Jerry Springer
An award-winning British opera about the controversial talk-show host could soon be on Broadway.
Did you ever think someone would write an opera about you?
It's not a thing people normally expect, so no. My mother would be proud — I finally got culture. But there's no one to share the experience with, because they don't write operas about people who are alive. I can't call Carmen or Figaro.
Were you skeptical about how good it would be?
I thought, Opera is my show put to music, because it's got all the same elements — a chorus, which is the crowd chanting; the gender misidentification; the chaos; the mock tragedy. I wish I had thought of it.
Is it strange to see someone playing you onstage?
play a character when I do the show. I've never thought I was being me up there. When I see someone playing me, they're not really playing me; they're playing the host of a crazy talk show. I've been doing the show for 17 years, but I've never associated myself with the character that plays the host.
How long will your show go on?
It could go forever, because it has a niche. They certainly don't need me to do it. I don't add anything to it. At some point I'll get tired of doing it, but I can't tell you that it's a lot of hard work.