Hollywood Haunting: A New Twist on a Classic Tale at Alleyway Theatre, ‘Kidman Carol: A Gay Dementia on Australian Dames,’ Interview with playwright Kevin Zak

Hollywood Haunting: A New Twist on a Classic Tale at Alleyway Theatre, ‘Kidman Carol: A Gay Dementia on Australian Dames,’ Interview with playwright Kevin Zak (Podcast)
A Kidman Carol: A Gay Dementia on Australian Dames will bring the laughs to Alleyway Theatre this Holiday Season.  The new play, being presented as part of the Alleyworks series, was written by Buffalo Native, Kevin Zak.  

“I love Buffalo theater,” shared Zak. “I grew up going to it. I performed in it. I went to school for theater in Buffalo, and I’ve always loved that Buffalo has had such a vibrant theater community… I’m so thrilled that Chris Handley, Alleyway’s Artistic Director, has given me this sort of playground for a couple of weeks to just truly experiment on something.”

Growing up in Kenmore, Kevin Zak found his comedic sensibilities shaped by a steady diet of classic, offbeat comedies.

My brothers and I grew up watching movies like Clue with Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Tim Curry, and also Death Becomes Her,” he recalls. These “dark, twisted comedies” played on repeat in the household, and Zak credits them for his unique sense of humor. “We can blame this whole thing on Madeline Kahn probably,” he jokes, highlighting the pivotal role of her performances in shaping his perspective. In addition to film, Zak loved the Jim Carrey movies and reruns of The Carol Burnett Show.

This early exposure to boundary-pushing comedy set the stage for Zak’s work as a writer and performer. In an incredible twist of fate, he serves as a writing associate on the book of Broadway’s Death Becomes Her, which is currently playing to sell-out audiences in New York City.  

Zak feels that contemporary audiences desire shows that deliver unfiltered, escapist humor. “People want to laugh hard, and they want it to have nothing to do with their day-to-day lives,” he shared. Shows like Oh, Mary! and Titanique—both unexpected hits—exemplify this trend, offering “outrageous, twisted, should-we-be-laughing-at-this” moments that have people rolling in the aisles and returning to the theater again and again.  

Inspired by these trends, in A Kidman Carol, Zak reimagines the classic tale of A Christmas Carol with a delightfully satirical Hollywood twist: The plot follows “Hollywood Scrooge” Cate Blanchett as she is visited by three spirits of Nicole Kidman, each teaching her the true meaning of awards season.

The Blanchett portrayed in A Kidman Carol is “an amalgamation of all of her cinematic characters,” explains Zak. “The general underlying common thread of her characters is that she always plays a wealthy woman who thinks the world is against her.” Blanchett’s character is “very much on her high horse,” disdaining press junkets while brimming with her own entitled, self-assured brilliance.
Follow the WNY SOUNDSTAGE podcast with host Daniel Lendzian on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or listen in your browser:

The play, however, is an affectionate satire of Hollywood’s most revered women, particularly Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman. Zak wants audiences to know that the humor does not come from mocking these artists and making them villains. “The reason this show can happen is because they are such incredible artists and incredible people,” he says. The production, which also features iconic figures like Katharine Hepburn and Carol Channing, is steeped in admiration. “Every inch of this comes out of my love for these two actresses,” Zak said, adding, “They are so intellectual that you want to watch and listen to them pontificate.”

The creative process at Alleyway has proved to be hilarious. “Generally, if you’re finding something funny yourself, I think someone else will too.” Recalling a recent read-through, Zak said, “Everybody was laughing and tossing out ideas and trying various versions of Australian accents.”

Zak wants audiences to have a great time at A Kidman Carol and hopes audiences leave saying,

   I haven’t laughed like that in a long time, and I was shocked by some of the things I found funny. I didn’t realize my sense of humor was a little twisted like that.

A Kidman Carol: A Gay Dementia on Australian Dames starring Broadway’s Jason Michael Snow and Shannon Mullen, with Billy Griffin, Jr., Jeremey Kreuzer, and Madeline Rehm, runs December 13-21 at Alleyway Theatre.  Tickets are available here.