Two-time Emmy Award-winning writer, songwriter and actor Bruce Vilanch isn’t walking the picket lines in Los Angeles.
“No, I have a doctor’s note,” he said resolutely, adding, “I’m a member of both [writers’ and actors’] unions; I’m double dipping.”
Instead, the gay icon is headed back to South Florida for a little fun in the late-summer sun and appearances to support Plays of Wilton (POW!) at the Foundry. He’s hosting “Bruce Vilanch’s Pool Party” on Sunday, Sept. 10 and then three nights of “The Penis Talk Show.”
Vilanch isn’t conflicted, as his Hollywood compatriots protest the studios and avoid publicity appearances. And, unlike many of the other writers and performers, Vilanch has other income streams, including ongoing performances of the musical he co-wrote with Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again.” (“It sounds like porn, but it’s really ‘How Dolly Saved my Life in 12 Songs,’” he insisted.)
“Luckily, the strikes don’t affect the theater,” he pointed out.
And he doesn’t mind hanging out around a pool owned by LeBoy owner Charles Horton, especially because many of the club’s most talented dancers will be performing.
“That could keep a girl busy,” Vilanch chuckled, pointing out that he doesn’t spend much time pondering which swimsuit to wear, because he prefers swimming au naturale. The girthy man luckily also qualifies as his own “personal flotation device,” so lifeguards will not be necessary.
Then, if he doesn’t get too sunburned, Vilanch will put on his clothes and move indoors for “The Penis Talk Show,” an improv-style performance that features conversations with three “penises,” three men who appear nude on stage with their identities concealed, to facilitate frank talk about their male members and sexual proclivities.
“There’s nothing I look forward to more than sitting around Lauderdale talking to dicks,” Vilanch laughed.
One of the writers of the long-running Off-Broadway hit “Naked Boys Singing,” he pretty much knows what to expect and years as a regular on “The Hollywood Squares” have prepared him for this challenge. He’s ready to dish out the witty double entendre that will be required.
But make no mistakes, Vilanch’s heart will still be with the tens of thousands of writers and actors who are still protesting. One of the central concerns is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the implications for show biz creatives and performers who might find themselves replaced.
“AI is plagiarism, basically. It doesn’t have an original thought. It only responds to what it’s been fed and its talent is it gives you back something you’ve already written. You’ll get more of the same old, same old. I’m obviously not in favor of it,” he said. “And actors could have their likenesses used without their permission. That’s an entirely separate issue.”
He acknowledges that most writers and actors are suffering through the protest: “That’s what happens with every strike – you never make up what you lost during the strike. Most writers are not working, but if you’re working…”
And, Vilanch will be “working it,” he promises.
Tickets for “Bruce Vilanch’s Pool Party,” Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m., and “The Penis Talk Show,” Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 11 to 13 at The Foundry, both in Wilton Manors, are available at RonnieLarsen.com.
