Four Inane Questions with actor Guy Gardner
Photo Courtesy of The J
Guy Gardner is a huge fan of the Kansas City theater scene. Over the years, Gardner has been immersed in everything from directing and choreography to helming a full-blown musical production. He’s also the current associate artistic director at Theatre in the Park.
“Kansas City has one of the best theater scenes in the nation,” Gardner mentioned in an interview with the Kansas City Star. “We have everything for everyone. The community is ridiculously tight-knit, and you never feel judged or unworthy among your peers.”
For the next three weeks, Gardner is ready to dazzle in the family-friendly musical, Hairspray at The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre at The J. The production—which runs through Feb. 23 —is co-produced with The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City, the fourth such partnership between the two groups.
Gardner tackles the beloved role of Edna Turnblad, Tracy’s mother, who struggles with her own insecurities and nerves while trying to best support her daughter. The role of Edna is well-known for being portrayed by a man in drag, which was an opportunity Gardner didn’t want to pass up.
We caught up with Gardner during dress rehearsals to hit him up with our looney tunes questionnaire. He didn’t miss a beat—figuratively or literally. Bless.
Photo Courtesy of The J
The Pitch: You can be a roadie for any band. Who are you choosin’?
Guy Gardner: Send me to the early 2000s and put me on a Destiny’s Child tour immediately. I’ve had the pleasure of working on tours, and I know one of the best parts of touring life is being able to listen to the music during the shows.
A life where I can hear the entirety of the Survivor album each night? Count me in. There’s just something about those songs that will always get me pumped for the day.
If you were a book, what book would you be?
The “G” volume of the encyclopedia. Not only does it include my name (obviously), but I think it accurately depicts my life. The word “go” is one I tend to do often, constantly on the move and trying new and different things. The word “grub” because… food. The word “grandiose” because I’m delusional. (Kidding.)
And “good,” “genuine,” “galore,” “giddy,”—They all just kind of fit how I hope to portray myself!
What Broadway show/musical needs to be revived? Stat!
Get. Zombie. Prom. On Broadway.
Zombie Prom is one of my favorites and has so much to offer. The writing is immaculate, the story is campy and hilarious. The music is so fun to listen to—and it has so much heart. Plus, there’s a zombie. Who doesn’t want to see a zombie on stage? It never made its way to Broadway and I think there is a huge opportunity for it to be a hit.
If someone out there has a ton of money, hit me up so we can get it to New York.
What’s the longest air flight you’ve ever been on? How was it?
I flew from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia a few years ago and it was such a great time. I’m lucky to get to travel a lot and being on an airplane brings me a lot of peace.
I am one of those people who can fall asleep on planes pretty quickly, so that long flight included a few naps, great food, and, of course, watching Crazy Rich Asians which is a long flight must.
Bonus 5th Question: What dance move/combo do you find physically impossible?
How does anyone do anything on the ground? Floorwork is impossible for me. I work with a lot of people who love to dance and when we’re creating new choreography or just having fun, there’s always an “Okay, let’s go to the ground” followed by a swift “Ehhh” from me.
The ground is so far away. My knees don’t understand it. Humans invented chairs so I don’t have to be all the way down there.
