Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour Assistant Choreographer, Dance Captain and performer Kevin Stea hits Your Scene with a honest interview discussing Truth or Dare, that lawsuit, the Vatican boycott, the famous Evian bottle and his alter-ego That Rogue Romeo. There was a LOT to cover in this interview!
Well known amongst the Madonna kingdom from the Blond Ambition Tour 1990, the tour that raised the bar for future pop spectacles while shaking up major cities across continents as well as arousing the very public Vatican boycott in Italy. Kevin Stea cemented himself unintentionally amongst Madonna fans as part of the aspiring team of Blond Ambition dancers, when many of us teens, at that point in time, were exploring or figuring out our personalities and sexualities, began to follow their careers after the rockumentary Truth or Dare (In Bed with Madonna - UK version) was released in cinemas the following year.
Talent, tenacity and creativity helped Kevin Stea continue on his path since this iconic moment in pop culture by working with other major artists such as, Michael Jackson, Cher, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and many more. As well as a model and actor, Kevin has an Alter Ego 'That Rogue Romeo' that projects his own artistic individuality.
The Blond Ambition Era
Jonny - Originally you were hired as part of the choreography team before being offered a role as one of the main dancers on Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour 1990. What was your reaction as a 19-year-old, and did you have any idea Madonna’s iconic status throughout the world at that time?
Kevin - When they first called me to be associate choreographer for the Blond Ambition Tour, I had no idea what that even meant. I knew it meant that I wouldn't be going on tour, so I was more confused than excited. I wanted to dance, and I thought id be running around with a clipboard watching everyone else dance. I was blissfully unaware of Madonna’s fame around the world, having lived in Singapore for two years and then immediately entering full-time studies at USC, with no TV at either. She was famous, but I'm not sure I would have called her iconic at that point. I'm thankful that I was able to enjoy her and the job without the added veil of seeing her as an icon. It wasn’t until we were in Texas that it hit me how popular she was.
Jonny - Choreographer Vincent Paterson worked on the Michael Jackson Bad tour before Blond Ambition. Is it true that Madonna wanted to go bigger and better than the MJ tour?
Kevin - I'm not sure that that was a specific goal, especially since Vincent Patterson wasn't brought in until Karole Armitage was taken out. I definitely believe that Madonna had a lot at stake. I don't think Dick Tracy was as well received as she had hoped, and I really think it was a turning point for her career that could have gone either way. The “Like a Prayer” album and videos directed by David Fincher were epic, so expectations of her were extremely high. I think she was focused on doing the best show she could, not comparing herself to others. If she was competing with anyone, it was other female singers. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation had come out, with an insanely strong solid concept and imagery, and I think that was a bigger competitor for her than Michael and his grand cult of bigger than life personality.
Jonny - It has been said that the choreography was completely changed once Vincent took over within only a couple of weeks before the show launched. Was it the whole show that was changed or certain numbers? If it had remained unchanged, would we have seen a different show?
Kevin - Before Vincent arrived, we had no show. We had started on Vogue and workshopping a few combinations with Karole, but they never solidified into anything we could use or develop. Because the video was up first, Madonna knew she had to move fast to rectify the choreography situation. We only lost a few days before it was obvious we needed a more commercial hand and approach to the choreo. If Karole had stayed, I don’t know that Madonna would still be performing today. We would have had just a few numbers, and there would have been no cohesion or dramatic arc like what Vincent brought. No fault of Karole’s, but she wasn’t given the kind of time she needed for her process, and that was apparent even in the auditions. I remember being kind of confused even then as to what she wanted, and how to make it look good. It was simply that her vocabulary didn’t match any of our styles or training, and we would have looked like fish out of water. At one point Jose lit a cigarette and stood in the doorway refusing to dance another step, and told Karole, “let me know when you’re done”. She was gone the next day.
Jonny - For an elaborate show of its time, it was put together very quickly. Was the pressure intense to make sure everything was done correctly and did the pressure ever stop as the show continued on it's trek?
Kevin - The pressure was definitely intense. I thank god my mind was sharp as a tack at that point, and I rarely forgot anything even days later. These days I can’t remember a combo what I did ten minutes ago! It was clear that Vincent liked to create a skeleton of a number and then add flourishes of staging and refinements. It had to be that way. We had to press through as much material as we could and then fix things later when we reviewed on Saturdays, or on stage while we worked on lighting at the same time.
