NEW YORK – It's well known that rock stars don't wake up before noon, and the rock stars of major Broadway shows certainly wake up every night in the late afternoon. Not Boy George.
“I'm not really rock 'n' roll. I'm more into dressing up,” he says with a laugh.
The singer-songwriter and heartthrob of the popular band Culture Club these days plays a production manager in the Tony Award-winning film “Moulin Rouge” through May 12.
The Musical Box is a theatrical adaptation of director Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed 2001 film of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. It's filled 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 popular space,” says Boy George.
Boy George, who previously appeared on Broadway in 2004 with “Taboo,” is a trendsetter and music pioneer, with a string of hits including “Karma Chameleon,” “Do You Someone to Hurt Me” and “Time (Clock of the Heart)”. “.
In a recent conversation, he spoke to The Associated Press about returning to the Great White Way, his musical inspirations and how cool he was.
AP: Welcome back to Broadway. How does this compare to “taboo”?
Boy George: It's very different from my last experience, because obviously stopping the show on Broadway is a completely different story. It's a completely different experience to step into this big, noisy, colorful show.
AP: Is singing live with a band much different than being part of a stage show?
Boy George: It's completely different because you're the boss. You decide what will happen. If you want things to stop, change, or take a different direction, you can do so. You are in charge. And in that kind of environment, you're part of a very good kind of theatrical machine.
AB: You can sing some Culture Club songs at the end of each show, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Karma Chameleon.” Is this fun?
Boy George: If you wanted an honest answer, I would pick 100 other songs than those two, because I don't necessarily think they're necessarily the most important things I've ever done.
AP: Is it fun to play a nightclub owner?
Boy George: One of the great things about “Moulin Rouge” is that it's a joy to behold. It doesn't need me, so I just add something. do you understand? He works without me. But if you can bring something else to it, that's very exciting.
AP: The show contains old and new songs. Do you find many fans coming back to find the roots of today's music?
Boy George: There's a lot of kids who dig a little deeper the same way you did. As a kid, I could stick to what was on the radio, but I checked my dad's record collection. I've gone to junk stores and found albums like, “Oh, this looks interesting. Who's this?” I had this kind of pioneering spirit to find things. So far, I'm excited to find a singer I knew nothing about.
AB: You have tattoos of musicians like Marc Bolan of T. Rex and David Bowie. Are both present in your music as well?
Boy George: I think the best music is a combination of everything you love. You know, people say to me all the time: “Oh, that sounds like Bowie.” And I say: “Not by chance!”
AP: What does new music look like to you?
Boy George: You're always indulging in this storehouse of ideas. There's this huge kind of creative storehouse that you walk into, and depending on your mood, you might pick up a little Nina Simone. You might find Drake and think, “Oh, that's interesting. What would Bowie do with Drake?” So I think: What would Bowie do with a disco track?
AB: You seem to always be releasing new music – on Instagram, or with the band We Are Brando, or on the “Argylle” soundtrack.
Boy George: I'm probably the most prolific songwriter I know. I just write every day. I'm not saying every one of them is a gem, but I think when you keep doing things, you get better at it, you know? When people talk about writer's block, what does that mean? Because every word you can use already exists. Where is the block?
AB: What comes first for you – the melody or the lyrics?
Boy George: I tend to hear the melody and then think of a really interesting lyric. I always believe that if you find what you want to say, you'll find a way to say it.
AB: In your last memoir, “Karma,” you wrote that you became kinder to yourself and to others. This is beautiful, isn't it?
Boy George: If you had 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 say, “Yes, no, I'm definitely stubborn and stubborn.” And you know, it's nice to discover that you're wrong.
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
