Already Perfect literally stages a conversation between your present self and your younger self. What was the first memory or moment that made you realise this internal dialogue belonged on stage, not just inside your head?
I’ve written eleven albums that are basically journal entries set to music, so I’m not precious about keeping things internal. But this felt different. This wasn’t just therapy for me. It was a conversation that needed witnesses. The stage gives you permission to make the private public in a way that actually transforms it. You can’t do that in your living room.
The show starts on the night your Broadway show is about to be filmed and you’re at a breaking point. Without spoiling it for audiences, what does that moment of unraveling represent for you personally, and why was it the right opening for this story?
Success doesn’t fix anything. That’s the short answer. Starting there felt honest because it cuts through the bullshit of the “it gets better” narrative. Yeah, it gets better. And then you still have to do the work. You still have to sit with the kid you used to be and actually listen to him instead of just trying to outrun him.
The musical blends gospel energy, pop pulses and tender balladry. How did you decide which styles best served each emotional beat, and were there any songs that surprised you in how they turned out?
I didn’t sit down with a style guide. I just followed the truth of each moment. What surprised me was how naturally it all cohered. I’ve lived enough musical lives — Jerry Lee Lewis, gospel records, Hermes in Hadestown — that these styles share the same DNA for me. They’re not separate identities, they’re just different tools. The goal was always intimacy and emotional truth, not a greatest hits of my influences.
Having won a Tony and performed iconic roles, what’s it like shifting from interpreter to creator, writing and performing something so close to your own life? Did that feel liberating, terrifying, or a bit of both?
Both. When you’re playing Jerry Lee Lewis or Hermes, there’s a kind of safety in the distance. With this, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s me. Or at least versions of me. The liberation came from realising this isn’t just my story. It’s our story. Anyone who grew up queer in a certain kind of environment will recognize themselves in this. That takes the pressure off. I’m not asking anyone to care about my personal drama. I’m asking them to see their own.
This UK premiere brings Already Perfect to London audiences at the King’s Head Theatre. What do you hope UK viewers, especially queer and creative communities, will take home after experiencing this musical?
I hope they see themselves. I hope they laugh because there’s a lot of humour in survival. For queer folks specifically, I think there’s something powerful about watching a story where the ending isn’t about coming out or finding love or getting accepted by your family. Those are important stories, but this is about what comes after. It’s about midlife reckoning. It’s about making peace with your story by changing what it means, not by changing the facts.
Already Perfect is on between Friday, 9th January and Sunday, 15th February
The King’s Head Theatre, 116 Upper Street, N1 1QP
Nearest Station: Angel
