A singer with an old soul and uniquely pristine sound has become a star of YouTube playlists and cabaret stages all over, Seth Sikes returns to his favorite hubs for a pair of upcoming shows starting this weekend!
Thotyssey: Seth, hello! We’re getting ready for a change of seasons: do you consider yourself to be more of a Summertime Diva or a Christmastime Crooner?
Seth Sikes: I’m definitely a Summertime Diva, and that’s because I’m often playing summer towns on the Lavender Circuit in places like Fire Island and Provincetown.
I wanna get right into your bio! I was wondering if you could speak a bit about growing up in Paris, Texas–immortalized by a beautiful 1984 film of the same name! What was it like for you there, and did you grow up singing and enjoying musicals?
I discovered my love for MGM musicals, and particularly Judy Garland, when I was pretty little. I often sang old songs from MGM on the playground and in the cafeteria. Needless to say, I was the only kid in Paris doing that. I think they thought I was odd, but kids were mostly nice to me. Paris was a fine place to grow up, but when I later got into high school theatre and learned about Broadway, New York starting calling to me… and I came here right after graduating high school.
Did you immediately immerse yourself into the piano bar / cabaret world when you got here? What were some of your earliest haunts?
I immediately found myself addicted to piano bars! I always say that I grew up at Marie’s Crisis (where I went with a fake ID), and then I matured at the Townhouse. I didn’t get into cabaret, however, until I started to my act many years later.
Perhaps when most people think of male cabaret performers, a very specific vocal tone and style comes to mind. But you’re voice is quite different! It evokes something vintage and classic, like Fred Astaire or even Judy herself! A contemporary comparison is maybe Rufus Wainwright. Is that how you always sounded, or did you work to create that?
I think my voice is sort of naturally different sounding, but I think the more I listened to old recordings the closer I started to sound that way. It wasn’t really a choice, it happened naturally. I sound ridiculous on pop music!
You immediately started working behind the scenes in theater here in NYC after you were done with school. Were you purposefully seeking out that path as opposed to being on stage, or did it just kind of happen that way at first?
I was a terrible auditioner, so I gave that up. But I loved the theatre, so I decided to try my hand at directing and went into being an assistant director. I worked with some great directors and learned a lot. But I was really missing singing, which is why I was at the piano bar so many nights!
In 2013 you assistant directed the play The Nance at the Lyceum, starring Nathan Lane! What was that experience like, and how was working with Nathan?
Nathan was really fun, and would have me laughing so hard in rehearsals when he was doing the Nance’s burlesque bits. He showed up on Day One knowing all his lines, which apparently he always does. The rest is a blur!
Broadway is going through a strange time right now with massive budgets, wild venue rent commitments, mandatory star casting, surprise early closures, etc. What are your thoughts on the present and future of Broadway?
It’s just too expensive. It has become an elitist artform, because regular people can’t afford it. I think that means the unions need to be busted up, or something. I can no longer afford to see everything each season. And sadly, the quality of the writing of shows has gone down, in my opinion… and I can’t really explain why. There are so few scores that excite me. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, and old, and bitter. I hope they can figure out how to make tickets cheaper, and that more shows get a chance to open.
What made you decide to pursue onstage performance at that point, after backstage success?
I decided I wanted to do a one man show about my lifelong obsession with Judy Garland, and the logical way to do that would be to do a cabaret act. I really didn’t know much about the cabaret world, and I wasn’t trying to become a cabaret performer. I planned to do a one-night-only stunt for all my friends. Because of my showbiz connections I knew the right musicians, I knew someone who decided to back it, and I knew the booker at 54 Below. It all came together nicely, only… I wasn’t very good. I was nervous, and very green! But somehow it caught on, and I’m still doing it–a lot!
You are a signature Fire Islander! Are you someone who enjoys being a wild partier there, or do you prefer to keep your experiences chill?
I like both! Fire Island is a perfect mixture of serenity and debauchery. However, the older I get, the less I debauch.
I think many people (including myself) got to know you from your gorgeously produced YouTube videos filmed on Fire Island, in which you covered or lovingly parodied showtunes and standards featuring all the staple folks and sites of FI life! How did those videos come about? Do you have a favorite?
It was the pandemic, and I was without much to do or anywhere to perform. A friend generously let me stay at his house on Fire Island… and I was bored, like everyone else. I love writing parodies for my shows, so I had an idea to make one about wearing a Covid (rainbow) mask of many colors as a nod to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I filmed it on my iPhone, bought a microphone to record the vocals, and had so much fun filming it around the island using various friends (at a distance). I wanted it to be a comment on the moment. When people liked it, I had more and more ideas. My favorite was “Howdy Neighbor,” where I drove a tractor around the island singing like Judy Garland. The most popular one was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Those videos got me a lot of attention, and they led to post-pandemic bookings! I have a new one coming out soon, by the way.
Speaking of Fire Island, Jim David and yourself will be presenting A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Ferry at The Ice Palace there on Sunday, August 23! What can you tell us about Jim, and this show?
He’s a hilarious comedian, and a good friend. He lives on the island, and I thought it would be fun to do something together. It’ll be a little like Lucy and Ricky: “You do something, and then I’ll sing ‘Babalu!’ Then you do something else and I’ll sing ‘Bubalu’ again!”
On September 23rd, you’re returning to your homebase 54 Below in Hell’s Kitchen for a solo cabaret, Seth Sikes: Together at Last!
I’ve got the amazing Tedd Firth on the piano, and a very special guest: Marilyn Maye. It’s going to be a fun, swinging good time!
What else is coming up?
This winter I’ll spend my seventh winter in Puerto Vallarta, performing in various shows there. And a new Fire Island music video parody will be out soon! Also, I’ll be a guest in “Bette, Bathhouse and Beyond” in New Orleans for Southern Decadence, singing in a towel!
Finally: could you give an artist or show a shoutout that you’ve loved this year, or that you’ve loved always and can’t wait to see again?
I’ve had the great privilege of working with Marilyn Maye, and seeing her perform with such brilliance and vitality at 98 feels like witnessing a miracle. I’ve also been working with and also adore the one and only Rose Levine, who at 93 holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest still performing drag queen. They’re both in their 90s—and somehow among the youngest, most alive people I know!
Thanks, Seth!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Seth Sikes’ upcoming appearances, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and his website.
Thotyssey 