Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality.

I first spoke to Del Shores in 2009 when he, Jason Dottley, Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea, and Leslie Jordan were touring the country with their show "A Sordid Comedy Affair." Since that time his play "Yellow" was a sold-out success at The Coast Playhouse in CA, he turned his play "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife" into the feature film "Blues For Willadean," and toured the country with his one-man show "Del Shores: Sordid Confessions."

Now Del and I have re-grouped to discuss his new one-man show "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality," in which Del will share more sordid stories about his Texas family, read letters he's written to the haters (including Newt Gingrich and Kirk Cameron), act out scenes from your favorite reality shows (including Hoarders, The Kardashians and The Housewives of Beverly Hills) and yes, he will address his new, unexpected, single life.

Launching in New York City at Don't Tell Mama on June 2 at 6pm and 8:30pm, "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality" will then travel the country! Call 212-757-0788 after 4pm to make your reservation! $20 cover + 2 drink minimum. CASH ONLY. 

For more on Del be sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

1. Since we last spoke in 2009, a lot has happened for you. Your play "Yellow" was a sold-out success at The Coast Playhouse in CA, you turned your play "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife" into the feature film "Blues for Willadean," you toured the country with "Del Shores: Sordid Confessions" and now you are once again out on tour with your new show "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality." What made you want to do another tour and how did you come up with the title and concept for this show? Wow, love the question because it makes me realize how busy I've been! I love working and have really gotten addicted to performing again. Standup is a perfect fit for me because I like to rant, to spew, to tell stories. The last tour was so successful and I was so happy on the road. I've decided to try and go out and connect with my fans once a year on tour. It feeds me. It heals me. And frankly, I need a little healing right now.

2. What made you want to do another tour and how did you come up with the title and concept for this show, "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality."? Well, Sordid is my brand so it's always a word I use in my shows. My ex-husband Jason Dottley was a master at marketing and that was something I learned and embraced from him. It was his idea to change the name of my first show from "The Storyteller" to "My Sordid Life." Naked implies "exposure" and I will be exposing MUCH in this show. No skin, oh no, no, no, no…without photoshop, that would drive them away! But the stories will be honest, the rants MY truth and the "reality" part is based on the fact that I'm actually acting out scenes from some reality shows -- "Hoarders," "The Kardashians" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Not changing a word.

3. How will "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality." differ from your "Sordid Confessions" tour? There are similarities of course. More letters with my famous P.S. Fuck You. But I'm single for the first time in 10 years and I'll address that. It's an elephant in the room and it cannot be ignored. I also have an entire section on my real Aunt Sissy!

4. What do you hope audiences come away with after seeing the show? I want them to laugh a lot and think a little. And whisper…"Wow, Del Shores really looks great and should get laid often!"

5. "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality." will be making a stop in NYC on June 2nd at Don't Tell Mama. What made you want to bring this show to Don't Tell Mama? Laurie Beechman where I've played in the past was booked and I've always loved Don't Tell Mama. My manager Michael thought of it. He reps Coco Peru and I believe she's played there. I'm spending a week there with my daughters and told them, "Dad will work one night and the rest of the trip is all vacation!"

What does this venue offer that another one does not? History! I love how legendary it is! I'm very excited about playing a new venue in NYC.

6. What do you get from your one-man stand-up shows that you do not get from your film/television/playwrighting? Instant laughs and adoration and complete creative control!

7. What's your favorite part of the creative process in putting your one-man shows together? I love finding the stories, the themes, and hitting that stage for the first time seeing if it works. NYC will be my first shows. I started "Confessions" there so I thought…well, it'll bring me luck. To launch in NYC, I was told recently was either stupid or brave!

Where is your favorite place to rehearse? In my living room. In the car. To my friends. I'll just corner anybody and try out something.

