yeah. And we've all had that that friend or, you know, whatever. I mean, I guess so, and the mean girls have always impacted all of us, whether we're gay, straight, queer, you know, lesbian, whatever. I mean, you know, or heterosexual, yeah, that kind of a thing. So it's it's really interesting to see how that's gonna work. And you just solve my problem of what night I'm going. So I guess August 13th is my date for this.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. That's another like being so drawn to Damien too, is being a gay man myself. I really am drawn to the characters that I'm able to be myself and portray on stage. I with this production too, they've kind of changed the character plot for Janice to be to be queer as well. So I think that's great. So we've got two queer representing cast members, or not cast members, but cast characters played by two cast members that you know are a part of the LGBTQ community. And so it's uh Teresa Zimmerman is my my work wife, is what I say in the show. And she's playing Janice, and she's just another force to be reckoned with. I'm just I'm so excited that we're playing like best friends on stage and we're also outside, you know, in real life. So it's gonna be great.
BrettWell, Marco Camacho, your resume and your bio just is insane. It's a lot. I mean, I'm reading it and I'm like, what the heck? How did little Marco get into theater? What was
How Marco Built A Houston Career
Brettyour gateway drug into this wild world?
SPEAKER_02I yeah, I grew up like I grew up just watching a lot of musicals, listening to a lot of musicals. My family is very artistic as well. My dad worked in entertainment, still does. My grandfather worked in entertainment. And so I just from a young age was just drawn to like movie musicals like The Wizard of Oz. I remember watching Into the Woods, like on VHS, the Broadway production over and over again, Sunday Music, like all of those had a big place in my childhood. And I was thankful enough to have a family that is very supportive with me being in the arts. And so I grew up doing summer camps, theater camps, community theater productions, and it just was something that I knew that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And I knew that, you know, being able to get paid to do this was just checked all the boxes for me. And so I've just been really thankful that I've able to have a career uh around the arts in in every capacity.
BrettUm, one of the things I noticed on your resume or in your bio, you worked with Neil Patrick Harris.
SPEAKER_02Is that right? Yes. I was part of the it was called Horrible Turn. It was like a prequel. So he was not, he was never in the room with us whenever we were filming, but it was his world that we were thankfully got to be a part of a prequel version of what the movie was. I wasn't privy to the movie before getting cast in that. And so I had so much fun on the set. I was just like a small part, but it yeah, it was it was a great, great.
BrettThat's okay. You were part of Dr. Horrible. I mean, gonna lie. Yeah, it was in the sequel or the prequel or whatever we want to call it. Yeah, it would be like that's that's amazing. That's points on your card for sure. Yeah, no, it was great, it was so great.
SPEAKER_02Do you have a favorite role that you've ever done? I uh definitely have soft spot for Buddy the Elf. I just it it wasn't really like a role that was on my radar until it came to me at the right time in my life. And I, you know, I'm 6'5, so of course, being the usually the tallest person in the room, and I love comedy and I love, you know, making people laugh. And so I when that musical, I think the first time I saw it was at Theater Under the Stars, and I was just like, wait a minute, I feel like I could do this. Like, I feel like this role is something that I would love to tackle at some point. And I was lucky enough to be able to do it here at Queensbury, and it's something that I'm hoping I'll be able to revisit again at some point because it just was very special role. That and the cowardly lion is I just The Wizard of Oz has always been just such a special movie to me. And being a queer person and being in the arts and musicals and everything, it just checks all the boxes and and so yeah, the playing the cowardly lion is another one that I've also really, really enjoyed. You've got all these iconic roles. I mean my god. I'm so lucky, yeah. I'm so lucky. I think thanks for uh complimenting my resume. It it's nice to be able to be reminded of just how wonderful my career has been here in Houston. Uh, you know, I a little bit regionally, it's just it's it's very, very cool to be able to do this full time.
BrettWell, it's very cool to see people do this in Houston. I think that a lot of times people don't realize how much opportunities there are here. And actually, I've noticed a trend where some people are moving from New York and LA to here because they the work in New York and LA, I mean, it's there, but it's not the opportunities that you have here, obviously. To be the bigger parts, maybe. Yeah, yeah. If that makes sense. Especially with Broadway right now, like kind of like stunt casting people and bringing in stars for these lead roles or whatever. It's like ah totally. No. Selena Gomez is Regina George, you know, like so.
SPEAKER_02We've got our own like Houston celebrities that are are in our production of Mean Girls, which is just the cast is just stacked.