I think we put more pressure on ourselves than was put on us. No-one ever had to reprimand us for not giving our all. The only person I think who sort of pulled back was the other Kevin, who was let go after the Vogue video was finished, and I took his spot. The dancers started getting a little loose by the time we were in New York, and I had to put some pressure on to try and get them to review. But, by then everyone thought they were beyond notes!
Jonny - At the time the show was thematically controversial. Did you have any idea during rehearsals that it would make world news with some of the themes portrayed? And did you have any nerves at family members attending?
Kevin - I had no idea it would be at all controversial. I listened to some pretty hardcore stuff back in the day, 2 Live Crew, The Plasmatic, The Cramps and Prince’s innuendo filled everything. Madonna seemed totally bubblegum by comparison at first glance. I was often surrounded by extremely liberal people, naked hippies, self-proclaimed communists and anarchists, and a globally inclusive education that focused on acceptance and understanding. I was naïve enough to think that everyone would understand the show easily and without issue. I thought it was beautiful and artistic, and thought that would make anything acceptable. My only one reservation was my grandmother watching the Like A Virgin bed scene, and I was correct! She covered my cousin’s eyes during that number when Madonna began her writhing!
Madonna - Like a Virgin - The Blond Ambition Tour via Madonna Brasil
Jonny - With being focused on getting your routines on mark each night, could you manage to enjoy the moment and take it the buzz from the crowds? How did it feel to perform for thousands and to see pictures of yourself in the newspapers in other cities and countries?
Kevin - I always focused on the sound. Often the lights were in our eyes or the audience was just a little too far away to focus on, so I let the energy of the sound fill me. Even without an audience, the show was powerful to perform. The music on stage was loud and full, and we were given enough intention and dialogue in our movement that it was always cathartic, even in rehearsal. The moment I took was always the minutes before the show. Looking out at the audience, knowing their anticipation and excitement, and wanting to give it all right back to them. I wanted to be seen, I wanted them to see how deeply I put myself into the movement, and I gave my all in every step. It was intoxicating, and addictive.
I was rarely in any pictures it seemed. Because I was initially the associate choreographer, I was often fit in at the edges of the group, and the photographers were limited to a specific set of numbers they could publish photographs of. I wish I had more awareness of how to find camera and get in the shot at that point, but I never expected to be a dancer, and was new to working on film. I learned VERY quickly afterwards how to get in the shot, but on the tour I never felt like it was about me. I just wanted to give the greatest show for her and her fans, not showboat.
Jonny - What was your favourite segment to perform in the show and why?
Kevin - Keep it Together was my favourite number to perform. It was the end of the show, so we knew we had survived all 18 numbers and it was the home stretch. The energy and vibe of it was the closest to who I am as a performer, like sexy and fun but an undercurrent of creepy danger! I also love props, and I felt the most connected to her and the other dancers and singers in that number. We really got to SEE each other. TOUCH each other. I felt the most like family in that number, and that’s what the song was about.
Madonna - Family Affair/Keep it Together via Jonathan Sugarfoot Moffett
Jonny - What was your least favourite segment to perform in the show and why?
Kevin - Hmmm. I enjoyed them all for different reasons. Holiday felt a little empty to me sometimes, and I didn’t like running all the way from side to side to be a hype man. I loved Where's the Party, but dreaded it every night because it was a never ending dance break that had me doing bizarre floor work and a gymnastic pass after dancing for four minutes. I always felt like I was having a heart attack by the end.
Jonny - From back to back tour dates, travel, parties and exploring cities. How did you find the stamina to keep up your performances? Especially if you felt ill or exhausted? Can you tell us about a particular show that you may have struggled in?
Kevin - The perks of being 20! And some vitamin B shots before the show! I was struggling a bit by the end of the Japan trip, simply because of performing outside in freezing cold rain. We all were. It made our US leg of the tour a constant battle to fight off getting sicker, and by the time we hit New York, Madonna was the one who needed a break. We all did, but none of us would ever give in no matter how sick we were. We had no swing or backup plan if something happened, so were were all indispensable!
Jonny - Would Madonna give her dancers a verbal spanky if their performance was lackluster on occasion or did she understand? Even when you chipped her front tooth during a live performance!
Kevin - Madonna never said anything about our performances. I really appreciated that amount of trust. Christopher, her brother, asked me to clean up the dancers by the end of the US leg, because some were getting a little sloppy. If anyone gave them a verbal Spanky, it was me as dance captain. The ones who needed it the most, were also the most resistant to even lifting a finger to review. She never reprimanded me about her tooth, except to threaten me with taking it out of my pay check when I ran to her limo on the way out of the arena to make sure she was ok.