8. You created one of my newer favorite TV shows, based upon your hit film, "Sordid Lives." Looking back, what did you enjoy most about turning the film into a TV series? I frankly loved working such an amazing cast. I loved being on location with my husband at the time and our new puppy Ty Guapo. Returning to those characters was sheer heaven and working with Caroline Rhea for the first time, who has become one of my best friends and the late great Rue McClanahan along with all the other players I had worked with before was a highlight in my career. I miss Winters, TX and the Sordid franchise and hope to return to it one more time for a film or two. It was so unfortunate that greed from the producer of the show cost us the show.

9. You were also a writer for one of my all time favorite TV shows in the 80s, "Family Ties." What was the best part about working this hit series? I actually got my WGA card writing one episode. Gary David Goldberg (the creator) saw my play "Daddy's Dyin'" and hired me in the lobby that night. I was 29 years old. It was a monumental opportunity for me, writing TV for the first time, and Gary taught me much. In that, my episode never aired. I turned it in and we went on strike the next day. I was featured on the news as the newest member on strike with the WGA.

10. What have you learned about yourself from all your endeavors (performer, writer, director, producer)? Oh there are many things I've learned, Adam, but I must say today after yesterday, a hard day signing divorce papers, I've learned that I'm strong and I always take tragedy and turn it into comedy. I also have realized that people like to see me with a microphone in my hand, ranting. AND, I've learned that the power of my words and stories has changed lives for the better. That's huge and very humbling.

11. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? Oh I'd like to read minds. Hear other's thoughts.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

12. Favorite way to spend your day off? Reading a great book.

13. How old were you when you had your first real kiss? Wow. Real. I guess that would be one with a man that felt so right, where everything made sense. Pathetically late coming out, being a Southern Baptist preacher's damaged by religion child….35!!!

14. What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex? Hand job on an airplane. And for me sex means somebody came!

Colleen Ballinger: Miranda Sings!

Colleen Ballinger, aka International YouTube sensation, "Miranda Sings" is a singer, actress, and improvisationalist who has taken YouTube by storm with her humourous videos of bad singing. Colleen now travels around the country as "Miranda Sings" performing sold-out nightclubs and theaters in New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dublin, and Sydney. Her shows comprise of improvisation, hit songs, onstage voice lessons, magic tricks, and dramatic readings of her own hate mail.

Colleen is bringing "Miranda Sings" back to Birdland NYC for a ninth time on Monday, May 28 at 7pm! Joining "Miranda" on stage will be former "Rent" and current "Memphis" star Adam Pascal with Seth Rudetsky at the piano. Click here for tickets!

For more on Colleen/"Miranda Sings" be sure to visit http://www.mirandasings.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube!

1. Who or what inspired you to become a performer? My grandfather inspired me to become a performer. He was always entertaining people with his terrible singing and corny jokes. He used to take me to see community theater when I was a little girl and I loved it. He would lean over to me in the middle of the performance and whisper "You're going to be up on that stage one day." He always encouraged me to be a performer and believed in me more than anyone else.

2. How did you come up with Miranda Sings? 4 or 5 years ago I started noticing people posting videos of themselves singing on youtube. I thought it was so weird that these kids were posting videos of themselves sitting in their bedrooms alone singing their hearts out to "Wicked." There are a few girls from my University that Miranda is based off of, and I mixed that with the kids I watched on youtube and viola! Miranda was born!

3. What was it like when you realized that your very first video as "Miranda Sings" went viral? I was terrified when "Free Voice Lesson" went viral. The character was never meant to be seen by anyone but my close friends. It was an inside joke and I was horrified at the thought that the girls I was making fun of would find the videos and know I was imitating them. It was all very overwhelming. I also didn't want anyone to know that it was fake. I deleted every picture, video, and blog that mentioned my real name and turned down many interviews because I wanted everyone to believe that Miranda was real. It was stressful, but fun to watch people try to figure out if Miranda was an actress or just an untalented brat.