BrettThe cast is amazing. Tell me about some of the people that are in this thing. I mean, good gosh.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, like I said, Teresa Zimmerman is playing Janice, my best friend, and she, I mean, her voice is insane. There's not a more perfect person for that character. We've got Satchi, who has also got Queensbury credits and Tuts credits stages as well. She's playing Gretchen. We've got Kathryn Jacobson who used to live here in Houston. She's now in the Fort Worth area. But she all I'm grew up doing touch shows with her, and she was a leading lady over there for a while, and her voice is also insane. And I'm just so happy that she's coming back to Houston to do this production with us. And we've got Abigail Bensman who's playing Katie Heron. I actually did Spelling Bee with her, and she played Logan, Schwartz, and Grubinier. We were both redheads in that production, and so I'm sure she'll probably be a redhead again in this one. She's playing the Lindsay Lohan character, and it's just, yeah, I'm so I'm so happy, and it feels really cool to be in a room full of so many people that I admire and respect, and just the cream of the crop is, you know, getting to work with all of these amazing people.
BrettWell, yeah, and they get to work with you. I mean, come on.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, just I mean, I'm like, I get I get to do this. Like, this is what I like me, I get to do it. It's just, it's, it's, I mean, it's like a pinch me moment. It's just it's yeah, I just I love theater. I love Houston. I I love working at Queensbury, and it's just I'm so excited to share this with Houston and the community. And I yeah, I can't wait for everybody to show up and and wear their pink attire. Oh, that's right. We gotta wear pink.
BrettAll right. Well, here we go. Mean girls, Queensbury Theater, August 6th through the 16th. Note, August 13th is their plastics pride night when Holland and Marco will probably go crazy. Glitter, glitter and be gay. As if we couldn't be up with mean girls already. So thank you so much, Marco. It is gonna be so awesome to see all six foot five of you taking on the mean girls. Yes.
Xanadu Setup And Why It Matters
BrettHi there, this is Brett Cullum, and today I'm joined by Kristen Herink and Miles Estes. And they are going to be in a very special production for the Garden Theater this summer. It is going to be based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie Xanadu, which everybody remembers the movie, I'm sure. Uh Livia Newton John, Gene Kelly, Michael Beck. It's just it's basically hilarity on wheels for adults, children, and anyone who has ever wanted to feel inspired. So the musical is a Tony Award-nominated roller skating piece of theater that tells you to follow your dreams despite your limitations. So the plot is a little bit confusing. It's about a beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who Kristen is playing, who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California, and lands in 1980. And she goes on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, who Miles is playing, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time. Yeah, it's a roller rink. Okay, because it's 1980, it has to, okay. But Kira has done the forbidden thing, she's fallen in love, and her father is not very happy about it. So a lot of chaos and things about, and of course, Xanadu, completely fun. Welcome, Miles and Kristen. I am so excited to have you here. Yes, and this thing runs August 14th through the 30th. It's gonna be a Matchbox 3, and we've got 90 minutes, no intermission. And I was gonna ask you when like Pride Night was or something, but I figure it's Xanadu, so probably every night every night, I think it's yeah, yeah, gonna be pretty gay. Now, the first thing, the big question in the room, and when I look at you, I I think, oh my gosh, you both are so young. Have you ever seen Xanadu?
SPEAKER_03Yes, I have actually quite recently, but yes, I did watch it. It's you know, it was definitely an experience for a first watch, but it was definitely very fun, you know, knowing the musical and everything, and definitely made it a lot more fun to watch, singing along all the songs and stuff. But it was just a very I very I loved watching Olivia just in sort of that environment, just confused and not just seemed like she shouldn't be there. So it was it was a great watch. Well, Krista, what about you? Have you seen it?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, so when this opportunity uh presented itself, I was not familiar very much at all with either the musical or film. I'd heard of it, of course, and then I I watched the film, it actually struck me fairly deeply. I found it to be uh surprisingly relevant as kind of like a reminder of where we can find joy in this world. I think at the time in my life when this all happened, it just was a reminder that I need it. You can be that inspirational force for yourself and for anybody, and it's collaborating, human connection, the thrill of creating that moment, like that's what it's all about, you know?
