In the hilarious new off-Broadway musical about the Clinton administration, United States Solicitor General Kenneth Starr isn't played by a pudgy, middle-aged actor with thinning hair but rather by Kevin Zak, an actor much more suited to an Abercrombie catalog. And my gosh, does it work. Zak is giving a breakout performance and his Ken Starr is one of the funniest, naughtiest parts of Clinton The Musical—just take a look at his costume for his big song "A Starr Is Born".
Yup, that's what's happening over at New World Stages. Below, BroadwayBox gets to know this emerging talent better as we talk Kenneth Starr research, Broadway Drag Race and #DottieAndKitProblems.
1. Before friends and family come to see Clinton The Musical, I tell them:
Enjoy the view!
2. Hashtag to describe performing nearly naked in “A Starr is Born”:
#StarrGate. Which is also a throwback to a song in a previous version of Clinton.
3. Best part of playing a villain onstage:
Villains get to have the most fun on stage. Look at Maleficent or Ursula…the way they laugh—they're having a ball! Until the last two minutes of their lives.
4. Performance I saw that made me want to be an actor:
Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura.
5. Movie I love so much I know every word:
A League of Their Own. "This is our daughter Dottie, and this our other daughter, Dottie's sister."
6. My research process for Clinton the Musical involved:
Reading The Starr Report, Hillary Clinton's Living History, and Bill Clinton's My Life. Also taking note of Ken Starr's personality traits in interviews and going wildly in the opposite direction.
7. As a Drag Race fan and musical theatre performer, if I had to lip sync for my life to one showtune, the song that would help me “shantay you stay”:
At this moment it would have to be "Days and Days" from Fun Home. Ru would feel too bad to make me sashay away.
8. My political crush:
Does Selina Meyer count?
9. On my nights off from Clinton, I like to:
You can probably catch me hanging out with my life partner, Netflix.
10. The last TV show I binge-watched:
30 Rock. Again.
Hurry over to New World Stages to see Kevin Zak's memorable performance in 'Clinton The Musical'.