4. How has your life changed since "Miranda Sings" exploded? My life pretty much revolves around "Miranda Sings" now. Before Miranda got popular, I was working at Disneyland singing in a couple of shows. Now I spend my days filming, uploading videos, promoting my live shows, selling merchandise, and reading as much of the hate mail as possible so I can to come up with new material. If someone told me when I created the character that it would eventually become my full time job, I would have laughed in their face.

5. How have you handled your success thus far? How do you deal with the hate mail you receive? I'm having a blast traveling and performing. I get to act like a crazy person and make people laugh for a living. :) The hate mail is absolutely hilarious. I'm so appreciative of the haters because they are the ones that made the character popular. The whole reason Miranda went viral is because people were making fun of how stupid it was. If I didn't get hatemail, I wouldn't have a job.

6. You've performed at Birdland a couple of times now. What excites you about your upcoming show on May 28? What do you like most about performing there and how do you keep your shows fresh for your fans? I love performing at Birdland! Jim Caruso asked me to do a show two and a half years ago and I've been performing there ever since. Its the first place I ever performed as Miranda so it has a special place in my heart. I can't wait to perform with Adam Pascal and I adore working with Seth Rudetsky. It's going to be a fun show! It's very important to me that my fans are getting what they want from Miranda, so I make sure to keep the show fresh by reading responses on Twitter, facebook, and youtube and applying it to my videos and live shows.

7. What haven't you worked with that you would like to? I've worked with so many talented performers in the broadway community, but I would love to branch out and work with people in the tv/film industry. I'm a huge fan of Kristin Wiig and would love to work with her some day. We'll see...

8. What have you learned about yourself from being a performer? I have learned many wonderful (and not so wonderful) things about myself from being a performer. With Miranda in particular I've discovered that I love improv and comedy. Before Miranda started I had never even thought to do comedy, but now I can't imagine it not being a part of my life. 

9. What's the best advice you've ever received? The only person with your best interest in mind is yourself.

10. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? I know my answer is supposed to be interesting and scandalous, but I actually have no idea. Probably someone like Gene Kelly... 

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. Favorite way to spend your day off? I love going to Santa Barbara and spending the day with my family. I'm absolutely obsessed with my Niece and Nephew and would spend every second with them if I could!

12. Favorite way to stay in shape? Eating lots of in-n-out.

13. Favorite skin care product? Showers.

14. If you could have any super power, which one would it be? The ability to make annoying people go away.

Ralph Cole Jr.

With scene-stealing appearances on top-rated shows "Harry's Law," "Dexter," "Two and a Half Men," "Desperate Housewives," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Cold Case," and "Scrubs" to name a few, Ralph Cole Jr. has made a fierce and fabulous mark on Hollywood. Ralph is a quadruple threat, starring on the big and small screen, as well as on stage and lending his voice as an On-Air radio personality. Most recently on film, Ralph used his phenomenal comic timing as "Jerry" in "Eating Out: The Open Weekend" and  as "Kay-Kay" in character driven "K-11."

Ralph’s distinctive voice also graces the radio waves every Friday 6-8pm PST as co-host of the hit show "On the Set with Jasper Cole" on BlogTalkRadio. The show includes stories from the set as told by industry insiders such as actors, directors, producers, grips, and more.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ralph knew from an early age that he was destined to dazzle on stage, film, and television. Ralph first studied acting at the Inner City Cultural Center and pursued his passion for theatre during his four years at Claremont's Pomona College. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, he set his sights on New York City. Soon thereafter, Ralph earned his equity card by booking his first Theater for Young Audiences contract.

