By Wayman Wong
01 Jun 2006

THE FUNNIEST GUYS IN 'CREATION'
Creation Nation is the hottest and hippest variety chat show in New York, so it's no surprise that Billy Eichner and Robin Taylor are the talk of the town. The New York Times has called this unambiguously gay duo a "late night theatrical phenomenon," and their wacky collaboration of sketch comedy, satirical songs and video has won them awards from Time Out New York and the New York Nightlife critics. Their celebrity guests have included Ana Gasteyer, Jackie Hoffman and Denis O'Hare, and Bravo is talking to these boys about bringing their inspired insanity to TV.

So what makes Creation Nation, which plays through June at the Ars Nova, a hit? It's the incredible comic chemistry between Eichner and Taylor, who play Billy Willing, a high-energy talk-show host, and Robin Lord, his adorably low-key sidekick. Wittily written by Eichner, the show parodies pop songs like James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" with a silly spoof called "You Look Really Good for You." You also have to laugh at Willing's hyper-celebrity-obsessed rants and reviews: "In 'Firewall,' Harrison Ford does all of his own stunts; unfortunately, he also does all his own acting." Or: "Julia Roberts got so beaten up by the New York critics that she was taken away by Child Services. Her performance is so bad that I kept hoping the chandelier from The Phantom of the Opera would somehow cross the street and hit her in the head."

Eichner, a 6-foot-3 brunette from Queens, says, "We were unemployed actors sitting at home watching talk shows, so Creation Nation started as a gay 'Regis & Kelly.' We thought: 'Wouldn't it be great if there were a talk show hosted by two gay guys that had the same weird sexual vibe?' And what if one of us [Willing] was out and the other [Lord] was uncomfortable talking about his sexuality?" Taylor, a 5-foot-8 blond from Solon, Iowa, says, "No offense to any Scientologists, but I couldn't live with myself if I had to lie. If you're a good actor, who gives a s***?" Eichner adds, "I know closeted actors who go, 'Oh, my career!' That's just insecurity about your talent. I'm with the biggest agency in Hollywood [CAA], and I love being gay. People should be out. It means more to the world than being on some stupid soap opera."

These best friends, both 27, first met as roommates at Northwestern University. Eichner recalls, "We were such opposites. I'm this city kid who's loud and opinionated, and Robin was this shy, polite boy from Iowa, but we bonded." Taylor says, "We found out that we watched the same span of cable TV in the eighties, all these weird movies like 'Who's That Girl?' and 'Poltergeist II.'" Even today, they're still roommates. Though they banter and bicker like a couple in Creation Nation, they never dated each other. In real life, Taylor's got a boyfriend, and Eichner is single.

Individually, Taylor earned raves as a gay hustler in The Culture Project's The Shooting Stage and appeared in Shakespeare's Henry IV at La Mama. And Eichner made his bright Off-Broadway debut in the Eli Bolin-Sam Forman musical I Sing, directed by Benjamin Salka. (Bolin is now his musical director of Creation Nation; Forman is his producer, and Salka still directs Eichner.)

Eichner says, "I'd love to do a funny Broadway musical or a sitcom, but Creation Nation has spoiled me. Our show rips apart everything: Robin, myself, our guests. But it all comes out of a love of what's good about pop culture and wanting to contribute. We go beyond celebrity jokes; we want to be thought-provoking about the world."

For more information, visit www.creationnationstation.com.

WHERE THE GUYS ARE
There's so much to see in New York: Patrick Mellen (Lestat) weds the timely topic of same-sex marriage with pop and showtunes in his act, ringfinger, on June 4 and 25 at 9:15 PM at The Triad, 158 W. 72nd St. (212-479-7995). . . . Two-time MAC Award winner Brandon Cutrell will headline June 5 at 8:30 PM at Feinstein's at the Regency, 540 Park Ave. (212-339-4095). And two-time Tony Award winner James Naughton continues there with his nightly show, Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night, through June 10. . . . David Josefsberg (The Wedding Singer) will shine in the Broadway Spotlight on June 5 at 8 PM at the Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St. (212-868-4444). And Kevin Cahoon, who plays George in the Wedding band, will join his group, Ghetto Cowboy, on June 25 at 11:30 PM at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (212-539-8778). . . . Singer-songwriter Marc McBarron Kessler, who's been hailed by Time Out New York as "an artist to watch," will play June 10 at 9 PM at Rose's Turn, 55 Grove St. (212-366-5438). . . . David Burnham (The Light in the Piazza) will warble on June 19 at 7 PM at Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. (212-581-3080). . . . Michael Longoria, who imitates the pint-sized Joe Pesci in Jersey Boys, makes it to the Metropolitan Room on June 19 at 8 PM at 34 W. 22nd St. (212-206-0440). And finally, Jay Rogers brings his madcap musical comedy there on June 23 at 8 PM.

Got comments or questions? E-mail me at waymanwong@hotmail.com.

Until next month, let's hear it for the "boys"!

Wayman Wong edits entertainment for The New York Daily News. He has been a movie and theater critic for The San Francisco Examiner, a writer for The Sondheim Review and a Drama-Logue Award-winning playwright.