Interview: 'It's A Night Like No Other!': Performer Jan Sport on Inclusivity, DRAG RACE and Returning to OSCAR AT THE CROWN

OSCAR at The Crown, a “high-energy, dance party musical” from Mark Mauriello and Andrew Barret Cox, has audiences enter an underground bunker into a dystopian world where people hide in exile because of what makes them different. They worship Julie from The OC and get their names from members of the Real Housewives series, save for Oscar Wilde, who leads the groups of exiles through never-ending song and dance. 

BroadwayWorld chatted with Jan Sport, who is about to take over the role of Oscar Wilde for seven weeks only. We discussed how she has been involved with the show since its creation a decade ago, the importance of finding her own interpretation of Oscar and what it is like to prepare for such an immersive production over Zoom!

How did you first get started in the world of performing? 

It all started back in central New Jersey doing a production of Oklahoma! in the children's ensemble at my local community theatre that ran out of my Catholic school. So that's how I got started. But my I feel like my parents and grandparents would say that I started by dancing to Riverdance on a tap board that we made at the ripe age of three years old. So I've definitely never been a stranger to the stage and performing, but when I found out I could major in musical theatre in college, that's when it really took off!

And how did you first get involved in OSCAR At The Crown back in 2015?

I was very lucky that I was friends with Andrew Barrett Cox, who wrote the music and the choreography, but this was Mark Mauriello’s thesis piece for his theatre degree at Harvard University. So this show has been a big labour of love for all of us for a decade now! I used to play another character in the show called Bosie, opposite of Mark's Oscar. And to be able to play Oscar, seeing how Mark has evolved this show and all the different iterations that it's been through, is an immense privilege. So I'm really excited that I get to circle on back to where we started a decade ago. I don't feel like a lot of people get to say that, and especially with some of my best friends in the world too, so it's really cool! 

For those who are unfamiliar with OSCAR At The Crown, can you tell us a bit about the show?

So the show is set in a dystopian future. We are all hidden in a bunker - we've been exiled from our country because we are different, mostly queer people. It's a commentary of what could happen in the future if we don't speak up for who we are and succumb to the government. The show definitely talks about a lot of different things and subjects, such as celebrity and cancel culture and rise to fame, and the differences between when the lines get blurred of performance and person and when they get to bleed together.

There's a lot of Real Housewives references in there, a lot of Oscar Wilde for any literature people out there. But it's definitely about creating community at its core, and what you would do to protect the people that you love, the people who you care about that other people have ostracised, the importance of that community.

What is it like to be returning to OSCAR at The Crown a decade later? 

It's really cool! We got to do the show at an ART space in Boston that no longer exists called OBERON. We were all around you, and you could really be a part of the action. To be able to do that in a space that was designed for this, with all the lights and the stage and the moving elements and the visual wall, it's really cool. And it’s really amazing to see my friends create something that is powerful enough that it could be produced across the pond. To be able to step back into that is a dream come true, and I can't wait to share it with everybody!

I really think that people are going to enjoy this as something that theatre is heading towards, where it's more than just a show where you're sitting down - it's an experience that's all around you with all of your different senses. The show is all about community, protecting each other and also celebrating each other as well. When you go to see the show, you'll have an amazing dance party afterwards too, with some incredible DJs and performers. So it's really a one-stop shop, and I'm very happy to be a part of that. That's what I like to do with my drag, and it's definitely what I'm liking to do as a performer and actor as well. 

When was the last time you saw or were in a production of OSCAR At The Crown?

The last time that I did it was a decade ago, in 2015, so it's definitely changed a lot- I don't even think the Housewives were a part of it back in the day! But it's cool to see all of the different versions that the show has gone through, and a cool commentary on art - how it's always evolving, how we look to make things better, and ways that we can communicate the story with people. So I'm happy to be a part of this brand new show. I think it's funny because people are like, “Oh, well, you've been in it before, so it's not going to be too hard.” And I'm like, “No, it's a completely different show!” It's challenging, but ultimately really exciting and rewarding. 

How have rehearsals been going?

It's been really interesting to be with Andrew in the room, and on Zoom with a bunch of the people who work over there! But it's been interesting to be like, “Okay, then you're going to step up onto this block, and you're going to go on this stage and you're going to be interacting with this person who's over here,” I'm like, “Whoa!” I've never learned a show like that where I'm interacting with air and then I have three days of tech to go and piece it all together. The only thing that I have taken pause to listen to at this point is Lady Gaga “The Dead Dance” -  I've listened to nothing but the show other than that! So it's definitely been an intense process, but one that I know will definitely pay off. 

And how does it feel to be portraying this interpretation of Oscar Wilde? 

It feels really cool! Mark has always done an amazing job of bringing the entity and the icon that is Oscar into the piece, while also also making it a commentary on how he would be portrayed in present day. It's very iconic. And I think that people are definitely going to see me, Jan, in a completely different light than what they're used to. For me, I'm really excited for people to see me in a different lens, in a different world. I was lucky enough that I got to be in Drag: The Musical for eight months at New World Stages, but that character is a lot closer to Jan than what Oscar Wilde is. So I'm excited for people to see a different side of me and really get back to my roots. 

What is it like to be acting in the drag persona versus outside of it? 