BrettYeah. It's a pretty silly movie, and I'm gonna tell both of you the a little bit of the secrets behind Xanadu. When they started shooting this movie, they had no script. It wasn't finished. So it was a lot of uh a lot of experimentation and a lot of improv on the part of the actors. Living Newton John had drug along one of her greatest songwriters, John Ferrer, to be with her. He wrote a lot of her stuff and it actually included songs in Greece for her specifically. So that was one of the things. She was like, I have to do this, and he his songs have to be there. And then, of course, ELO provided a lot of the other songs in the movie. But yeah, it is it the movie is a little bit of a train wreck, but it's very lovable. And I think you're both right. I mean, I think, you know, Kristen, obviously it's about finding joy where you can and what inspires you and Miles at the same time. It is kind of a lost piece of art. All right, so the next question. Can
Learning Skates And Embracing Camp
Brettdo you guys roller skate?
SPEAKER_03Have you ever roller skated before? A little bit. You know, I used to go to a roller skating rank during elementary school, like after school with a lot of friends. Like that was a place I would go to a lot. And then, of course, you know, it'd been a few years since then, and then this show came up, and I was like, man, it's I instantly bought some roller skates to start practicing again to really just re relearn all of those things that I used to do at elementary school, but it all came back. It came back and it's gonna be so good. It's gonna be great. Kristen, have you ever roller skated?
SPEAKER_06Same with me. I only as a child for you know birthday parties and such. It's been quite a while, but I got a pair of skates and have been practicing and it comes back to you. It takes a little bit, but I've been like having so much fun learning little tricks and stuff. Um I was a bit saddened. I I thought there would be more roller rinks in the Houston area than there are. I I don't maybe we can bring back roller skating to the Houston community and make it a a big moment again.
BrettMaybe like after we'll just lay down some floor in Matchbox 3 and we'll just have roller parties the whole time. It's like you built Xanadu, so hey, we might as well enjoy it. Yeah. No, that just hasn't happened every night. So okay, does anything about this show scare you? Like as a performer, and you're thinking, oh my gosh, I have to do this.
SPEAKER_06Well, this show, especially for the role I'm playing, there's just a lot of variety. I am working with three different accents, uh, Australian, southern, and Juilliard accent, very like theatrical, presentational. There's a lot of variety in the style of music. There's some songs that are like 40s swing inspired. There's the more, you know, pop rock 80s. There's a part where I do some scatting, there's, you know, tap dancing. So it's just quite a lot all in one fairly short show. So it is a bit daunting to have all of this range of elements to work on, but also that's what makes it so exciting, just being able to play around with all of those different elements and somehow they all come together into one finished product. It's a lot of fun, but yeah, a bit scary.
SPEAKER_03I'd say she pretty much said it all. I mean, I would say more less scare, but more just wanting to do it justice and keeping like the just the funness and the stupidity of it and keep it still camp and not falling on those skates is my number one thing. Oh, just don't even worry. That that might happen. That's what we're here for. Even if it does, you won't know that it that it wasn't supposed to.
SPEAKER_06So that's so true, Miles, especially with Olivia Newton John being such a and her and her work are so beloved. You know, I really want to be as respectful to this material as I can be, and while also having an open mind and open heart to, you know, we all make it our own, but it's there's a little pressure there.
BrettYeah, for sure. It was really funny because the movie was trying to predict what the 80s were gonna be like, and it was nothing like that. But they had this idea of that the 40s were gonna come back, like that big swing thing. And we did bring back shoulder pads, I'll give them that. And you know, I think there were some 40s visual things that happened in fashion in the 80s, but it was really interesting to see their take on this. And so this is going to be a fun show to see you both bring to
Big Performance Challenges On Wheels
Brettlife. Now, the garden theater, obviously, uh just has been around for five years. This is going into their sixth season. And Kristen, I know you did Ree for Madness, correct?
SPEAKER_06Correct.
BrettHave you ever done any other work with The Garden?
SPEAKER_06Since Reefer Madness, the only other thing I've been a part of was a few weeks back, Logan did for The Garden's fifth anniversary limited production called From Seed to Stage, where he had a lot of the actors and performers who've worked with The Garden come do a revamp of their previous roles and a bit of a cabaret performance of all of the different shows The Garden has done. So that was a really fun, really special thing to be a part of. And then now on to Xana do.
SPEAKER_03Well, Miles, is this your first time in the garden? No, this is actually gonna be my fourth show with them. Wow. I did yeah, I did Cruel Intentions with them about a year ago. And then right after I did company, I played Peter and that I was what is saying, Ronald in Cruel Intentions, yeah. And did company, and then right after I did their production of Songs for a New World that ran the same weekend as their cabaret that they just did, and then now we're on to this. And so yeah, I've been really appreciative of Logan just giving me all these new challenges because when I went to school, I went to school for just theater. I didn't go to school for musical theater. And so I didn't come in with like all of the training that a lot of these other people did. And so I'm just really grateful that Logan, you know, saw something in me and just keeps wanting to just give me new things to try out.