In actuality, the incident happened because she was in the wrong spot, and I was unable to see her there. I learned a big lesson from that night though to be hyper diligent at all times and know where the star is, and not travel completely blind. Safety first! No one has been hurt around me ever since, but I do injure myself occasionally.
Jonny - Did you have any fears from the production sets? For example, as an audience member watching the show it all looks beautiful and theatrical. But you know of the dangers behind the scenes. When you all performed Where’s the Party on the hydraulic steps, did you ever worry this is going to collapse?
Kevin - Never had any worries about the set, it was rock solid! We had to stay away from certain spaces when the columns were going up and down, but our dressing rooms were well placed, though we couldn’t stand up in them. In Japan in the rain, the floor became an ice rink, and that was challenging and scary. We tried to play with it though by purposely sliding and hydroplaning!
Jonny - After performing for such large crowds and adrenaline pumping, did you find it difficult to sleep in the evenings?
Kevin - It definitely took some time to wind down after the shows. Madonna was so good at heading to bed by 11 if we had a show the next day. We’d be sitting at dinner and the next minute she’d be racing to the hotel, and we’d go out. I’d never been out to gay clubs before, and every city had somewhere fun to go that was happy to have us. We made full use of those opportunities.
Jonny - Many fans these days wish her current tours would start before 11pm!!
Jonny - There were a lot of after parties and VIP meet and greets after performances. I need to ask; did you all get time to shower after the sweaty shows? Such a Virgo question to ask I know!
Kevin - We did go to change and shower usually. Truthfully I didn’t shower often enough though. Its horrible, but before tour, I was living in a condemned Victorian mansion with an awful bathroom, and I don’t even remember having hot water. I ended up avoiding it as much as I could. Thankfully we sweat so much and so often that I didn’t smell too crazy. I suppose I masked it with heavy Cartier. Now I'm hyper aware however, and I would be absolutely mortified to smell of anything other than Commes Des Garçons or Tom Ford in a work situation. Sexy situations are different.
Truth or Dare? - In Be with Kevin Stea Version
Jonny - 1991, there you are, not only on stage but on screens in movie theatres, news channels and media outlets throughout the world. Your life captured in cinematic form for a wider audience. The iconic status was just being cemented for the dancers. How did this feel?
Kevin - Not nearly as grand as it seems now. The way information travels now, I would have been overrun with messages and opportunities and ‘followers’, but back then the only response I felt was from my peers in the industry and occasionally at lines to the disco. I was working a lot, so I wasn’t out on the street milking my visibility, which today I might be inclined to do. People in LA hate to show fandom, or even let it slip that they recognize you at all, so my friends would tell me of the people behind me staring or talking, and I wouldn’t see them.
I wish I knew how many doors were really open to me, and also I wish I knew better what I wanted to do with my life beyond being in the moment. I‘ve loved my career though, so much that I'm still happily doing it to this day. I'm so grateful that parts of my life have been documented and that I can look back and enjoy it, along with the rest of the world or anyone who chooses to search me out. That’s extraordinary and special, and I don’t take it for granted.
Jonny - How much of what we seen in Truth or Dare was hyped for the camera?
Kevin - That depends on who you ask. I think one of the reasons I'm the ‘quiet one’ on film, is that I never tried to play it up for the camera. I knew they were trying to document, and it felt inauthentic to be too much of a ham. I was a quieter person then, still discovering who I was. My attentions were more on being professional and learning about myself and what I wanted, socially, sexually, professionally.
Watching Truth or Dare to me feels like watching our home movies, very factual. We were often crazier off camera. I thought Madonna came across just as she was, and that’s amazing and commendable. There were moments they had us do something again, or come back in the room again, etc. and they put us in situations that might create some fun. It always did, because we were fun!
The Lawsuit
Jonny - Madonna fans are aware of the Contract Clause issue and the lawsuit that followed. So, we will only gently touch on it. To be young and legally take on the world’s most famous women at that time must have been difficult and mentally tough. Do you feel you were guided correctly throughout this process and would you say this matured your business sense for future endeavors?
Kevin - I was terrified, but also committed to justice and fairness. I'm a double Libra, justice is everything to me. I’ve never been a sycophant, and Madonna kept encouraging me to stand up for myself. I realized that if I had truly learned anything from her, that I had to stand up for myself even to her.
That's SUCH a good question, that no one asks. No, I don’t think I was guided correctly at the time, and I don’t think she was either. Its all so obvious in retrospect, but I believe my agency should have been the ones to sue to get our money, that was literally their job. They wanted to protect their relationship with her for the future, which they did, but it cost us a precious proto-family that meant the world to me.