Ralph honed his craft on stage in numerous off-Broadway and regional theatres. He has acted in such classics as "The Torch-Bearers," "La Cage Aux Folles," "Dreamgirls," "My Fair Lady" and "Grand Hotel." He made his Broadway debut in "Bigger Than Bubble Gum." Ralph used his comedic talent to perform stand up at local New York City venues as well as improvisation with "Shock of the Funny." Returning to Los Angeles, Ralph continued to amuse audiences on stage. The Pasadena Playhouse was home to Larry Hart's rousing musical "Sisterella," where Ralph's creation of the plum role "Babaloo" garnered him both the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Playhouse's Friend's Recognizing Entertaining Drama (FRED) Award for Most Entertaining Actor. This musical was produced by Robert DeNiro and the late, great Michael Jackson. 

Prior to the start of this interview Ralph and I just talked for about 20 minutes. It was a thrilling way to start off a really fun interview. After our introductions, Ralph talked about living in NY and then how he eventually moved back to LA in 2000 to help his mom take care of his father who was ill. For four years, while pursuing more of his television/film career, Ralph cared for his dad. Ralph's dad passed away in 2004, five days after Ralph booked his first job on NBC "Scrubs." Ralph was estactic, as was his father, who lit up like a Christmas tree when Ralph told him the news. Ralph remembers saying to his dad, a doctor, "I'm on a medical show daddy, even though I'll be working in the cafeteria." My daddy was just so happy for me. That was a nice send off for him because he knew I was well taken care of and that his child was doing what made me happy and that's what loving parents want for their children. I was very blessed to have such loving parents. 

Me: I would agree with that. My parents read my blog everyday and e-mail me with their thoughts. It means so much to have them do that.

Photo Credit: Adam BouskaRalph and I then went on to talk about how important it is to surround yourself with a group of friends who will support you and that you can trust. They are the ones who will be there for you through all your ups and downs in life and the business. We also talked about how, like the Martina McBride song, "Do What You Do," where Martina sings "Don't give 'em what you think they want, 'cause they don't have a clue, just do what you do," when you are going out on auditions, you just have to get out there, be yourself, and give the best audition you can, and if you are what they are looking for, the job will be yours. That lead into the start of the interview.

For more on Ralph be sure to visit IMBD.com and follow him on Twitter!

1. Who or what inspired you to become a performer? I was born wanting to be a performer. I remember watching "Father Knows Best" and just dream of wanting to be on television. Here I am a little black boy watching an all white show, but that was my point of reference back then. Ever since then my life has been gravitated towards that. What supported my dream were TV shows like "Father Knows Best" and others like "I Love Lucy," especially Lucille Ball and her comedic timing, "The Jackie Gleason Show," "The Carol Burnett Show," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Those women really inspired me to be funny and comical. I love to laugh and that is what really honed it all for me.

Then I got more crude kind of comedy with Richard Pryor, Red Fox, Moms Mabley, and Phyllis Diller. It was their kind of sassy and bawdy humor I was akin to. That was my upbringing in the 60s.

Then getting to see musical theatre made me want to be on stage and be theatrical and perform. I sang songs with my father from "Gypsy" and "Flower Drum Song" when I was 5. I would play Ethel Merman and all the lead roles and my father would play Jack Ludman. At that time, I was only on this planet for 5 years, and I was already singing "Gotta Have A Gimmick," I mean performing was just meant to be for me.

2. Who haven't you worked with that you would like to? I love Angela Basset and would love to work opposite her. You know who I’d also love to work with, I want to work with the person who is a show runner that can put me on a situation comedy series regular multi camera. Then I’ll be on this show and get to work with all these great people like Angela Basset.

3. You've starred in several stage productions. What do you get from your theatrical endeavors that you don't get from your film/television endeavors? Immediately, it’s the audience reaction in live theatre. You know right away if the audience is enjoying the ride you are taking them on whether it be comical, musical, or dramatic. It’s right there, where as in film and TV, that’s not present until you actually watch the show or movie. I do love situation comedy because it’s in front of a live audience while you are being filmed. The audience is right there to laugh. When I get to do that kind of genre, I feel it’s similar to being on stage because when I do something funny and I get that laughter or applause, I know I’ve succeeded. Conversely, if it’s not working, you know right away, but you got to keep going.

