Tower of Babel

I took part in this original work for radio from globally renowned theatre director and artist Robert Wilson which has been co-produced by the BBC and a group of German radio stations.

In this multilingual sound-collage about the doomed proverbial tower of Babel, half a dozen languages are interwoven and juxtaposed. Wilson, originally an architect, has for decades worked worldwide with international ensembles, in various cultures and languages, and at constantly changing locations, all merging into a single whole: the theatre. In a compositional approach which is structural rather than conventionally linear, he uses texts from an ancient description of the city of Babylon and passages from the great works of theatre history: Aeschylus, Euripides, Shakespeare, Racine and Ionesco. Featuring actors and musicians including Fiona Shaw, Alan Cumming, Daniel Hope and architect Daniel Libeskind.

Tower of Babel won the 'Deutsches Horspielpreis der ARD', the highest award for a radio play in Germany. It is a co-production between the BBC and German radio stations HR, NDR, RBB and SWR.

Violin, Daniel Hope

Dramaturg, Ursula Ruppel

Co-director, Tilman Hecker

In co-production with HR, NDR, RBB and SWR.

Talk Shows

Live with Kelly, Live Talks LA, Miami Book Fair, The Chew, BAFTA Scotland In Conversation, BAFTA Guru,  Big Issue interview with Nicola Sturgeon, The Late Late Show, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Live With Kelly, Open Books Open Mind, Fora TV,  Associated Press, My LITV, HuffPost Live, Rachael Ray, WGBH Forum, Q on CBC, Loose Women, BT, Politics and Prose, InforumSF at the Commonwealth Club, NYPL Live!, Yahoo News, AOL Build, PETA UK, The Late Show, EIFF, AIDS Walk Ohio, Live at the Sydney Opera House, Seth Myers, USA Today, Studio 10, Talk Stoop,  Meredith Viera Show, Edinburgh International Book Festival

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Max and Alan

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I was asked by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to do a new piece based on the exhibition they had running by the German painter Max Beckmann.  Both Beckmann's work and life are fascinating so I had a  lot of great source material, but I also wanted to show some personal connections between him and me, and quite surprisingly, I found there was a lot.

It was nerve-wracking to do a whole new show, especially after doing Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs for so long, but me and my band-mates - Lance Horene Eleanor Norton and Alon Ilsar - had a great time.

I also DJ'd a Club Cumming party afterwards!

Chita: Nowadays

On Monday November 7th I sang a couple of songs with Chita Rivera in her solo debut at Carnegie Hall.  Chita is a legend and a total doll and I was truly honoured to be a part of her show. I sang The Apple Doesn't Fall Very Far From The Tree  from The Rink and then Nowadays from Chicago, the latter of which also saw me busting some Bob Fosse moves which Chita taught me!

It was a great night. Andy Karl, Javier Munoz and the New York Gay Men's Chorus.

Here's a little highlight reel of the evening

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You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams

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On September 13th, my third book, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams was released.  Subtitled My Life In Stories and Pictures, it is a collection of essays and photographs I took, literal snapshots from my very varied and wonderful, blurry life.  

Here's the official blurb:

A magical concoction of the mischievous, tender, whimsical, and debauched real-life adventures of Alan Cumming, told in his own words and pictures. Described by the New York Times as “a bawdy countercultural sprite” and named one of the most fun people in show business by Time magazine, Alan Cumming is a genuine quadruple threat—an internationally acclaimed, award-winning star of stage, television, and film, as well as a New York Times best-selling author whose real-life vivacity, wit, and charm shine through every page of his third book, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams. In these forty-five picture essays, Cumming recounts his real-life adventures (and often, misadventures), illustrated by his own equally entertaining photographs. From an awkward bonding session with Elizabeth Taylor to poignant stories about his family and friends to some harsh words of wisdom imparted by Oprah that make up the title of this collection, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams is as eclectic, enchanting, and alive as its author.

I also read the audiobook. You can listen to a clip here.

Fashion Media Awards

I hosted the Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards in NYC during new York Fashion week. My old chum Cory Bond was my beautiful assistant and a good time was had by all.  Winners and presenters at this year's ceremony included Glenda Bailey from Harper's Bazaar, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Gigi Hadid, Marc Jacobs and Carine Roitfeld.

UNHCR Mission to Beirut

Over Labor Day weekend I flew to Beirut for a mission with the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. I toured Lebanon meeting people who have been displaced because of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It was an eye-opening experience for many reasons, but mostly because I realised how much the language of fear and xenophobia was being used all round the world, and at its root are millions of people who just want to go home and are afraid of the same things we are.  These people were so resilient, as were the people of Lebanon who are dealing with almost a third of their population being made up of refugees.  I came back to the USA and started my book tour and was able to talk a lot about what I had seen and my belief that America needs to do more, as a responsible and compassionate world power, to help these people, instead of shunning, shaming and falsely labelling them. 

You can help too by visiting UNHCR.org

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Alan Cumming's Edge of Scotland

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At the same time as shooting the NBC First Look on the Hebrides, I also made an hour long documentary for Scottish Television entitled Alan Cumming's Edge of Scotland.

My dog Lala and I travel through the Western Isles meeting amazing characters and seeing stunning sights along the way.  When this was broadcast in Scotland in February 2017, Lala literally captured the hearts of a nation!

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Club Cumming

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On 7 nights after Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at EIF, I threw Club Cumming parties. I was DJ, my band - Lance Horne, Eleanor Norton and Stuart Semple - played, we had guests including Jesus, Brian Cox, Jonathan  Mills and Frances Thorburne, games and much, much fun...

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Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at the Edinburgh International festival

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I returned to my homeland to perform Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at the Hub for the entire month of the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2016. It was a really amazing month and such a joy to perform the show in Edinburgh, where I first performed at the Fringe Festival in 1984 with my friend Forbes Masson in The Victor and Barry Show

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PBS Arts Fall festival: Sappy Songs

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My performance of Alan Cumming Songs Sappy Songs at the Smith Center in Las vegas was recorded by PBS and an edited version appeared as part of their Arts Fall Festival.