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Video: Claybourne Elder Just Wants to Be Evil... at Joe's Pub
May 17, 2024
Broadway's hunky gay ex-Mormon dad Claybourne Elder brings his sold-out touring concert, I Want to Be Evil, to Joe's Pub and he is giving us a sneak peek in this video!
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0:00
Hi there, my name's Claiborne Elder, and if you couldn't guess from my name, I was raised Mormon
0:04
Also, my face sort of screams Mormon. It's okay, we're all thinking it
0:08
And next week on August 12th and 13th at Joe's Pub, I'm presenting my new show
0:13
Claiborne Elder, I Want to Be Evil. I want to be evil. I want to spit tax
0:22
I want to be evil and cheat at Jack's. I want to be wicked. I want to tell lies
0:36
I want to be mean and throw mud pies. The show is sort of about me growing up and deciding to move to New York
0:45
and as a Mormon kid, looking at the outside world and being taught that it's evil
0:49
but wanting to be a part of it. Dissipation in my face. I want to be evil. I want to be mad
0:59
But more than that, I want to be bad. You know, I didn't really have to question my own beliefs until my son was born
1:10
and started asking me, what is God? What happens when you die
1:15
And suddenly, all of these things that I didn't have to think about until
1:18
since I was a little kid, I suddenly had to bring back into my life. And it's sort of an exploration of going through those things as well
1:26
I need a man who'll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last
1:34
Because when the night falls, my loneliness calls. I want to dance with somebody. I want to feel the heat with somebody
1:51
I want to dance with somebody. With somebody who loves me. The songs I'm doing in the show range from campy Judy Garland
2:09
to sad, slow versions of 80s pop songs to Sondheim to one of my favorite lullabies
2:19
that I sing to my son every night. It's sort of like being inside my head. It's all the things all at once
2:27
Was it wrong? Am I mad? Is that all? Does he miss me
2:31
Was he suddenly getting bored with me? Wake up. Stop dreaming. Stop prancing about the woods
2:39
It's not the seeming. What is it about the woods? Back to my roots
2:44
You know, you see me and you think I'm this nice gay ex-Mormon dad. But the thing is, once you get to know me, you find out that I'm kind of filthy
2:50
And I think that that's really what this show is about. It's showing you that side you didn't know about me
2:56
Why not both instead? There's the answer if you're clever. Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread and a prince
3:09
For whatever. Never. It's these woods. Face the facts. Find the boy. Join the group. Stop the giant. Just get out of these woods
3:21
Was that him? Yes, it was. Was that me? No, it wasn't. Just a trick of the woods
3:28
Just a moment. One peculiar passing moment. Must it all be either less or more? Either plain or grand
3:37
Is it always or is it never? And that's what woods are for
3:45
For those moments in the woods. Oh, if life were made of moments, even now and then a bad one
3:55
But if life were only moments, then you'd never know you had one
4:02
First a witch, then a child, then a prince, then a moment who can live in the woods
4:09
And to get what you wish only just for a moment, these are dangerous woods
4:15
Let the moment go. Don't forget it for a moment, though. Just remembering you've had an end when you're back to ore
4:26
Makes the ore mean more than it did before. Now I understand. And it's time to leave the woods
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