There's a lot more to Christine Ebersole than even her renaissance-like resume would imply. In a lengthy career filled with surprise twists and turns, she has made an impact in television and movies ( a season with SNL for starters not to mention multiple film roles ) , Broadway ( Tony Award-winning turns in 42nd Street and Grey Gardens ) and the world of cabaret ( sold-out shows and critical raves ) . But it turns out that Ebersole, who hails from Winnetka and makes her belated Chicago concert debut Thursday, March 25, at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph, is a lot more than a fabulous actress and vocalist.
During the usual interview process in which we discuss highlights of her dazzling career and fitting in aspects of her busy private life ( husband, three teenage sons, cats and a mother all living with her in New Jersey ) , it soon becomes clear that Ebersole's greatest talent might just be her passionate embrace of human—and gay—rights. "It all comes down to love," she says at the end of an unexpectedly long, delightful and philosophically fulfilling interview with Windy City Times.
Windy City Times: Can you tell me what audiences can expect from your show at the Harris?
Christine Ebersole: It's songs from the American songbook, a few Noel Coward songs because I've just finished an album of [ his ] music. It's personal stories about my life mixed in with the songs, and that's about it.
WCT: I'm guessing some of the things you did at the Carlyle in New York will be included—and congratulations on that.
Christine Ebersole: Thank you, and yes.
WCT: The Harris is a large space. How do you take a space that size and turn it into an intimate experience?
Christine Ebersole: It's kinda the same as a small space in a way because the emotion is the same. It's just sort of a bigger venue but it doesn't diminish really the sense of the emotion that's being conveyed.
WCT: I've seen that emotion you display in action. Your performance in Grey Gardens found everyone in that packed Broadway theater hanging on to your every breath and whisper. Where does that intensity of emotion come from?
Christine Ebersole: I think it's just the way I was made. It's just in the hard drive. It's just the way that I am. I think because it's the way I was made I've always been allowed or have allowed myself to be open to the world. To not be afraid; to be open. That's just my personality.
WCT: What made you focus on Noel Coward? He's sometimes a little overlooked.
Christine Ebersole: I did Blithe Spirit last year, and that's where the idea came from.
WCT: Can you talk about that experience for a minute? Working with Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everett?
Christine Ebersole: It was great working with them and Jane Atkinson—it was a great group of people and I had a lot of fun.
WCT: We have to talk about Grey Gardens, of course. Are you through with the Edies or will we see some more of that?
Christine Ebersole: I'm not really pursuing that right now but if there's somebody out there that wants to produce it and do it in London or Los Angeles I would definitely want to do that.
WCT: That certainly was a life-changing role for an audience but also for yourself—is that correct, Christine?
Christine Ebersole: Yes, I think so. It was the biggest thing ever to happen to my career and not only that but artistically as well.
WCT: Have you seen the Drew Barrymore-Jessica Lange film?
Christine Ebersole: No I haven't seen it yet, but I did receive a DVD a few days ago. It's not that I don't want to see it. It's that I don't get HBO and when it aired I was doing Blithe Spirit, and I don't have a DVR or any of that stuff to record and, the truth of the matter is, I don't watch television.
WCT: You mentioned this new recording. When will that be released?
Christine Ebersole: I'm supposed to get proofs, like, any day now. So, it should be out in a couple of weeks. I should have it by the time I'm in Chicago.
WCT: Can you talk about the importance or the difference in a gay fan base, which you certainly have?
Christine Ebersole: I'm always saying that I'm working on my gay-icon status and it's never enough. [ Laughs ] There couldn't be a greater blessing than that for me. It's an enthusiastic fan base but I'm very adamant about human rights and gay rights and all that.
WCT: It must have been very disappointing when New York went against gay marriage. It certainly was a surprise for us here in Chicago.
Christine Ebersole: I think we have to ask ourselves why we're in agreement with it all.
WCT: That sums it up.
Christine Ebersole: Why are we in agreement with all of it? The endless wars and the endless taxation and the corruption. On some level we are in agreement with it because if we weren't, it wouldn't be happening. People get power because we give them power. We give our power away and we want to feel like we're being led around by some benevolent father and it doesn't really work that way. That's just the illusion. I think there's a really important film called Coming Out Under Fire. It's a great 1994 documentary that it would be great to tell your readers about.
WCT: I haven't seen it.
Christine Ebersole: It's important because it chronicles the origins of discrimination against homosexuals that began in the military, not in civilian life. Fear and oppression are very useful tools in controlling the masses but the problem is when people believe that it's real. Everything goes back and forth between these paradigms of Republican vs. Democrats, straight vs. gay, Black vs. white, Christian vs. Muslims—and truth transcends all of that. That's what's interesting to me about why gay rights—it's sort of the final frontier in civil liberties. That's why it's important to look at that paradigm and to see how the gay community are really at the vanguard of consciousness in the world because of sexual repression.
WCT: It is amazing how fear is used to pull us around.
Christine Ebersole: Right, but as I said, on some level we are in agreement with it. You only get the power if people give it to you. You're only in perceived reality when you're ruled by fear. The reality is that we're made of divinity and we are more powerful than any nuclear weapon. How about that? [ Laughs ]
WCT: The hell with Broadway and showtunes! Let's get deep.
Christine Ebersole: My clerical collar. There I go again.
WCT: Do you ever address any of this with your audiences?
Christine Ebersole: No. You don't want to get on the soapbox; I'm doing this with you [ laughs ] but it's usually too much. I just try to express love through my stories and through my music.
WCT: Well, I respond to the beautiful voice, of course, but there's something that enlarges that in your performances and this may explain that.
Christine Ebersole: It's all about love in action. That's really what we're here for. We're all here for that and not agreeing to that which does not come from love. That's a large plateful, isn't it? [ Laughs ] It's as simple as two plus two is four, and if somebody tells you the answer is five you know they're full of shit.
See www.harristheaterchicago.org and www.christineebersole.com .