Madonna was already pissed at me because of communications from my agency to her lawyers, threatening a lawsuit from Gabriel, which she thought had come from me because we had the same agent. I didn’t even know Gabriel was filing suit in a few days until I told the story of how mad Madonna was at me when I saw her at the Paris is Burning screening and she said ‘fuck you, you’re on my shit list’. I was devastated.
Now I realize that I never told her specifically that the movie was in my contract with a rate already agreed upon, and I'm POSITIVE her management framed this to her as us wanting to cash in on the popularity of the movie to cover their ass. The press didn’t help our cause, by trying to tear her down and call our squad, the movie and our relationships a fraud because ‘Misrepresentation’ was mentioned in the lawsuit. Gabriel should have pursued his suit, which was more about being forcibly outed, separately from our dispute which was contractual. Everything got very muddled and our intention was just to stand up for our rights and the rights of our entire dance community.
This ABSOLUTELY matured my business sense from that point forward. I think I truly became a Business Man because of that suit, the impact, the fear, the press, the misinformation. I learned how to navigate relationships in business and communicate far more clearly. I’ve actually been brought in a few times to help negotiate some tour situations where the agents and artist management couldn’t come to an agreement, because of the respect I’ve earned in the industry being a stand for fairness and finding solutions for all. I was so honoured to be asked. That’s 30 years of fighting for integrity and professionalism, that I got from that experience.
Jonny - Thankfully, you reached a settlement. We hear that a large part of the recorded footage is missing. How would you feel if was found it and a 2.0 version was made? I think fans would go mad for this!
Kevin - We did. Oliver and I only asked for what was in our contract. Maybe I should have asked for points! I never wanted to be considered greedy or ungrateful, but a lot of people have thought that of me anyways all these years, so maybe I should have just gone for it! I wouldn’t sleep well at night though if I had.
I would LOVE to see more! Like I said, its like our home videos. It makes me giddy thinking that somewhere there's footage of super young us out there, being stupid. I barely recognize myself! I know all of us would give our permission in a heartbeat to use the rest of the footage. In fact, I think I’ll reach out to Sara and Guy and tell them exactly that. There is zero ill will from our side, and a forever love.
Jonny - Have you spoken to Madonna in the years that followed?
Kevin - I saw Madonna at a dinner, where she was seated behind me with Nas. She came up behind me and hugged me and we talked for a few minutes because she knew everyone at our table individually, and she held me. I was all smiles and hugs. As she walked away she said “bye Michael!”, and I said, “its Kevin!”, so I think she confused me with Michael Gregory for a minute. I'm dying to know what went through her head, because I was nothing but gushing love for her, even when she called me Michael. I'm sure she did a double take. I was so clear though that my side of the street is clean and she saw it first-hand. That moment gave me a lot of peace around the situation. Id really love to see her again. She passed by three feet from me at the Madame X show, but I'm not sure she saw Carlton, Luis and I, though she was asking where we were seated so she could look for us during the show.
Jonny - Is the Madonna you see now in public different to the Madonna you once closely knew?
Kevin - Absolutely. She’s had 30 years of absolute stardom to bolster her legacy, and has the full family she’s always dreamed of. I think that’s come at a cost, but is also priceless. I think she’s sat further and further into the Madonna of her creation, and away from the girl she was. We’re all our own creations though, so its not like she’s fake, she just more fully consciously who she’s chosen to be, more than she ever has been in the past. Its a subtle difference. She’s this constant choice, rather than just being. It speaks to her drive and unstoppable unwavering self-control. I love seeing people from my past, because my youth lives in them and in their memories. Madonna sometimes seems allergic to the past, but I wonder if she holds us in that space. We saw her fully in a transitional moment where she blossomed. She could have lost it all but held on like her life depended on it. There was risk, fear, and joy and triumph. She really cared about proving her power and voice. I think she cares about more important things like family now. She has the power and voice on lock.
Jonny - Have you been to any Madonna shows since the Blond Ambition? If so, which one are you most impressed at? Apparently, her brother Chris is not impressed with them!
Kevin - I saw Drowned World, and Madame X. I would have seen them all, but those tickets are crazy expensive and no one was giving me friends and family! I would have liked to have seen the Reinvention show. I liked Madame X, but more because I was with my Madonna family, and I loved how present she was. I felt like those audiences got to see a little flash of the woman I knew. The wit and attitude.
Jonny - Speaking of Chris, did you read Life with my Sister Madonna? And have you ever seen Christopher since?
