Writing

Max and Alan

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!

You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams

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.


Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at the Edinburgh International festival

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

PBS Arts Fall festival: Sappy Songs

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.

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, Live At The Cafe Carlyle

February 5th saw the release of my album Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, Live At The Cafe Carlyle.  My cabaret show of the same name originated at the Cafe Carlyle in June 2015, so I thought it was only appropriate I should return there to record the live album. Also, I was able to use this amazing shot by Jordan Matter as the cover art!! Yes, we really did take this outside the Carlyle's revolving doors, and yes we were all naked!

I celebrated the album's release with a sold out concert at Carnegie Hall! You can buy the album here, or download it on iTunes!

In Concert

I began the year performing Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs as part of my Australian tour with dates at the Melbourne Arts Centre and at the Sydney Festival. On my return to the US I toured the show to Palm Beach, Tampa, Toronto, a sell out show at Carnegie Hall in New York, Bethesda, Naples, Detroit, Minneapolis, Princeton, Port Washington, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, West Hampton, Martha's Vineyard, Provincetown, Great Barrington, Las Vegas, and returned to my roots by taking the show to the Edinburgh International Festival in August. Then I returned to the US and played Amherst before returning to the UK to play Brighton, the London Palladium, York and Gateshead.  Then I rounded off the year with US shows in Pittsburgh, Morristown, Kansas City, Louisville, Chicago, Carmel Indiana, Cleveland, finishing up with a New Year's Eve show in Park City, Utah! Phew!!

We also released a live album Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs Live At The Cafe Carlyle and recorded the show for a PBS special.