Michael Musto writes"La Dolce Musto," the popular entertainment column in the Village Voice. He's a regular on TV channels like E!, VH1, and MSNBC and has written two books, "Downtown" and " Manhattan on the Rocks." A UPI profile of Musto called him "one of the wittiest stylists in the English language." On Monday, January 9, 2006 I sat down with Michael Musto for a scrumptious lunch at the Cottage Chinese restaurant on Irving Square.

Corine Dana Cohen: It has been over two years since our last sit down lunch.

Michael Musto: It has been too long!

Corine Dana Cohen: Let’s talk about the Broadway season. What did you think of The Color Purple?

Musto: It really had a heart!  And it reached out to me on many levels. It is a messy show. It is not perfect, but something about it is deeply sincere. In a way you don’t find on Broadway usually.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I loved it, too! I thought La Chanze was wonderful, but Felicia Fields really captured me.  

Michael Musto: Was she Sophia?

Corine Dana Cohen: Yes.

Michael Musto: She stole the show!  

Corine Dana Cohen: I agree!  

Michael Musto: La Chanze was so passive, but she gets to raise the roof at the end.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Exactly. What about Sweeney Todd?  

Michael Musto: Sweeney Todd at first I felt was unbearable.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Really?  

Michael Musto: I kept thinking, bring on the huge sets, the grandeur of the original production. I’m a little tired of the scaled down minimal approach that the critics go so crazy for, just because it’s different. But then, I thought it really kicked in, and I looked around and Ben Brantley was orgasming; this was right up their alley. And by the end of it, I was with them, loving this austere, creepy spellbinding approach.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Yes, I would agree with you.

Michael Musto: Cerveris and LuPone were amazing in roles that you would never think could be played by anyone but Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury.

Corine Dana Cohen: I loved them in the roles. Did you see it with Dorothy Loudon?  

Michael Musto: No, just Angela Lansbury.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I saw it with both Angela Lansbury and Dorothy Loudon, and both were wonderful. I loved LuPone’s approach as well. The music is so beautiful!  

It is the most Sondheimy of all of his scores. It is so sweeping.

Corine Dana Cohen: Let’s talk about Jersey Boys!  

Michael Musto: I have to say, Jersey Boys was a surprise! I did not think it was a great show at all, but it had great singing. Unlike Lennon, which did not have great singing.

Corine Dana Cohen: I did not like Lennon on the whole, but I thought Will Chase did a great job as John Lennon.  

Michael Musto: I liked Chuck Cooper, but not much of anything else. Jersey Boys was an absolute  phenomenon; everyone thought it would be a blip on the radar on the way to Ring of Fire.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I was really surprised. I thought it would be another Juke box flop.  Boy was I surprised and delighted. It is breaking records. It is the next Spamalot!  

Michael Musto: It was fun, and no one saw it coming!  It is so expensive to launch a show so most shows are pre-packaged, pre-merchandised so you don’t have that many In My Lifes.  

Corine Dana Cohen: (Laughs) Well, that is a good thing.  

Michael Musto: You have to find a Producer with an investor with deep pockets and someone who is willing to lose money. Most Producers on Broadway are safe and predictable.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Right.  

Michael Musto: So when you have a Jersey Boys, not that Jersey Boys was cutting edge or anything, but it is something that no one would expect to be a smash which proves that there is still a little life on Broadway. It was a surprise!  

Corine Dana Cohen: A grand surprise! I thought the whole cast in Jersey Boys was incredible! I thought that Daniel Reichard who played Bob Gaudio was unreal!  

Michael Musto: And John has a little Jerry Lewis in him.

Corine Dana Cohen: Daniel was in Forbidden Broadway a few years ago, and I was really taken by him in that. I also recently went to his one man show at the Ars Nova and he was hilarious.  Do you go to Forbidden Broadway?  

Michael Musto: I missed it this last time.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Did you see the Piazza number?  

Michael Musto: The Wicked number was the most recent version I have seen.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Oh, there are two versions you have missed! You have to see the Piazza number, it has become my favorite. Did you like the Light In The Piazza?  

Michael Musto: No.  

Corine Dana Cohen: All right, you have to see it. You will die laughing. It is so hilarious.  

Michael Musto: (Laughs) Sounds funny!  

Corine Dana Cohen: They make Clara retarded and clapping with sugar cubes in her mouth.  

Michael Musto: That’s how it should have been, I was waiting for more signs that she was brain damaged.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Yes! She seemed normal to me. You have no idea she is brain damaged.  

Michael Musto: It was absurd, it was like what’s the problem! It was too tasteful; people can sense when they are being conned.  

Corine Dana Cohen: So what are you looking forward to?  

Michael Musto: The Pajama Game.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I can’t wait for that. He is incredible!  

Michael Musto: It is a nice old fashioned show.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Well, I saw Brent Barrett in that at Encores with Karen Ziemba. She
was great, too.  

Michael Musto: She is great and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  

Corine Dana Cohen: So, who was your favorite interview that you have ever done? My favorite of yours was Dame Edna.  

Michael Musto: Yeah. That was just on the phone.(Laughs)  

Corine Dana Cohen: I was so jealous of you. (Laughs)  

Michael Musto: It has to be very trying for Barry Humphries to dress up and always be in character. At least he did not have to dress up for the interview as it was on the phone. I am good at playing along with these people. Getting them loosened up a bit and telling me more about themselves than they wanted to reveal.  

Corine Dana Cohen: What did Edna reveal?  

Michael Musto: (Laughs) That she was on the way to world domination. To literally take over the entire world.  

Corine Dana Cohen: (Laughs louder) Her last run was very funny and I went twice, but I thought the Royal Tour was hard to beat. What did you think?  

