Ryan Raftery on ending his reign as The Most Powerful Woman in Fashion.
By Brandon Voss
The bitch is back! Briefly. Ryan Raftery returns to Joe's Pub September 13 for the farewell performance of Ryan Raftery Is the Most Powerful Woman in Fashion, his hit musical about Anna Wintour's decision to place Kimye on the cover of Vogue. After playing to sold-out houses in New York and L.A., the out performer tells us why he's hanging up his faux-Chanel jacket — and teases which polarizing star he'll be spoofing next.
Next: Why have you decided to retire the show? Or is this like one of Cher’s farewells?
Ryan Raftery: This will be my third New York Fashion Week performing "Anna" at Joe's Pub. I thought the last time would be the last time, but there was a great demand for me to bring it back, and I'm excited to get the wig out for one last twerk. Yes, my Anna twerks to Beyoncé in the show.
How has the show evolved since its premiere last summer?
The costume has changed the most. When the show first opened, I was having a jacket made for me by someone out of state. It arrived three days before opening night and it didn't fit. So I had to make an emergency run over to Burlington Coat Factory and find something that approximated a Chanel jacket. As luck would have it, Anna's daughter, Bee Shaffer, came to the very first show and took video of the performance and showed it to her mother. She then told me that after Anna saw the video, her only comment was "He didn't get the fashion right." Subsequently, I have secured a much better jacket that really is the perfect stage version of a Chanel... in a size 12.
After spending time in her shoes, has your opinion of Anna changed over the past year?
Absolutely. I've spent so much time researching her and watching her in interviews and public appearances. I've grown to respect her willingness to play the role of "Anna Wintour." She knows how powerful she is and her effect on people within the industry. That's part of why I think my show has resonated with people as much as it has. I'm a comedian, so it was important for me to play up the Darth Vader-like aspects of Anna's character — the helmet hair, the sunglasses, the refusal to ride an elevator with anyone else — but many people have told me that the show made them care about her, which is the biggest compliment I can receive as a writer.
This will be the last chance for Anna to see the show. What are the chances?
There's no chance. Like, zero. When I asked Bee how she heard about the show, she said, "My mother emailed me about it. She told me to come and report back." There was no way a musical about Anna Wintour was going to open in New York at a venerable place like Joe's Pub without her knowing about it, but she just wanted to feel it out and see what's up. It's probably the same reason why Liza never went to see The Boy From Oz. It’d be too weird to watch your life play out on stage. Also, I wouldn't want her there and have the whole audience starting at her the whole time. There's only one star of a Helen Lawson production...
Is there another celebrity you’d like to tackle next?
I've already started writing the next one. I'm coming for you, Andy Cohen.
Next, September 2015.