4. What did it mean to you to win the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Playhouse's Friend's Recognizing Entertaining Drama (FRED) Award for Most Entertaining Actor for "Sisterella"? Oh, you totally did your research! It was the biggest honor. The greatest thing about awards is that you have them forever and they can never be taken away from you. Even when you’re gone, the award is still there. It’s always a scribe to you. It was such an honor to have an organization like the NAACP recognize me for work that I love to do. The FRED Award was another great honor. The committee for this award are people who see theatre all the time and know what they like and what they don’t like. I won this award for the show stopping extravaganza I did in "Sisterella," written by Larry Hart and produced by Michael Jackson and Robert DeNiro, so there was a lot of hype about this show. To be recognized in such a high profile production and celebrated is just a thrill for me. Both awards mean a lot to me.

5. You are currently working on a theatrical one-man show. What can you tell us about this show and what made you want to write it? It all spring boarded from taking care of my father. My father was a wonderful physician in Los Angeles for 40 years and then was diagnosed with diabetes by which time he needed 24 hour care and so I moved back from NY to come take care of him. It was such a profound experience. My dad took such good care of me and so many people for so long that when he got sick, it was just a natural thought to say, "I’m going to go take care of daddy." The root of the show is about parental care giving and the base I’m using is taking care of my dad, but now that years have passed by, I will incorporate other aspects of my life into the show, and find ways to add humor to it so it’s not a total "Debbie Downer."

6. In addition to theatre, you've starred in several films. One film is "Eating Out: The Open Weekend." What attracted you to this film? The "Eating Out" series is a franchise. Each one is feature film and I’m in the fifth one. It’s such a successful franchise because it’s all about boys and boys and girls and girls discovering their sexuality and the fun romps they have in different situations, whether it’s in Palm Springs where mine is set, or in a drama camp where part four is set. These movies are all cast with very attractive boys and beautiful women and they are just colorful and fun.

What attracted me to this film was the audition and me booking it. Hahhaha. I know you would love for me to say "I read the script…" but it didn’t work out that way for me.

7. Another film you are currently starring in is "K-11." What can you tell us about this film and what attracted you to this project? Again, what attracted me to this film was going on the audition and booking it. Hahaha….Seriously, the great thing about "K-11" is that it’s completely opposite from my role in "Eating Out." "K-11" is a gritty prison drama, directed by Jules Stewart. I play an inmate. It’s a very powerful film drama that I’m very proud to be part of. It was a great ensemble of actors that I got to work with and we are all still in touch with each other.

8. You've also guest starred on numerous television shows throughout your career. One television show, in particular, was "Desperate Housewives." You were on the Season 3 episode entitled "A Weekend In The Country." What did you enjoy most about being on "Desperate Housewives"? I enjoyed working opposite Marcia Cross and Marc Cherry. It was a big thrill for me because I was such a fan of the show and now I’m standing across from one of the actresses I watch every week reciting lines and filming a scene together and having Marc Cherry, the creator of the show, come over to me and give notes. It was a true dream come true. 

9. Beyond theatre, film, and television, you are also the co-host of "On the Set with Jasper Cole" on BlogTalkRadio. How did you and Jasper decide to work together? What do you like about being on the radio? Jasper invited me to join him. We met working on a television pilot three years ago. He was then considering me for another project of his that’s still pending, but fast forward to now and Jasper wanted to have this radio show. Jasper envisioned having a show about entertainment and invited me to be his co-host. Jasper and I just get along so great that our chemistry is seamless. Each week we like to have a theme and live guest or call in guest and talk about that theme. It’s not just celebrities we talk with, it’s everybody in entertainment from writers to make-up artists to actors. Our rapport is sort of like a dinner party when everyone is schmoozing.

Radio is a very powerful medium because it allows you to conjure up your own images while listening. It makes your brain function in a way that you know you have to listen instead of visually seeing everything. I like being on the radio because unlike film/television, I don’t have to be as visually put together to go to the station, plus my voice gets to be heard by so many people in one fell swoop.

