Hello everyone!
I am sure that you've all been waiting for this!
Now that the Cabaret Convention is out of the way, I wanted to share a special treat with you, my very special and exclusive interview with the multi-talented Kristine Zbornik!
For those of you who don't know Kristine, I wanted to start with a little bio of her: Quoting her own words, "I was born and I will die"
The New York Post called her a madcap mix of Ethel Merman, Lucille Ball and Bette Midler, her father called her a lazy piece of shit that would never amount to anything, you decide. Her high paying jobs includes: WICKED, Madame Morrible, Tour; A Catered Affair, Broadway; Mamma Mia – Rosie, Las Vegas; 9 to5 – Roz, 1st National Tour;
Other jobs includes: Into The Woods, Shakespeare in the Park/Delecort Theatre, NYC, Jack’s Mother; Old Jews Telling Jokes; Tales of the City, The Eugene O’Niell Developmental Program; Roadshow, the Public Theater; Shlemiel The First – Off B’way Skirball Center; Forbidden Broadway: Cleans Up It’s Act (Original Cast) and 20th Anniversary (Original Cast); Splendora-Sue Ella Lightfoot, Chelsea Playhouse; I Will Come Back - Friend of Barbara, The Players Theater; An Evening with Joan Crawford - Ethel Merman; REGIONAL: Man of La Mancha – Housekeeper, Damn Yankees – Sister, Mae Peterson – Bye, Bye, Birdie all at Goodspeed Opera House; Nine, Papermill Playhouse, Schlemiel The First – Yenta Pesha, OKLAHOMA! - Aunt Eller; Hank Williams Lost Highway – Mamma Lilly; 101 Dalmatians - Cruella DeVil.
Varla Jean Merman is The Bad Seedling - Christine (Lead) Tweed Prods.; Blood Orgy of the Carnival Queens; The Club – Bertie; Cabaret and one person shows: Jackie Hoffman & Kristine Zbornik Joe’s Pub; Holiday Hams Lead; Blow Up World; Ball of Confusion; Serving Mankind; Zbornik In A Trunk.
Kristine had created cabaret/one-woman shows for over 25 years throughout the universe. "The love of my life is Jesus; he’s a really great kisser."
I have known about Kristine for a long time and have been a fan but I first got to know her through my dear friend Carly Ozard, who had worked with Kristine extensively for a time. Kristine is no- nonsense and direct in her communications and super witty to talk to. It is my pleasure and honor to have her as my celebrity feature of the month of November!
For my interview, I asked her the following questions:
1) Can you share with us some interesting facts that most people don’t know about you?
I've been practicing yoga for 18 years, four to six times a week. I meditate every day, never miss for about the last 6 years. I love the three stooges. I can't stand Oprah. I think civil liberties and self expression are more important then political correctness and that people should say exactly what they feel no matter how ugly it is because then I know where they stand. I can't deal with the sanitized version of life that is so popular with the kids these days and infiltrating art and entertainment and making shit really lousy and formulaic.
2) You are an amazing performer, director, teacher and so much more. What kicked off your passion for music?
I realized when I was about 9 or 10 that I could sing and other kids couldn't and I got into choirs and started just doing school musicals. I could sound like Ethel Merman when I watched her on Ed Sulllivan, at first when I saw her, I would scream and beg my Grammy and grandpy to turn her off and then realized I could sound just like her.
How did you discover your passion for it all and realized that it was what you wanted to do?
It's really so gross. I got entrance applause on my first line the first time I ever did a play (The Death and Life of Larry Benson) in high school. I realized that I had that thing (ability) that other people had when I watched them perform and that it actually had legs. I felt validated, approved of and that I could be the center of attention, hence I made it my life's work to keep doing it. As I said, gross.
3) Do you have a couple of particularly interesting stories that you'd like to share with the readers?
They're a ton of stories but they're so long and involved, however, I did have dinner seated (by mistake) next to the Dali Lama once, that's a good one.
4) What motivates your creativity and passion for life?
Ummmmm, motivates? I either need to say something, or somebody else is doing something and it makes me jealous, so I have to try doing it too, or it's just fun to fuck around with people creatively, or I want to win the contest and get the part, or I need health insurance weeks, or I want to get unemployment, rent is due, first and last, I have something to say and that's how I say it. It's all so fucking unsavory isn't it, when you really look at it.
Name three things that never fails to put a smile on your face!
It's so corny, but I have to say it, taking a good shit for absolutely sure, that is A number one on the list. Louie C.K. and George Carlin. Getting a check in the mail.
5) Share with us what you have in the pipeline for us to be on the lookout for!
Teaching and coaching, love, love, love that part of my life. I love helping other people do the stuff I'm not wanting to do anymore. I love seeing my people have huge success and they do. I'm also teaching yoga and hoping to be teaching meditation soon as well. I just filmed a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (On Amazon,out at christmas) and Tales of the City (on Netflix).
ARE YOU INTRIGUED?? IF YOU HAD NEVER SEEN KRISTINE, HERE IS YOUR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HER! JOIN THE NEXT SPOTLIGHT ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16th with a song and SING WITH BOBBY PEACO (STAY TUNED FOR MY INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY! COMING SOON)!