Michael Musto: She had set such a high standard with the first one, the second one was a little bit of a let down. In fact, I was quoted when I wrote about the first one that I was screaming my guts out with laughter. They used that as part of the ad at the second one so that was really deceptive advertising by the show.

Corine Dana Cohen: How funny. Well, the second one was still good enough for me to see twice, so I guess you had no problem with it.  

Michael Musto: Yes.  

Corine Dana Cohen: He is an artist too. Did you talk about his art?  

Michael Musto: No.  

Corine Dana Cohen: So what show do you think will be the winner this year?  

Michael Musto: Ring Of Fire. The Johnny Cash musical. This is the year of Johnny Cash. There was Walk The Line and now Ring of Fire.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Who do you think will win best Actor?  

Michael Musto: Michael Cerveris from Sweeney Todd is one of the leading contenders.  

Corine Dana Cohen: What do you think for Actress?  

Michael Musto: LuPone. Chita is great but Dancers Life is not considered up to par. It was being compared to Elaine Stritch, but she did not tell anything that earth shattering like Stritch did, and it is always going to be compared to Elaine Stritch’s one woman show.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Didn’t Patrick Pacheco have something to do with Chita Rivera’s show?  

Michael Musto: I think he is a Producer of the show.  

Corine Dana Cohen: A Producer, really? I heard he did some of the research for the book, but I had no idea he was a Producer.  

Michael Musto: He is a big time Producer. He is someone we should all hook up for our one person shows off Broadway.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I think Musto on Broadway is a good idea.  

Michael Musto: Or I should say, Off Off Broadway. (Laughs)  

Corine Dana Cohen: Well you were in Newsical last season. And I saw Fred M. Caruso the Producer of Newsical and said where is the Musto song. It was hilarious and was one of the highlights of the show.  

Michael Musto: I would love John Tags to play me.  

Corine Dana Cohen: That would be great. So, you have been with the Voice for over 21 years, so what do you want to do next? Is there something you always wanted to do? If I was Galinda, from Wicked, and I had the power to grant you three wishes, what would they be and why?  

Michael Musto: This sounds like a Twilight Zone episode. (Laughs) The one where the guy ends up as Hitler. So, I am afraid to share that with you. First let me say, working for the Voice is a dream job first because it is a home base and I can do whatever I want on the side. I have done TV SHOWS (E, Theater Talk) Musto’s three wishes: I would like to have my own talk show. Not a co-host, just me!  

Corine Dana Cohen: Would you call it MUSTO TV? I always say, I want my Musto TV. What would you call your show?  

Michael Musto: Musto, Gusto.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Musto, Gusto. That is a great title. I like it. What would be the dream channel?  

Michael Musto: Bravo or Comedy Central.

Corine Dana Cohen: Ok, so that’s wish number one. You still have to answer wish number two and three.  

Michael Musto: I don’t want to wish for a boyfriend then I might get it and then what would I do?  

Corine Dana Cohen: You would have great sex. (Laughs)  

Michael Musto: No, you get great sex when you don’t have a boyfriend.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Laughs, Oh yeah, I read that article about the Sex Club, it was so funny, and shocking at the same time.  

Michael Musto: Let me tell you about my second wish. I never feel that I am given enough recognition from the gay community. I would love to get a Glad award. I have pushed through a lot of boundaries. I wrote a lot of things that were controversial at the time, like outing celebrities, those were the things I pushed for. I would love for them to say, lets give this Queen a lifetime achievement award.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Lifetime achievement award?

Michael Musto: I don’t know why, but that would mean something to me.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I hope they read this.  

Michael Musto: They will. People google themselves all day. I would also love it if my column would become syndicated and pop up on weeklies all around the Country.  

Corine Dana Cohen: I wish I had a magic wand and could make these three wishes come true, but I don’t see why they can’t. I have to get with Chenoweth and borrow her magic wand. So, those are your three wishes. Anything else?  

Michael Musto: Plus WORLD PEACE.  

Corine Dana Cohen: All we are saying is give peace a chance.  

Michael Musto: Now I sound like Ms America.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Have you ever approached the networks?  

Michael Musto: I am terrible at pitching. I like people to come to me.  

Corine Dana Cohen: You need an agent. OK America, come and get Musto, I am pitching you now! I want my Musto, Gusto. TV. If you could interview one person that you have not gotten to interview who would it be?  

Michael Musto: Madonna. I think that would be so cool, because she started in the club scene and our paths have crossed so many times.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Have you ever asked her?  

Michael Musto: No.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Why not?  

Michael Musto: I don’t know. Isn’t that weird?  

Corine Dana Cohen: Madonna, if you are reading this give Musto has fourth wish.(Laughs)  

Michael Musto: I guess you want to have one thing to dream about.  

Corine Dana Cohen: You don’t want to do it because you will feel like now I have done it all and then what?  

Michael Musto: That is it.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Who do you admire most?  

Michael Musto: Nathan Lane and Harvey Fierstein, because you can put them in any show and they always are appealing. Harvey was a pioneer when it came to gay issues. And everything he said was right on the money. Everything he pushed for is coming true. And to be that political and that entertaining rolled up into one cuddly ball is something to admire. So I think he will go down in history.  

Corine Dana Cohen: So, have you interviewed Harvey?  

Michael Musto: Yes, many times.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Did you see that interview in New York Magazine with Boris?  

Michael Musto: He ruffled Harvey’s feathers.  

Corine Dana Cohen: Speaking of feathers, I loved La Cage. Wish it was still running.  

Michael Musto: Yeah, I loved it.  

Corine Dana Cohen: What do you think about the Hairspray movie? I heard they are considering John Travolta for the role of Edna instead of Harvey Fierstein. I think it is ludicrous. I mean Harvey originated the role. What do you think about that?