The gifted star of off-Broadway and the West End is making their mark in NYC nightlife on multiple stages: Erich W. Schleck!
Thotyssey: Erich, hello! We are now in the month of May… any April highlights for you?
Erich W. Schleck: April was a ball! I got to be a part of two sold out concert events: “Idolatry” hosted by Castrata and Michelle Dowdy at Red Eye honoring Lady Gaga featuring all stars from the “Red Idol” competition, and “I’ve Been Robbed” at the Green Room 42. This was our fourth sold out edition of “Robbed,” this time celebrating all our favorite robbed and snubbed pop stars.
As a longtime performer, what sort of situation do you enjoy more: being part of a fully staged traditional musical theater production, or more cabaret / concert type performances?
Gosh, that’s a tough one…they both are so fulfilling in completely different ways. When I toured with Jesus Christ Superstar for example, there was this inimitable euphoria of having completed this intense physical journey. But in the cabaret and nightlife space I get to be so directly interactive with the crowd, and I get to create a whole vibe. Both are very gratifying!
Great vibes indeed! We just heard this year’s Tony nominations. Did you see anything that particularly delighted, disappointed or surprised you there?
Oh, I love Tony Season. Obviously Oh Mary is the moment, and I’m also so happy to see Maybe Happy Ending receive so many accolades. I thought it was such a gem, though I do think Helen J. Shen was robbed of a nomination. And give my Seattle sister Jinkx Monsoon her flowers already! I’ll be one of the special guests again this year at The Stonewall Inn’s Tony Awards Viewing Party hosted by Anthony Fett and Lavinia Draper. Always one of my favorite nights of the year.
I think the first time I saw you perform was at that wonderful weekly open mic night that Ms. Dowdy hosted with Yaz at The Spot (RIP)! I’ve always enjoyed how so many of the city’s musical theater performers are part of this tight community that keeps showing up to these type of events.
Oh my God, that night was so iconic! I love working with Yaz, he can literally play anything. And I am so indebted to Michelle Dowdy; she snatched me out of obscurity and gave me my very first nightlife guest spot gig all the way back in 2021. I’m honored to call her a dear friend and mentor.
Can you reveal a bit of your origin story: where are you from, and did you always grow up with music and performance in your life?
I grew up in Seattle, Washington and was surrounded by music my whole childhood. I was raised on jazz music, and taught myself how to sing listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker. That then morphed into an obsession with cast albums and the likes of Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. I was gay from the jump! I had my first “professional” job at 12 in the original cast of A Christmas Story: The Musical! You can hear my little voice begging Santa for a Shirley Temple doll on the cast recording; if we knew then what we know now.
You’ve done quite a bit of regional theater in recent years. You also played the titular role in the Olivier Award nominated BLIPPI The Musical in the West End! What was that experience like!?
Performing in the West End was a dream come true. Never in a million years did I think I would get that opportunity, let alone get to lead that company, let alone have us be nominated for an Olivier Award!? I was so inspired by my time there, and the people I met in London. The theatre that is being created over there is really groundbreaking and masterful (I mean, look at Sunset Blvd.), and I learned so so much. And while losing the Olivier to a puppet in front of the entire world was certainly humbling, that night was one of the best nights of my life.
Gasp! What puppet!?
Ha! I actually lost to a very cute foam puppet named Hey Duggee from a UK cartoon. That cast was so sweet, though.
Those damn puppets are taking over Brooklyn nightlife, you know.
You know, I did hear that! I also saw some insane puppets last time I was at The Stranger.
So what is your favorite showtune to perform, and what is your musical theater dream role?
Picking a favorite is impossible, but I never get tired of performing “The Man That Got Away.” I close a lot of my shows and sets with that one. Though I will say my most requested and other favorite is “Meadowlark,” a little gem from an obscure Stephen Schwartz show called The Baker’s Wife. If you’ve been out in Hell’s Kitchen or Lower Manhattan after 11pm, there is an incredibly high likelihood you’ve heard me wailing that one.
I’ve been lucky enough to tackle a few of my dream roles including the Emcee in Cabaret, though the one I’ve yet to tackle that I’m dying to is Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. That one is just a monolith.
That would be perfect! You’ve got big stuff coming up in May.
Yes!! May is a booked and busy month for me, I’m so excited.
On Monday you’ll be Victoria Williams‘ guest for her “Musical Mondays” at Boxers HK!
I love my sweet Victoria Williams; this will be my third time guesting at Boxers with her. We can’t help but be absolute fools whenever we’re together.
Next on Friday the 9th, you’ll be at Stonewall for a special event.
“Rainbow Revolt” at 6pm, hosted by Andrew Gryniewicz, Taylor Pattie and Lyra Vega. We have a bunch of incredible performers donating their time and raising money for The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. It’s a fierce lineup, and for an incredible and important cause.
Then on Monday the 19th, you’re bringing back a show of your own to newer venue VV Bar in HK: “Musical Mischief!”
“Musical Mischief” has been a dream of mine ever since I broke into the nightlife and cabaret space, and I’m so lucky to have the incredible Bryan Deparsia helping me sail the ship as my producer. We met while I was subbing for my nightlife mother Jarvis Derrell’s “Karaoke Monday” at Playhouse, and just geeked out over the history of music and built this show idea together.
“Musical Mischief” is an all live, all singing speakeasy style cabaret dinner show featuring special guests from Broadway and beyond. Every month we bring new songs and new guests, I sing some staples from the songbook, we play games, we serve food. It’s unlike anything else you can get in Hell’s Kitchen, and we start at 6pm… so all the girlies who don’t want to be out super late have a show time made for them, too! My brilliant friend Jonah Hager is our musical director and plays the entire show on the piano.
We offer an eclectic set list of jazz, pop, musical theatre…literally anything is possible at “Mischief.” A small cover of only $10 and an amazing menu of food and drinks… what more could you ask for on a Monday night? The VV Bar boys have been such incredible hosts; it is such an amazing room to play in.
And on May 22nd you’ll reunite with Dowdy, Castrata and other members of the Red Idol family for a Cher edition of “Idolatry!” What can we expect from that?
Oh. The girls are coming out to sing! We’re covering every era of Cher, and we’ve got The Bad Judies back to rock the house. This show promises to be a campy, belty, incredible tribute to our diva Miss Wagon Wheel Watusi. I love my Red Idol family, and it has been such a privilege seeing where all my Season One sisters have gone. We all are huge cheerleaders for each other, and continue to work together out in the space.
Bless your booked May! Okay, lastly… if you were a drag queen, what would your name be?
Ha! Okay, in my few rare appearances in drag I’ve used the name Ricky U. Sofine; it’s both a parody of my boy name, and obvi the song by Toni Basil.
Thanks, Erich!
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