10. What have you learned about yourself from all your endeavors? I have learned that tenacity pays off, being a good person is still a good thing, and maintaining the best possible attitude makes things better. I've also learned that I’m not trying to be a movie star. I’m just trying to be a working actor who’s respected in the business.

11. What's the best advice you've ever received? It would be from my father, who said, "Do whatever makes you happy" and "It’s more important to have good friends than anything else."

12. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? A show runner who can put me on a sitcom. Hahahaha…

BONUS QUESTIONS:

13. Favorite way to spend your day off? I like to sleep late, get up have coffee, and go into my backyard. I have a lemon tree, an orange tree, and a Mexican weeping bamboo and I love being in the backyard, in the sun, just lying there completely content. I’m very happy in the house I grew up in. My mother convinced my father that we needed this house because Ralphy needed a backyard because we were living in an apartment building when I was born. I always hold that dear to my heart.

14. Favorite way to stay in shape? I do fitness regularly. I swim, I do cardio, I do light weights, and resistance machines. I also love bike riding on Venice Beach.

15. Boxers or Briefs? Briefs. They are much more form fitting.

16. Favorite website? IMDB. Facebook. Twitter.

17. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? I would love to have the power Elizabeth Montgomery had in "Bewitched." Just the twitch of nose or a snap of the finger and poof you would have what you needed.

John Malino

Described as a cross between Harry Connick, Jr. and John Pizzarrelli, John Malino has worked with the best jazz musicians in the world, playing everything from Harold Arlen to Hank Williams. In his 20 years as a bandleader, Manhattan-born John Malino has played from L.A. nightclubs to inaugural balls. John Malino has shared the stage with Lionel Hampton while jazz legend David Sanborn has played sax on John’s original tune, "If I had a Genie."

Born John William Scheuer in New York City, his father, James H. Scheuer was a Congressman for New York City for 27 years,  John spent much of his childhood in D.C., later studied at Bennington College, then came back to NYC to pursue music. John is a singer-guitarist who plays many jazz standards with roots in jazz playing Gershwin, Johnny Cash, or Jimmy Hendrix. John has played Santa Monica Music Festival, Sacramento Jazz Festival, Garage, Backfence, The Kennedy Center, Birdland, and is a regular at Sardi's Friday Night Jazz.

Now, John and his band are returning to NYC's famed nighclub, Feinstein's at Lowes Regency on Wednesay, June 13 at 10:30pm for a night of great muisc! Click here for tickets!

For more on John and his band be sure to visit http://www.malino.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

1. Who or what inspired you to become a musician? The Beatles.

2. Who haven't you worked with that you would like to? Duet of Baby It's Cold Outside with Dianna Krall.

3. You play regularly at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in NYC throughout the year. What do you like most about performing here? It's a fantastic room with a really fine sound but the management and staff have really made it something very special.

4. How do you keep your shows fresh for fans who come on a regular basis? Constantly change material, never do the same show twice.

5. What do you hope audiences come away with after attending one of your concerts? The shared joy of hearing great musicians playing (mostly) classic material with abandon just for the love of it.

6. What's your favorite part of the creative process in putting a concert together? Seeing those song titles on paper come to life onstage.

7. Where is your favorite place to rehearse on your own? Somewhere uninterupptable with great acoustics...as for songwriting, I usually get my best work done right at home in noisy New York.

8. What's the best advice you've ever received? Breathe.

9. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? Richard Pryor maybe, for dream laughing. It might be fun to channel some new tunes from a Cole Porter dream. Or maybe a flight around the 5 boroughs with Superman. Tough question, a lot more possibilities there.

10. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? Anything resembling flight would do.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. Favorite way to spend your day off? With family, maybe a nap in there somewhere.