BrettYou know, that's the danger of being a guy in this business, is that you do get dragged into musical theater somehow. I don't know how that happens, but it does. Everyone, it's inevitable. So just give into it, which I think Kira would probably say to Sonny, just give into it, okay? But you've already done Sondheim, so I mean, come on. It's pretty hard to get out of it now. Yeah, it's gonna be hard. Well, you give me an idea of like where you started, Miles. You obviously studied theater, but how did you get into it?
SPEAKER_03Did you were you always into it as a kid or I always wanted to do it as a kid? I didn't really start actually acting until my junior year of high school. And that was when I, yeah, my first ever show was Legally Blonde Musical. So I started with musicals, but I knew that acting was my main preference. And so when I went, I went to Sam Houston after high school, majored in theater, and then right as I was graduating, I auditioned for Main Street, Main Street Theater in Midtown. They were doing Sleeping Beauty, and I got cast as the prince in my first out-of-school production, and I was just like, wait, maybe I actually can sing a little bit. Maybe I should keep doing this. And so yeah, we just kind of kept going from there.
BrettYeah. Kristen, what about you? What was baby Kristen like? Did she come out doing scenes?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I I mean, I started doing musical theater when I was, gosh, eight years old, and I was so heavily involved in it through my childhood and into middle and high school. Then I went to college. I actually majored in business administration, but I got my theater minor. I kind of towards the end of high school moved away from theater as I wasn't really thinking about doing it in my adulthood, but I I think it's something that sometimes you just you you try and run away from the theater and you can't do it. It doesn't let you leave. And so when I came back to Houston, a lot of my friends are so involved in theater and I just got back into it and it fills my heart so much. I love it so much. It's always been the singing and acting and comedy for me. I've gravitated towards it just forever and always well. I'm never gonna be able to get away from the theater.
BrettNo, not as long as you hang out with Logan. Well,
Favorite Songs Plus Film Screening
Brettwe're very excited to see you both in Xana to do. I know there's a lot of events that are going on around it too. There's a screening of the movie in August at the River Oaks. Is that right? I think it's on the 8th. It's on the 8th, August 8th at 7 p.m.
SPEAKER_06So Miles and I will be in attendance, and I think we're gonna be able to do some speaking and performance afterwards. So that should be so much fun.
BrettI'm very excited for that. They have enough room in front of that screen. You can roller skate if you need to. So I just want to put that out there. I don't know.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
BrettWell, the actual show is gonna be August 14th through the 30th at the match in Midtown Houston, obviously. It looks like you guys are doing this without an intermission. This is one of those one and done. You're going 90 minutes, we're not stopping. The roller rink starts, and you just keep it going. I want to ask you, you know, both of you, you've been working on the songs so far. What are your favorite songs so far?
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's a hard one. Okay. I'm between two, actually. Between all over the world and the fall. The fall. The fall, uh, the fall has really the fall's really gotten me. But yeah, I picked the fall. I picked the fall.
BrettAnd Kristen, what about you? What's your favorite so far?
SPEAKER_06I I truly adore suddenly the duet with Kira and Sonny. It is so sweet.
BrettWell, it's gonna be a joy to see this come to life. You two are great choices for Kira and Sonny. It should be a real blast. Of course, you're gonna see a bunch of middle-aged people just like losing their minds. So there you are. Because of the cult around this thing is mighty as well, to quote Kristen there. But thank you both so much for coming and talking to all things Xanadu. We will see you, let's see, again August 14th through the 30th at the match. Break legs, but that feels really mean to say you was Xanadu, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_06Not while we're on roller skates.
BrettIt's a little too real.
Closing And Where To Learn More
SPEAKER_08This has been Queer Voices, heard on KPFT Houston and as a podcast available from several podcasting sources. Check our webpage queervoices.org for more information.
Ghost of GlennSome of the material in this program has been edited to improve clarity and runtime. This program does not endorse any political views or animal species. Used opinions and endorsements are those of the participants and the organizations they represent. In case of death, please discontinue views and discard remaining products.
SPEAKER_08For Queer Voices, I'm glad we're gonna be able to do that.
