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It’s no stretch to say that performers Blake McIver and Emerson Collins have spent a significant chunk of their lives in show business. When he was 6 years old, McIver became the junior vocal champion on Star Search and later reached the masses as Derek in Full House, among numerous other gigs. A producer, director and writer, Collins has appeared in the regional theater premiere of Buyer & Cellar and in films such as Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. In 2019, he starred as Steve in Fox’s Rent: Live.
After four years of co-hosting Bravo’s The People’s Couch, the two — romantic partners of eight years — are now touring in their first joint stage show, which came together during the Covid lockdown. I Dreamed a Dreamgirl, making its Atlanta debut at Out Front Theatre Company on Saturday at 8 p.m., is their baby.
McIver and Collins promise an evening of show tunes, stories, Britney Spears songs and more, highlighting their distinct styles. Collins claims he sings a lot like “diet Josh Groban,” while McIver, who grew up in the gospel recording world, calls the muses from Disney’s Hercules some of his earlier inspirations. ArtsATL caught up with the two recently to chat about the new gig, not long after the production kicked off in Palm Springs.
ArtsATL: How did the tour take shape?
McIver: This show started as a joke eight and a half years ago. We had never sung together and were joking about our disparate musical styles and tastes and vocal production. We thought, what could a show be called if we ever did (one) together? The title came out and we have been laughing about it ever since. I’m a Dreamgirls and he’s a “I Dreamed a Dream” — and so we have a show.
Collins: Early on in the lockdowns at the beginning of the (Covid) pandemic, the Public Theater of San Antonio reached out to us and said, ‘Have you ever done a show together? Would you be willing to do a livestream show for our subscribers?’ We were talking very early in the process when people were just starting to do that. I said we haven’t and we’d love to — and we have nothing but time. We sat down and the joke came back up about that title and we (wondered) if we could make it work that way, where I sing the title song from Les Misérables while Blake sings Dreamgirls. The combination of cabin fever and lunacy led us to that. It’s the opening number. We did that show and then some for other theaters and it became a coping mechanism. It gave us a way to do something productive in the afternoons. We began doing other livestreams, a Halloween show and a Christmas show, doing medleys and mashups, creating harmonies.
McIver: As the world started opening up again, we had all this material and this is the greatest hits from all those lockdown shows.
ArtsATL: What sets this apart from other similar shows?
McIver: We tell stories and anecdotes from our careers, separately and together.
Collins: It’s unvarnished. There is a lot of presentational aspects to a cabaret or one-person show and this is not that. This is us saying, ‘Let’s have a good time. Let’s have joy together.’ The world is awful. We are fighting on so many fronts and issues. Having some things we can do to re-feel with each other is important. This is not meant to create deep perspective-changing theater — it’s a raucously silly and good time. In 90 minutes, we sing all or part of 49 different songs. We’ve found ways to do music that relates to (our past projects) that is fun for us. We’ve also taken 16 theme songs and turned them into a six-minute medley of nonsense. This is just us at our most unabashedly fan girl and campy.
ArtsATL: As professional and personal partners, what is the trick to successfully working together?
McIver: What’s great about this show and tour is that we divide and conquer and then come together for the performances. I made it my job to do all the music and editing, get the audio files together, create and craft the medleys we do. I’ve stayed in my lane.
Collins: As a producer, I deal with all the ticketing and marketing, contracts and travel and publicity. Working together can be a challenge but because we were working during the lockdown, it didn’t have the frustration it might have had. This is something we could do other than binge-watch nine episodes of Outlander.
ArtsATL: Blake, how have you had to adapt over the years?
McIver: I started working in 1990. My peer group that started TV in the same era are much older than me and I’ve always tried to learn from people that are more seasoned and more talented. I always like to be the least intelligent and talented person in the room; that keeps me learning and pivoting and growing and changing. My career has taken me from TV and film to theater to voice-over, directing and producing, private vocal coaching. A lucky few can stay in their lane and do their thing, but most of us have to learn new things.
ArtsATL: Emerson, while Blake has never worked in Atlanta, you have many times. Why is this city so special to you?
Collins: It’s always so exciting to come here. [Del Shores and I] shot (2012’s) Blues for Willadean with Beth Grant, Octavia Spencer and Dale Dickey there. We lived in Buckhead and shot in a trailer park down south. I grew up in Texas, but the only place I feel comfortable outside of there is Atlanta. We have worked there and shot there and been there for many other events, and the people and the spirit just speak to my soul.
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Jim Farmer covers theater and film for ArtsATL. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he has written about the arts for 30-plus years. Jim is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival. He lives in Avondale Estates with his husband, Craig, and dog Douglas.
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