Nearly a year after his run on HBO’s “The Gilded Age” came to a close, Claybourne Elder is returning to his musical roots with a new project that chronicles his journey with faith and fatherhood.
The Utah-born actor, singer and Grammy nominee unveiled his first-ever solo album, “If the Stars Were Mine,” Friday on Center Stage Records. The 13-track collection celebrates his lengthy theatrical career, with standout versions of showstoppers from “West Side Story” and “Sunday in the Park with George,” among other musicals.
“Every song has an emotional memory attached, so it’s a bit like being inside my head,” Elder told celebrity.land. “It’s about belief and becoming a parent and what we leave behind. There are all sorts of feelings in these songs that can defy gender.”
The best moments on “If the Stars Were Mine” are those that reflect Elder’s personal experiences, from coming to terms with his queer sexuality after being raised in the Mormon faith to falling in love and, later, becoming a first-time dad. The album’s title track ― first recorded by jazz artist Melody Gardot in 2009 ― is a heartfelt tribute to his 8-year-old son, Claybourne “Bo” Philip Rosen-Elder, whom he shares with his husband, playwright Eric Rosen.
Elder and his band also reimagine Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” as a wistful acoustic ballad, while his tender version of “Lonesome Goodbye” by the Tennessee-based bluegrass band The SteelDrivers ― recalling his time in isolation during COVID-19 and performed in duet with musician Rodney Bush ― is right in his sweet spot.
The release of “If the Stars Were Mine” coincides with Elder’s return to the New York stage after his run in the Tony-winning 2021 revival of “Company.” Last month, he appeared in the New York City Center Encores! production of “The Wild Party.” To launch the album, he’ll perform three concerts at the Manhattan nightspot 54 Below.
Elder, of course, has taken time to perfect his delivery of his new music. “If the Stars Were Mine” began as a touring concert, inspired in part by his encounter with a male stranger who spotted him in the standing-room section of Broadway’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in 2007.
At the time, Elder was a 20-something looking to break into professional theater. Though the man never introduced himself, he handed Elder $200 for a ticket for “Sweeney Todd” after observing him appearing more engaged with “Spelling Bee” than those in the orchestra seats.
Elder never forgot that exchange, and in 2022, he was reunited with the man ― now identified as Mark Howell of Los Angeles ― after sharing a social media post that included a 15-year-old photo of their initial encounter.
He’s since spoken about the reunion with CBS News and on “This American Life,” and cites it as the impetus for his City of Strangers nonprofit, which provides theater tickets to individuals who are otherwise unable to afford them.
“As someone who had come through a lot of religious trauma, and having that kindness shown to me by a person in New York City, that experience … made me feel like there was something larger out there for the first time in a long time,” he said.
Now 43, Elder made his Broadway debut in 2011 when he appeared in the musical adaptation of “Bonnie & Clyde.” He’s since racked up an impressive list of theatrical credits, but it was “Company” as well as his portrayal of John Adams ― the debonair and doomed lover of Oscar van Rhijn (played by Blake Ritson) ― on “The Gilded Age” that landed him on the cultural map.
While Elder has enjoyed his recent success, he’s been eager to look inward for some time. “There are lots of us trying to be the paint on somebody else’s canvas, when it’s much harder to make the painting,” he told celebrity.land last year. “I want kids from a country town like mine to see [my work] and say, ‘I don’t have to ― by coming out as a gay person ― give up on all of these things I want.’”
“If the Stars Were Mine,” he said, is in keeping with that mission.
“Everybody involved was like, ‘This needs to be you.’ And that helped me to make something I’m proud of and scared to show people in a way that feels healthy,” he said. “In a moment of insecurity, I thought, ‘I don’t know exactly who this is for.’ Then somebody said: ‘Claybourne Elder at 22 would’ve loved it.’ So it’s for the people who see the heart of it. That’s my hope.”
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