Got to talk to the director, kitsch maven and raconteur John Waters for an article in the Washington Post today, regarding his presentation of “A John Waters Christmas” at the Birchmere in Alexandria Monday.
It’s a standup show regarding his musings on the holiday. And there were a few other topics we didn’t have space to address in print covering everything from the War on Christmas to the unrealized TV series based on his “Hairspray.”
Here’s more of the conversation:
How do you like playing the Birchmere? It seems like an unusual venue for you.
I think I have a pretty great audience there. I’ve been doing it there evey year for a long time and it’s always amazing to me. It’s always packed. And it’s a great audience. I feel like should come out and do Peter, Paul and Mary or something.
Originally, I think they have such a varied clientele. I look at all the posters backstage that line up the walls and think: wow, a lot of different people have played there. But my audience there is great. Though you never really get to see the audience. When you’re on stage you’re looking out into the black and then when we do the question you see them, and a lot of time after I do book signings and T-shirt signings and I see some of them there.
But I think my audience is like the same people that pick up hitchhikers. They’re a special breed. And it’s not really age, or sexual preference or race or anything. It’s just people who don’t want to fit in. If they fit in, they’re in the minority.
You talk a bit about living creches. Do they still happen?
Yes, they do. I have certain ones I go to every year, but I have to sneak in because I think I’ll be recognized and arrested.
Is this a special Baltimore thing ?
I think they’re everywhere. I bet there’s a lot in the South. Who would let their child be in one, with a mule and straw and candles? That’s a safety hazard.
Where do you stand on the alleged War on Christmas?
If the War of Christmas concerns keeping it out of the government, I totally agree. I’m all for that. I’m for atheists flipping out. Atheists have rights, as does everybody who doesn’t believe in it. But at the same time, I find it all hilarious.
This is the 10th anniversary of the album “A John Waters Christmas.” Is there ever going to be a volume two?
You know, I had a terrible experience with the business end of putting that record out. The record business is not so great these days. I put out ‘A Date with John Waters,’ which came out after that, which was the best breaking up songs. I would like to do another one, but we’ll see. I’d rather do a TV Christmas Special. Stranger things have happened.
There are an awful lot of TV holiday specials each year and especially Hallmark Christmas movies.
I’m actually pro Hallmark, because they spend a huge amount of money buying contemporary art. So I say in my show, you should buy Hallmark cards but deface them. Like make it “Seasons Beatings.” Or “Merry Sithmas.” Or add, like Richard Prince did, add genitalia on the DeKooning paintings – draw obscene things on the Hallmark cards. I think that you should buy them and alter them. So I respect the traditions of Christmas, I just think you need to twist them.
I was referring to those Hallmark Christmas movies. Have you seen them?
I don’t watch the Christmas movies. No. I can sort of imagine what they would be like. They don’t take many chances.
I’m all for Christmas movies. I’m still trying to make one. So who knows? I just might.
Did your Christmas album change the fortunes of some of the people on them? Was it a boost for Fat Daddy, say?
Fat Daddy, you know, in Baltimore was the major rhythm and blues DJ. In “Hairspray,” he was on the Buddy Deane Show when they did what they called Negro Day. He was the DJ on that show. So basically I based the character – I turned him into a woman – Motormouth Maybelle that was based on him. So “Fat Daddy” was a big big hit in Baltimore: “Fat Daddy, I’m santa Claus.” And he was a huge musical influence on me. All my musical taste came from Fat Daddy.
He was on WWIN in Baltimore. You had WAAN and Hoppy Adams, I believe, in Annapolis. He was great, too.
Have you seen those dance shows that are on now, with old people, called “Grown Folks Dancin'”?
It’s great! Because they realy still can dance. I’d love to go.
But you know what? If there was a dance show today [for kids], racially there still would be trouble. Black and white kids slow dancing together? Well, they don’t slow dance. But if there was slow dancing today, that would still cause trouble on television.
Speaking of “Hairspray,” they’re doing a musical out of another movie about Baltimore, “Diner.”
I know! Have you seen it? It’s in previews in Washington.
I haven’t. Would you have any advice for them embarking on making a movie into a musical?
No, I wouldn’t give advice. I learned when I they made “Hairspray.” I knew nothing about musicals either really. I learned a lot from it, and I’m dying to see it. I think it has the potential to be a big hit. There are some really good people working on it.
Was it a good experience for you to see your film turned into a stage musical and then a screen musical?”
Are you kidding? I bought my apartment in San Francisco with it. It was the best experience of my life and it continues to keep on giving.
Was it artistically satisfying as well?
Are you kidding? It won the Tony award. I learned a crash course in theater. I was involved in it from the beginning. And then we did “Crybaby,” which failed on Broadway though it got four Tony nominations. So I learned a huge amount, met a whole new community, and then they turned it into a big budget Hollywood movie, too, which was a hit too. So I have no complaints. I was also paid to write the sequel to the musical called “White Lipstick,” that never happened and at one point a TV series that never happened. So it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Will those sequels actually happen?
Maybe. I’m always optimistic.
What are you working on currently?
I’m working on an art show that opens at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York Jan. 9. That’s the next thing. Then I have two other projects in development, which I can’t really talk about, it’s bad luck. I’m doing a 17-city Christmas tour. I just came back from the UK where “Carsick” just came out, so I did a book tour over there. So I’m a busy little bee.
“Carsick,” in which you wrote about a cross country hitchhiking trip, was great fun. It seems like hitchhiking is something you never see any more.
I only saw one the whole way when I was doing it and I told the driver not to pick him up. Hitchhikers are selfish.
But yes. All people my age did it when they were young. Young people want to do it, and just haven’t done it so I think hitchhiking it is making a comeback, and my book has helped it some. It’s green. You can get a date. It’s better than Grindr. I recommend hitchhiking. Everybody takes a little bit of a chance when they go out, why not take a little bit more? And meet new people? It was a great experience.
“A John Waters Christmas” plays the Birchmere in Alexandria Monday.