Newsies Star Andrew Keenan-Bolger Shares His Obsession With Showgirls, Tara Lipinski, Gavin Creel and His Sister Celia
Broadway stars know what’s hot in entertainment, fashion and pop culture, so Broadway.com decided it was high time to tap in to the after-hours obsessions of our favorite stage actors. Vlogger, actor and all-around charmer Andrew Keenan-Bolger, who is currently starring as Crutchie in Disney's Newsies, took time out to tell us about his obsessions.
TV SHOW: Girls
“The new HBO show Girls! I’ve only seen the first episode, and I’m already obsessed. The show was written by, directed by and stars 25-year-old Lena Dunham. I was a huge fan of her filmmaking debut, Tiny Furniture. As a fellow filmmaker/actor, I’m so inspired by her work. She is doing exactly what I hope to be doing and I love that we live in a D.I.Y. world where big executives will take risks on young but unique voices.”
MOVIE: Annie Hall/Showgirls
“It’s a toss-up between Annie Hall and Showgirls. Both are such groundbreaking films for such hilariously different reasons. Both broke a lot of rules of conventional filmmaking and have screenplays and performances that will truly haunt you for years. While most film theorists will disagree, I believe both are two of the greatest offerings to modern filmmaking in the last 50 years.”
STAGE SHOW (OTHER THAN MY OWN): Peter and the Starcatcher
“The show that takes my breath away upon every listen is Caroline, or Change. As for the current Broadway season, I am obsessed with Peter and the Starcatcher. Its boundless creativity and scrappy stage magic had me enraptured at New York Theatre Workshop and I’m so thrilled it’s getting a bow on Broadway. Also, my sister Celia happens to be sensational in it!”
SONG OR SINGER: tUnE-yArDs
“My favorite recent musical discovery has been the recording artist, tUnE-yArDs (yes, that’s the actual capitalization but don’t judge her yet). Her album, Whokill, was the bravest, freshest album of last year. She’s spun a cacophonic web of instrumental loops and vocals that can only be described as a mixture of Prince, Tom Waits and Mariah Carey.”
BOOK: The Marriage Plot
“My favorite book is always the last one I’ve read. I just finished The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides and fell in love with his language. Other favorites are Let the Great World Spin, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Freedom.”
ATHLETE: Tara Lipinski
“The last athlete I remember being obsessed with was probably ice skater Tara Lipinski, when I was 11. Yeah, I’m gonna get a lot of flack from the boys at work for this one.”
VACATION SPOT: St. Maarten
“The last place I vacationed was St. Maarten, so I’d probably go with that. I had a week off between leaving Mary Poppins and starting Newsies and got to spend some much needed time lying on its majestic beaches and drinking some fruity and delicious drinks with my best friend, Jake.”
APP: Draw Something
“The newsboys are all addicted to Draw Something. I’ve got about 15 games currently in progress, although we usually just try to make each other laugh rather than draw accurate depictions (i.e. a sketch of Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller for the word 'Godmother').”
FASHION DESIGNER: Public School
“I love Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow’s brand Public School. They are super new and edgy and recipients of CFDA’s Fashion Incubator grant. They also have a cheaper brand called Black Apple that they sell at Urban Outfitters.”
BEAUTY PRODUCT: Kiehl's Original Musk
“I really like my cologne, Kiehl’s Original Musk. Celia got it for me one Christmas and I always get compliments on it. She actually liked it so much that she bought it for herself. So not only do the K-Bs look alike, but we smell alike too! Creepy.”
RANDOM OBSESSION: Newsies Trading Cards
“Disney just printed limited edition Newsies trading cards for the cast and we’re all obsessed with them! Each newsboy was given 100 cards of their character to be traded, kept or given away. I was kind of a nerd when I was a kid and really into trading Pokémon cards so I tried to think of a fun way to release my 'Crutchie' cards into circulation. I’ll be posting a new password every day to my twitter, @KeenanBlogger and if you say it to me at the stage door I will give you a signed and uniquely numbered 'Crutchie card. I also accept Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, another one of my lifelong obsessions.”
CELEBRITY: Gavin Creel
“In the Broadway community, the celebrity I most admire is Gavin Creel. The way he has chosen to navigate both his professional career and personal life is so inspiring. He’s a guy so talented that he could just sit on his butt and wait for opportunities to present themselves, yet he’s constantly creating art, all the while fighting the good fight.”