I think it's fun! Something I like to say when I'm referring to people who have iconic acting styles is “the jig is up,” but it can be positive, and that's what I'm mostly thinking. You'll definitely see a lot of my personality come through in this character, things that you know and love about Jan. But a lot of the things that we talk about in the show and the subject material is super different than anything people have heard before from me. So it's fun where I can rely on how I know I would say different things, but I've never entered this territory where I'm exploring darker themes as Jan or as myself as an actor.

So being able to do that has pushed me outside of my box. But I always say that drag really made me a better performer and actor. When I was studying in college, I was always so nervous about how I looked and how people would perceive me, and drag is the complete antithesis of that. You can't be afraid of how how people are going to perceive you, because, at the end of the day, it's a big spectacle. So it really brought me outside of my box, and I'm really excited to bring that into my acting in a role that's completely different than what people are expecting from me. 

And what is it like to be making your UK musical theatre debut in OSCAR at The Crown?

It's a dream come true! London is my favourite city in the entire world, and I've always felt such an affinity to the culture over there. I have loved London ever since I was watching Spice World when I was a little child. And I've always had an affinity and deep love for all of the fans who were over there as well. I feel like they really understand me and my humour and my drag, and I'm excited to hopefully have that transcend into me as an actor as well. And the best part about doing the show over there is that people are really rooting for you! So I'm excited to embrace that culture and feel like I'm going into something where I feel very supported, rather than feeling scared and nervous.

So you've had experience performing on stage, but also on screen. What is it like to perform for both mediums? 

Something that I've learned a lot through some of my failures - which would be me going 0 for 3 with lip syncs on Drag Race - is that you can't expect what people would “Ooh” and “Aah” at at a bar or a show that they would on television. It's a lot more discreet. I got to do one VH1 RuPaul movie, The Bitch Who Stole Christmas, a couple of years ago. I was like, “Okay, we're really going to focus on the eyes here!” But on stage, it's definitely much more palpable - the energy is so apparent in person. So I really give it my all out there!

I try to give my energy to everybody out in the crowd and have them see it as I would want to see it. And I was a little more green going into Drag Race - I now feel like I have a lot more expertise, not only on TV, but also on stage. And that's definitely going to be something that I use to my advantage, especially not being able to be in the actual space until three days before! I'm like, “Okay, I know how I'm going to do this,” and I trust myself as a performer who's done shows like this to be malleable and just dive right into it.

Do you have a favourite song that you're either looking forward to performing or enjoy listening to? 

The song “Julie” is my absolute favourite! I'm lucky enough that I've worked with Andrew for so many years - even longer than we've been doing this show for - and of all the incredible songs that Andrew has written, “Julie” has to be top three songs that Andrew's ever written. The energy in that song is so electric. And in person, it's just such a cool experience. The melody is unreal! It's super catchy, while also being extremely plot-driven as well. I love that song so much.

I'm not even the big feature in that song, so I'm really excited to tell the story and just watch the people who are really performing it, and also to see the audience as well. What I love about this show is that you are standing on your feet listening to bangers while also being fed information about a story that you're witnessing - it's something that I don't think exists very frequently in theatre. So I'm really excited for people to hear all of the music, especially “Julie” - it's at the beginning of the show and it really takes you into into the show and the world. I can't wait for people to hear that one!

What is it like to prepare to be part of this immersive production?

In rehearsal when I'm spacing everything, I'm trying to envision that there are going to be not only my cast members there, but a bunch of people who I have to walk around as well. And the show is very timed - it's pretty much a loop! So I'm trying to prepare myself for the unexpected, and just have all of my lines so ingrained in me that whatever happens, I'm moving on to the next thing.

That's the fun part about live theatre, where you never really know what's going to happen, especially with people standing around you! So I'm just expecting the unexpected, and having a little grace for myself, knowing that this is a new entity, and these folks who have been doing this show are a well-oiled machine. They know how to deal with any crowd that they have faced. I have yet to do that, so I'm looking to lean on my fellow actors to keep me grounded through that process. But it's fun! I definitely feed off the energy of people in the crowd, so to be able to have people so close to us is really cool, and I'm excited to feed off of them. 

What do you hope audiences take away from OSCAR at The Crown?

I hope people learn about the parasocial relationships we have with celebrities. That's not a big thing, but it's something to think about when it comes to social media - how our personalities are different online than in person, where that line is drawn, and how you fit into that. Online, are you proud of who that is? Is that who you reflect as an individual in person? What's more important to you? That's a more serious tone. But something I want everyone to leave with is that it's okay to be different. 

The big thing that I'm taking away is the very end of the show, which is sometimes things don't go your way in life. It's how my Drag Race experience went, where I was so scared about the outcome of the show because I didn't really get close to winning. I look at it as something that was a failure, a horrible ending for me. But I'm years out of that experience, and I go, “Wow, what a beginning that was for me! What a big part of my life that was.” So even if things don't go your way, life is still going to go on, and you can find a lot of beauty in the darkness. 

And finally, how would you describe OSCAR at The Crown in one word?

Electric! The music, the lights, the stage, how they've set everything up . . . It's just so electric. You will feel the energy of the crowd, the space and all the different elements come together in such a beautiful blend. When everybody comes together to watch the show, but also party and have a great time, it's a night like no other.