12. Favorite way to stay in shape? Swimming and mostly just the running around and lugging of life.

13. Boxers or Briefs? Boxers.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh

Ryan Bauer-Walsh is another rising actor to keep your eyes on! Ryan recently starred in the International Tour of "Zorro" the musical and the 10-time TONY award winning Broadway hit, "Billy Elliot." His other theatrical credits include "Miss Saigon," "Bye Bye Birdie," "Side Show," "Pirates of Penzance," "Girl Crazy," "Measure for Measure," and "7 Brides for 7 Brothers."

As a proud member of the Actor's Union and Actor's Equity, Ryan has performed in such venues as The Kennedy Center, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Shanghai Oriental Arts Center,Joe's Pub,and the internationally celebrated BIRDLAND jazz club. Ryan has sung the Star Spangled Banner at the White Sox home field, and at the internationally televised Chicago Marathon in front of an audience of 50,000. He can be heard on numerous recordings including "Tess the Musical," "Believe," and "Brother Russia."

In addition to performing Ryan is also an author, artist, and community activist. His illustration work and paintings have been used as set projections at The New York City Opera, the Coterie Opera and are also in private collections.

Ryan is currently sailing the sliver seas among Silversea Cruises' "Silver Cloud," where he will premiere his very first Broadway cabaret show.

For more on Ryan be sure to visit http://www.ryanbauer-walsh.com and follow him on his travel blog, "ActorAuthorArtist," where he will detail life on the high seas!

1. Who or what inspired you to become a performer? Well, When I was a kid, I would go to the park and sit on the swings and sing to myself for hours. It was my favorite thing to do. Then, when I was in 5th grade, my mom took me to see the touring production of the Harold Prince revival of SHOW BOAT. It was this revelation to me that people actually sang for a job, and I immediately started pursuing it in a whole new way. I still have the Playbill from that show.

2. Who haven't you worked with that you would like to? There are so many amazing people I would love to work with in this business. I tend to gravitate towards actors and writers who really get into the story telling of a song. I think it would be amazing to work with Bill Finn. He writes such beautiful music in such an honest way. As far as performers, I have always wanted to work with Carolee Carmello. Just listen to her sing "Someone Else's Story" from "Chess." She is indestructible and at the same time incredibly vulnerable. I would like to work with someone like that.  Not to mention, I think her voice is absolutely amazing.

3. What made you want to audition for the Silver Sea Cruises? There were a few things. After I finished doing BILLY ELLIOT in Chicago I found myself really wanting an adventure, and I had this incredible urge to travel and see the world. I wanted to do something that would allow me the chance to travel before I was really settled down. Most of my friends know that I am a big fan of the Law of Attraction - so I turned myself into a divining rod for adventure. Two weeks later I was on a plane to Israel to start rehearsals for the International production of ZORRO that was set to tour 25 cities in China. Unfortunately, the show ended up closing due some unfortunate problems within the first month of opening. So, with my yearlong adventure stunted, I turned myself back to searching for an adventure. A friend had told me about the amazing time his friend was having working with CHOOZI Entertainment, a production company that has a completely new take on cruise ship entertainment.  It is very personal, and really creates a unique experience for each ship. The Silver Cloud ship travels all over Europe in the summer, and then from September to November, I will be circling South America and then heading back to Europe through the Panama Canal. It is the perfect combination of working and traveling the globe. I feel incredibly blessed, and extremely thankful that I have this opportunity.

4. What excites you most about setting sail on the Silver Cloud Ship? Honestly, everything! I will start the cruise in Copenhagen, and continue to destinations I have never been to, or even heard of. Because the Silver Cloud is a smaller luxury liner, it can pull right into smaller ports, giving the passengers a much more intimate connection with each city the ship visits. I am also able to go on excursions with passengers, so this really is going to be an adventure -- and while China would have been really amazing, I am going to circle an entire continent and see a lot of Europe. All the while, I get to sing some amazing music, and dig back into Opera for a while.

