When Alan Cumming moved to New York Metropolis within the late ’90s to star as Emcee within the Broadway revival of Cabaret, he discovered a brand new dwelling, greater than 3,200 miles away from his native Scotland.
From these early days performing in Cabaret, throughout which he in the end starred in additional than 800 performances of the present, Cumming turned a beloved fixture of town’s nightlife. And he hasn’t let up since. Almost 30 years later, Cumming nonetheless lives in New York when he’s not away filming; he continues to convey his power to town’s night leisure because the proprietor of Membership Cumming within the East Village, a often packed nightclub that hosts all the things from cabaret performances and tea dances to burlesque and drink-and-draw nights.
Even with all his love for New York, Cumming is one in all Scotland’s most well-known actors and embraces his Scottish heritage with pleasure. Cumming has spotlighted the fantastic thing about Scotland throughout a lot of his tasks, together with within the BBC Choose present Scotland’s Poshest Prepare with Alan Cumming and Channel 4’s Miriam and Alan: Misplaced in Scotland. Most lately, he introduced the Scottish Highlands to the worldwide stage as host and producer of the deliriously enjoyable Peacock actuality present Traitors U.S., which simply wrapped on its third season; for that, he led an eclectic group of actuality stars by a treacherous recreation set in a distant Scottish citadel.
In one other nod to his heritage, Cumming will function the Grand Marshall of the Twenty seventh-annual Tartan Day Parade in New York Metropolis on April 5. It’s an honor that highlights Cumming’s affect on the leisure trade and celebrates his love for each communities.
On March 27, the actor is bringing his ardour for journey to new heights with a collaboration with Virgin Atlantic. Cumming is now the voice behind the airline’s first-ever authentic bedtime story, referred to as “ReLAX and Unwind with Alan Cumming,” which is able to soothe vacationers to leisure earlier than takeoff in locations just like the lounge’s Royal Field and in-flight, by accessing the video on Virgin Atlantic’s YouTube channel.
The brand new bedtime story coincides with the March Twenty seventh opening of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), a brand new lounge area that caters to the California metropolis’s well being and wellness focus, that includes parts that encourage company to unwind earlier than their flights to the UK and past.
I spoke with Cumming about his under-the-radar suggestions in each Scotland and New York, his journey habits, and his newest collaboration with Virgin Atlantic.
This interview was edited for readability and area.
We’re massive followers of Traitors U.S. right here at Afar. What was it wish to movie within the Scottish Highlands?
Properly, it’s beautiful. It’s truly fairly close to the place I stay in Scotland. It’s an space that I actually love. I’ve received a variety of household [in the area]. So over time of doing Traitors, I’ve these kind of yearly reunions with a variety of household and prolonged household that I haven’t seen that a lot.
It’s additionally good as a result of [filming Traitors is] kind of like we’re on this bubble. . . . Once I fly, I consider it as this methodology of me getting away from everyone and no person can get to me and it’s simply this valuable little time I’ve. . . . And the Traitors is sort of related as a result of it’s such lengthy hours and also you mainly can’t do anything. So it’s such as you’re on this little work bubble. So the contestants positively turn into kind of obsessed and maddened by simply being within the present and within the recreation, and I do too. . . . I can’t fall asleep till I do know who’s been murdered that evening.
What are one of the best locations to go to within the Scottish Highlands?
Scotland’s so lovely. It’s beautiful to go to a few of these areas and be taken into locations that you simply wouldn’t usually get to go to. I actually love the islands on the west coast, the Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides. They’re magical. . . . There’s a factor you are able to do referred to as the North Coast 500, which is 500 miles across the rim [of northern Scotland]. It’s an space of Scotland that individuals don’t go to as a lot.
However the beauty of Scotland is, despite the fact that it’s such a tiny nation, due to the mountains, due to the hills, and due to the little roads—there’s a variety of one-track roads—it takes you a very long time to get wherever. Due to that, despite the fact that I’ve finished a great deal of journey reveals and shot and gone on holidays and I stay there a part of the time, there’s nonetheless bits of it that I’m shocked by.
I’d additionally advocate utilizing the practice. I really like the Royal Scotsman. If you may get on it, it’s swanky. However it’s completely probably the most magical strategy to see Scotland.
What’s your preflight and inflight routine?
So, right here’s my routine. I’m going to the lounge. I examine in fairly early. I’m not a type of folks to go away it to the final minute. If I’m happening a giant journey, I actually wish to remind myself that I’m happening a giant journey journey. And so I sort of wish to put together for it. I like all the things sorted and being within the lounge and having a while to calm down and sort of simply meet up with issues so I can put all the things to mattress, actually.
And I all the time have a Bloody Mary within the lounge, each time I fly. It’s crucial. It’s a kind of ritual. And I really like that.
After which I get on the aircraft, and I wish to get my e book, my iPad, perhaps the pc. However I truly love planning to do stuff on a aircraft, and I find yourself by no means doing it. I kind of perhaps do it till the drinks and the meal comes round. I drink numerous water, however I really like some wine. After which I really feel a bit woozy after which watch a movie after which conk out and simply have a pleasant sleep.
