BWW Q&A: Earl Grey on I AM ME - ON PURPOSE at The Beechman

Performer Earl Grey's I am ME - on Purpose will be at the Laurie Beechman Theater in Manhattan on Saturday October 10. The show explores identity, gender expression and more. Grey has performed in Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson), Clue: The Musical (Mrs. White), Les Misérables (Thénardier), The Normal Heart (Ned Weeks) and many other shows. A native of Pittsburgh, Grey earned a BFA in Theater Arts from Point Park University and eventually attended law school. They then earned a Master's Degree and PhD in counseling from Capella University. Grey is now a full professor at in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program of the Chicago School Online Campus, while maintaining a private practice as a Trauma Therapist.

We spoke about I am ME.

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Tell us a little about your upcoming show.

I am ME - on Purpose is a series of true stories set in the tales of my development as a inter-sexed, genderqueer, neurodivergent person. I openly share how I learned about life and love from how the world interacted with me. The show focuses on some of my foibles that, over my lifetime lead me to discovering my ability to transmute my pain in to empowerment of self and others, an ability we all have! In the show, I transparently share examples through song of how I learned how to love myself as I am, with the help of my unconventional support systems. One of the key messages of my show is to share how I learned how to mutually accept help from others and that building community is what makes life worth it! Earl Grey combines their decades-long work as a professional performer with a 22-year career as a psychotherapist working internationally. With Music Director Yasuhiko Fukuoka leading a trio and backup vocalists, their hour-long show aims to entertain and inspire hope, sharing a personal journey of self-acceptance, authenticity, transmutation, and the natural power of the divine feminine. I Am ME shares experiences that unite us in our humanity to empower us to embrace ourselves as we are.

What was the process of putting this show together like?

This is my Cabaret debut show. My purpose in writing this show is to share the humanity in my cultural context as an inter-sexed, genderqueer neurodivergent person. I find that often artist depictions of queer experiences rely on more extreme stereotypes for comic relief or traumatic events when sharing queer stories. Both are valid and needed, but my purpose is to share my humanity through my lived experiences are really similar to everyone’s.

My process starts with the story. First I need to have an over arching human message to share. By day, I’m a therapist with 20+ years of treating people with complex trauma, dissociative issues, and major depression. My work as a therapist has taught me that most of us experience similar things in our unique cultural contexts. For me, what I have to share has to be with the goal of being helpful! For this show I wanted to share how my experiences within my cultural context is similar to others versus different. After I have the messages I want to share, I wrote the story in first person. Then I consider messages in the story and ask how best to share this message through song. Then, search for songs connect with my emotional experience of that part of the story.

I maintain some rules for myself, however. Personally, I don’t comment on someone else’s intentions, because only that person knows truly their intentions and, in my opinion, that is not a topic for me on which to comment. I do share facts of what occurred and share how I responded to those facts. Overall the goal of my process is to share my vulnerability to offer the audience a frame of a picture they get to paint using their own experiences

Aside from getting ready for this show, what have you been filling your time with lately?

By day I teach graduate school and have a private mental health therapy practice. My experience is assisting people heal from complex and individual traumas, dissociative interfering issues, and major depression. Both being an educator and therapist fill my days and is rewarding and fill me with gratitude. I am grateful to have the privilege honor to witness and walk along side brave and courageous people all day everyday. Outside of my work with clients and students, I am a person who studies and works on my art daily. I had a great experience at the annual “MAC to School” Conference held by the Manhattan Association of Cabaret over the weekend of 9/26-9/27. I learned so much from all of the instructors and panelists. I got to have individual coaching from the great Tracy Stark with Mike Rosengarten on guitar. We developed an arrangement of “What More Can I Say” from William Finn’s Falsettos that I adore. I also received phenomenal feedback from the incomparable Natalie Douglass in her master class. She guided me to distill my performance of “Mama a Rainbow” from Minnie’s Boys, music by Larry Grossman and Lyrics by Hal Hackady. I also met some wonderful new friends there as well. The following weekend (10/2-10/3) I participated in a workshop intensive with the legendary Maren Mason through the 92NY and co-instructed by Michael Kirk Lane. I learned so much about areas that I can focus for expanding my self as a cabaret artist. I am also in rehearsal as a chorus member singing behind the astonishing Liz Calloway in the American Songbook Association and Cabaret Scenes’ Gala honoring Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire. I also see 2 cabaret shows per week. Susie Mosher’s The Line up at the Green Room 42 over 3rd Tuesday is one I try to make regularly.

Who or what have you been listening to lately?

When it comes to music, for pleasure I listen to show-tunes (I am currently obsessed with the Sondheim unplugs series), singers & standards (Judy Garland, Sarah Vaughn, and Nat King Cole are my favorites), and cabaret artists. One of my long time favorite artist, since the early 1990’s is Lee Lessack. I am also working on my next show for 2027, which is grounded in my personal and professional experiences with the expansive range of human emotions. I am loving this research process and what I am learning about myself through music that is new to me.

Do you have any other upcoming projects or shows you'd like to tell us about?

Yes. I am working on my 2027 show focusing on my personal and professional experiences with the expansive range of human emotions. Think Disney-Pixar Film “Inside Out” meets the Reality Show “Couples Therapy.” Having had a range of my own experiences in addition to witnessing, studying, and learning the variety in meanings of human emotion as a trauma therapist and teaching about the expression of human emotion as a full professor. My purpose in this show is to whimsically share stories of each primary emotions are expresses and experienced from multiple points of view. Context of each emotion is a big part of these stories.

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There are tickets still available for I am ME - on Purpose at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on Saturday, October 10th 2026 at 3 pm and Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7 pm. Tickets are available here.