5. While on the cruise, you were given the opportunity to create your own cabaret show. How did this come about? Part of this new adventure is creating my own show. On longer excursions there is a need for more shows on the ship. So the entertainers are given the opportunity to create their own Cabaret. It is an amazing opportunity, but a completely new venture for me.

6. How did you decide that the theme would be dedicated to Broadway? How did you decide which songs to include? Since the entertainers have been given so much freedom with their shows, they have the responsibility of creating an evening that showcases what they do best. This is where I decided to put out a general S.O.S to friends in the business, and they helped me with deciding just what that might be. It became clear within a day or two that since I was a New York musical theatre actor it only made sense to create a Broadway standards show. The cabaret chronologically goes from the 1920's to today, showcasing music from each decade along the way. My music director, Mark Hartman, has been an amazing guide in helping me decide what would really work for this kind of venue, and I think we have built something that is really going to be unique, exciting, and a great representation of some of the best loved songs of Broadway.

7. What is your favorite part about putting together a cabaret show? Where is your favorite place to practice on your own? This might sound funny, but honestly; picking out the right keys for the songs. Since some of the songs in my show are originally sung by women ("Easy to be Hard," "Cabaret," etc..) I had to figure out with Mark just where the song would sit best without being abrasively high, or unattractively low. This would often lead to some ridiculous belting that I would only wish on the worst Karaoke Bar. But it was great to find where the money notes could really fly, and personalize the song.

My favorite place to rehearse is always anyone's living room piano. It's always the right temperature, usually there is a cat around for a nice distraction, and it often comes with a nice glass of wine.

8. What have you learned about yourself from being a performer? That's a tough question to answer for a lot of reasons. As actors we are forced to expand and diversify what we do to learn about who we can be and what we can portray, and the industry will tell us what we can't. It is this strange lesson in expansions and contractions. Coloring within the lines of an archetype is a difficult thing to do sometimes because you work so hard to create characters and tell the story right - but sometimes you are just not the right channel for that character's experiences. But if performing has taught me anything, it has taught me this; Always be grateful, even when things aren't going well. Always be vulnerable, even when your skin has to be 10 feet thick- And always be persistent and keep trying, no matter how much easier it would be to sit on the sofa with a carton of ice cream.

9. What's the best advice you've ever received? My voice teacher at The Hartt School, Marishka Wierzbicki, told me "Ryan, just be still, it's okay to be still sometimes". I had a terrible habit of trying too hard in the wrong ways, and was wondering why I wasn't able to really be conveying ideas the way I wanted. She had me stand on a 1 square foot tile for an entire semester of voice lessons, and I wasn't allowed to go outside of that tile till each lesson was over. I learned more in that semester about performing, and life than in the 6 years of performing I had done prior to it.

10. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? I think it would have to be my Grandmother, Grace Bauer. I have so much to ask her, and so much to tell her. I was only 10 when she passed away, and I never knew her as an adult, and I think about her a lot. I wonder if she is proud of me. I wonder what stories she had to tell me that I will never get to hear. A grandmother's perspective on things is always invaluable.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. Favorite way to spend your day off? Painting! I love to get out my easel and spend hours painting in front of my big sunny windows in Hamilton Heights. I turn on some Eva Cassidy and, and just get to play and spend a few hours imagining new worlds and landscapes in color and light.

12. Favorite way to stay in shape? I recently became "One of THOSE people" -- I am in my 3rd month of being Gluten free. Honestly, it has changed my life in such a wonderful way. I have more energy, and my body is naturally more in shape than it ever has been. Beyond that - Dance classes! You have all these exercise programs targeting 'muscle confusion' on the market...Just take Tap, Jazz and Ballet a few times a week and your body will be in amazing shape.

13. Boxers or Briefs? Briefs. Always. Have you seen my jeans? Boxers wouldn't stand a chance. Ha!

14. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? Telepathy; the power to communicate thoughts and read minds. Isn't real empathy every actor's goal?