15 Questions With Philly Songbird Sean Thompson

The local actor/singer is one of the stars in this weekend's "Full House: A Series of Cabarets."

This week, local gay-run theater company Quince Productions kicks off its fifth go-round of “Full House: A Series of Cabarets.” The five-day festival comprises eight different shows performed by 20 established and up-and-coming singers from the Philadelphia area. One of those from the former category is the dazzling Sean Thompson.

Thompson, a full-time equity actor, has appeared in 40 shows, commercials and other productions since graduating from Temple in 2008 with a Music and Theater degree. For “Full House” he will be performing “I Need a Sunburn: A Solivagant’s Cabaret,” which he describes as a “very chill” evening where he’ll be singing songs that “I’ve just been living with for a while.”  Guests can be ready to treat their ears to tunes like “Raining in Boston,” “Santa Fe” and “California Stars” — all of which, he says, “seem to form a pretty solid theme of losing and finding yourself and of traveling.” If that doesn’t sound dreamy enough, Thompson is donating ALL of his proceeds to Equality PA.

Head over heels yet? Keep on reading for the Q&A I did with him this week, where we chat about his love affair with American lit, his loooong list of diva inspirations and a drunken run in he had with a certain member of the Danny Tanner household

What’s your Philly connection?
I was born and raised in Northeast Philly — in Mayfair. Out of the group of friends that I grew up with there, at least half are now gay. So, we’ve renamed it “Gayfair.”

When are you happiest?
The first sip of a cool, adult beverage; the last, liquory sip of a cool, adult beverage; when I push play on my favorite TV shows; when I hit cliffhangers — in a show, in a book, in life; when I’m driving — without traffic; when I’m with my friends; when I’m near water; when I’m in the middle of a good, soft kiss.

What’s your most prized possession?
My car: a 2013 red Hyundai Veloster

Describe the perfect night in the Gayborhood in three words.
Messy. Dancing. Gay-Pizza.

You’re on a date and all of a sudden your attraction meter drops to zero. What turned you off?
I always find myself talking to guys about my love affair with modern American literature, so it’s the guy who just awkwardly sips his drink and says, “Oh, that’s cool” with a giant question mark on his face. On the other hand, it’s the guy who asks me to go into further detail who just might be sipping Starbucks with me the next morning.

If you could only sing one song for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
I’m a choose something more upbeat, something happy and forward-moving. And, you know what? I’m going to take the time to write it first. To solely sing my own song about being happy and moving forward for the rest of my life? That would rock.

If your life was a cabaret song, what would it be called?
That song Rufus Wainwright’s dad wrote called “One Man Guy?”

Since this event is called Full House, I have to ask: If you could invite one member of the Danny Tanner household (Kimmy Gibler included), who would it be?
Well, I feel like I’m supposed to answer, “Uncle Jesse,” but I actually think I’d have a better time rocking out and drinking, Cabernet with Aunt Becky. Fun fact: I chatted with and served a particularly inebriated John Stamos (aka Uncle Jesse) at a bar in New York last summer.

The one book everyone should read is …
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It’s the book that taught me that you really do just have to accept the facts that life has handed you, deal with them, and move on. It’s also just an awesome book.

Where is your favorite place in the world?
A beach. Any beach. And in the spotlight. Any spotlight. (I’m a Leo.) (And an actor.)

What do you consider to be your proudest achievement?
That I’ve made it happily to this moment. And to this moment. And to this moment …

What celeb do you think is hot that your other friends wouldn’t?
I don’t know, do people think Evan Peters from American Horror Story is hot? Because there are stories from all SORTS of genres —not just Horror — that I would write him into..

Who is your diva inspiration?
OMG, where does the list end? Rufus Wainwright, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Megan Hilty, Pam from True Blood, Gale Weathers, my good friend Lateefah, my friend and teacher Peter, Madeline Kahn, Judith Light (“Angelaaa!”), Stockard Channing, the cast of Revenge, and let’s throw it back to the ’90s and end with Heather Locklear’s character on Melrose Place — now, she knew how to get her miniskirt-rocking, havoc-wreaking divabitch on.

What is your life motto?
Just keep moving forward. And smile. And chill out. And remember that it really isn’t that deep. Like Sondheim wrote, “Stop worrying where you’re going, move on. If you can know where you’re going, you’ve gone. Just keep moving on.”

I feel gayest when …
I quote Stephen Sondheim in random surveys. Oh, and when Cole Hamels is pitching.

Quince Productions “Full House: A Series of Cabarets” starts Wed., June 19, with Thompson’s performance taking place on Sat., June 22. For tickets and other info on his and all other performances in the series, visit quinceproductions.com.

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