I actually do get pleasure from flying on lengthy flights. I’d a lot reasonably it’s an extended flight than a brief flight. Simply because I really like that point to your self and clearly should you’re going swanky class and you’ll lie down. . . . I really like slightly pod.
The place do you exit in New York?
I often go to Membership Cumming. I imply, it’s the best factor. Like we had viewing events of the Traitors there when the final season was on. We had the afterparty for my massive sixtieth birthday celebration there. It’s simply kind of my little playground.
I turned 60 and I simply realized I wish to dance extra. I had a giant dance celebration on the Edison Ballroom with Animatronic who DJ’d for us. There’s a very great point referred to as MotherDisco, [a traveling disco music residency with performances at nightclubs across New York], that does [a night out] about as soon as a month or so. . . . I really like that. It’s in Brooklyn. After which I really like issues like Horse Meat Disco [a four-person DJ collective that plays electronic music]. They arrive each few months. They usually go all around the world truly. I as soon as went to them in Berlin too.
So I like massive particular nights. However I do wish to strive going to extra. . . . I imply, this yr and subsequent yr truly, I’m not going to be in New York that a lot. I’m working a lot in Scotland as a result of I run a theater now [there], the Pitlochry Pageant Theatre.
Once I do come [to New York City], I wish to simply be with my pals, and it’s really easy and so beautiful to go to Membership Cumming. . . . A humorous factor to say, that my very own membership is sort of clipping my nightlife wings, but it surely’s not too unhealthy an issue to have.
After an evening out, the place are your favourite locations to wind down and calm down in New York?
One place that I’ve not been to for ages, however I do love, is the Russian Baths on tenth Avenue. They’ve plunge swimming pools and steam rooms and so they hit you with these sticks and eucalyptus issues in order for you.
There’s a spot referred to as Put up, slightly restaurant. . . . One of many issues I miss being vegan is biscuits and gravy. . . . And they also do a vegan biscuits and gravy, which is such a superb, stodgy, hangover or drained, simply consolation meals within the mornings. They usually have probably the most scrumptious scorching sauce there. And it is available in a bottle that claims, “Sizzling Merde.”
One other place I really like is Tompkins Sq. Bagels. . . . I all the time have the sun-dried tomato tofu unfold with an all the things gluten-free bagel, with lettuce, tomato, onions, and capers.
You’ve simply launched this new partnership with Virgin Atlantic. How did you turn into the voice behind these bedtime tales?
I’ve been a longtime passenger and fan [of Virgin Atlantic]. The very first time I ever got here to America, I got here on Virgin Higher Class. It was additionally the primary time I’d ever turned left on an airplane. It was once I first began working in Hollywood. So my time in America is totally related to Virgin Atlantic. The primary e book I wrote was a novel, [Tommy’s Tale (Harper Collins, 2002)] and I set a chapter within the Virgin Clubhouse in Heathrow. So I’m a giant fan. This complete [new Virgin Atlantic] clubhouse [at LAX] is just for folks on in a single day flights. So the minute you stroll in, even the lighting, the best way the lighting modifications, it’s like an immersive piece of theater. It’s a bit like—did you ever see Sleep No Extra? There’s not folks singing or spurting blood, however this concept that as quickly as you come within the door, there’s an intention so that you can get right into a state of affairs the place you are feeling such as you wish to have a pleasant snooze. I really like that.
I really like the cocktails and the mocktails. You are able to do Pilates, you are able to do dancing, you are able to do yoga, you are able to do meditation. There’s a sound tub factor. It’s so good. It’s referred to as the Zen Den.
What are your packing ideas for long-haul flights?
Roll! Roll! Roll! I haven’t received to the packing cubes but. I discover that it barely jogs my memory of a freezer part of a grocery store with all bits of outdated cow in little baggage. I roll, roll, roll it up, after which squish it in [to the suitcase]. I feel it’s a very environment friendly method. My mother-in-law, she’s not with us anymore, however she was a flight attendant within the ’50s. She was a curler. So she’s the one who actually drummed it into me. So I honor her by rolling all the things up.
And in addition simply sitting on it. You recognize, you gotta sit on it. [Laughs] Your case, honey.
That will help you go to sleep on a aircraft, who from any of the Traitors solid would you could have learn you a bedtime story?
I feel it will be Gabby [Windey] from this final season as a result of I really like her voice and it kind of feels candy and childlike however typically she’s saying probably the most biting soiled issues, so I fairly like that combo, and I all the time beloved her supply. I discover her fairly soothing and humorous as nicely. I feel it’s fairly good to giggle as you fall asleep. It places you in a superb temper and hopefully you’ll have good goals.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX is at the moment open every day from 11:30 a.m. PST. For extra particulars on the Clubhouse and hours of operation, go to VirginAtlantic.com.