KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Alan Cumming is an actor, singer, writer, filmmaker, and provocateur known the world over, and this summer, he's spending some time in Vacationland.
Since 2017, Cumming has had a cabaret bar called Club Cumming in New York City. He’s brought a pop-up version of his club to The Kennebunkport Inn called Club Cumming on the Coast.
It's an intimate outside dinner and show, featuring different talent each weekend. Last weekend was Cumming's first in Maine. He partnered with NPR journalist Ari Shapiro to deliver a mix of songs and stories.
The two are not an obvious pairing. Their show, called 'Och and Oy: A Considered Cabaret' is a blend of tunes and tales that prove the pair have a lot more in common than at first glance.
"We wanted (the show) to include the kind of insightful, thoughtful, deep conversations you might expect from a Public Radio interview and also the bawdy, entertaining song and dance numbers that you would expect from an Alan Cumming show," said Shapiro.
That is exactly what audiences get. You will laugh, you might even cry but you will definitely want to start singing along with their tunes.
The Scottish actor is well-known for his voice. In 1998, Cumming won a Tony Award for his performance in Cabaret as the master of ceremonies. He has since gone on to sing solo in several concerts around the world including Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs.
Even NPR fans who know Shapiro's voice well as the anchor of 'All Things Considered' may be shocked to find he's got a set of well-trained pipes. Shapiro started singing in the choir at school but for the last decade, he's been using his vacation time to tour with the band Pink Martini.
Cumming said when The Kennebunkport Inn offered Club Cumming a residency in Dock Square he thought it would be a good way to give performers from Club Cumming in NYC a reprieve after being closed for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I thought it would be a lovely thing for them to come out here, have some seaside fun and just have a little chance to kind of perform again in kind of a non-scary environment," explained Cumming.
A portion of the profits from Club Cumming on the Coast is being donated to Actors Fund, which offers a safety net for actors, singers, performers, and crew, a population that has been particularly impacted by the pandemic.
Cumming said Kennebunkport is a perfect fit for his pop-up show in that it's unexpected.
"At Club Cumming, our mantra is 'anything can happen.' It's a bit mischievous and it's a bit saucy and I like that we're doing our sort of Club Cumming aesthetic in an environment that is quite conservative. Kennebunkport is not known for being the most crazy, progressive place in the world. I like that fusion," said Cumming.
Club Cumming on the Coast has a roster of rotating talent coming to perform for the rest of the summer and they have extended their shows until the second weekend in October.
Cumming and Shapiro will also be back in Maine in October and to perform in Portland.