Kevin - I didn’t read it! I should while we’re in lockdown. I’ve seen Christopher a lot actually. Not in the past few years, but when he lived in LA. I confronted him about that short paragraph about our lawsuit and how he didn’t understand it. He said he wrote it years ago. That little paragraph led to so many fans attacking me online and trying to take my pages down and trolling me. I had left all that behind me, so it was quite hurtful to receive all this venom from people imagining they were protecting their queen somehow by attacking me. I love her more than all of them, the real her, despite all the water under the bridge. I'll never forget the experiences she provided us.
Jonny - Do you have a favourite Madonna album? Thoughts on the Ray of Light Era?
Kevin - Like a Prayer and Bedtime Stories are the only albums I have. I LOVED the song Ray of Light, and Music, but I think bedtime stories is probably my favourite. I thought the concept and imagery around Ray of Light was gorgeous and so solid. Her vision was so clear for that.
Jonny - Madonna fans also miss Donna De Lory and Niki Haris whom I've also had the pleasure of interviewing. Do you see them now?
Kevin - Yes I have seen them quite a few times! I actually shot one of Donna’s videos with her in 2019 too. I’ve seen Niki less because she lives so far away, but ill always feel especially connected to her. She was the one really pushing me to observe my sexuality. I was dating a girl right up until I got the tour, and had only fooled around a few times with guys, and not really kissing. I love kissing girls, and Niki and I kissed a bunch of times! I was the OG ‘Q’ in LGBTQ, until I travelled the gay world and saw the full rainbow out there. I smile whenever I think of any of our group. Like Jose once said, “I hold each of you in a very special place in my heart”. I second that emotion.
Donna De Lory - Heaven (Atom Smith Remix) - featuring Kevin Stea
Strike A Pose Documentary
Jonny - Strike a Pose was released. Weirdly appreciated nostalgia amongst not just Madonna fans but your own as a group of dancers. When the Directors Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan reached out to you all to participate, where you in from the get-go or did you have reservations?
Kevin - I jumped right in immediately. I love being a ‘yes’ to things where I see the possibility of reconciliation and communication. I did hold back a little because of my legal situation and I didn’t want it to become some Madonna-bashing or me-bashing around that situation, but I let them know when I had to hold off commenting. I'm less afraid now though and more outspoken, because I know I have nothing bad to say, and it would be SUPER strange for her to come after me legally for singing her praises.
Jonny - How was it to reconnect with everyone, being older and having more life experiences under your belts?
Kevin - It was life changing. I'm not sure I’ve ever felt anything quite so filled with resolution as doing the festival circuit with the movie and watching with my brothers. It was astonishing how much love there is between us. Like deep profound family love, were we can hate each other and take a bullet for each other in the same breath, and scream at each other and then hug as we say goodbye and say I love you and mean it from the bottom of our hearts, and complain about each other at the same time.
We share something no one else will ever come close to understanding. It was just us back then, no TV, no email, no phones, no family but us on the insane journey. When we see each other, all that comes flooding back. We slip into old roles almost instantly, and then have to find space to let each other be the people we’ve become, not just the young kids we remember. I was faced with a mirror of how far I’ve come, how much I’ve grown and evolved and accomplished, and in that sense it bookended my entire dance career. If I’ve ever felt like I didn’t have any impact or made any difference, I know for a fact its not true. It was an incredible validation that most dancers or performers never get.
Jonny - Did any of you hear from Madonna during this process?
Kevin - We haven’t heard from her, but her press agent Liz told us she loved the movie and was giving it to Madonna that night to watch it. Guy Oseary said he saw it and liked it. Madonna tweeted around that time “its time to STRIKE A POSE” in all caps. I thought that was hysterical. I really hope she saw the lifelong bonds she created between us but, it's hard to know if she seen it as she never comments.
Jonny - Did the cultural impact you all had amongst the LGBTQ community ever sink in?
Kevin - It didn’t until strike a pose was screening everywhere. The feedback and universal response worldwide was unbelievable. The comments and stories shared with us by audiences worldwide illuminated all of that for us. We didn’t believe it at first, but city after city, and country after country were filled with these same stories of relating to us, and often of saving their lives by simply being visible and out and happy. That’s worth everything.
The Creative Journey of Kevin Stea
Jonny - Within a fickle industry you have managed to sustain a long career and keep moving forward and creating. What keeps you inspired to keep creating as the years go on?
Kevin - First and foremost, its my friends. My work is filled with friends, in front of the camera and behind the camera. Its filled with laughter and stories and people I’ve seen far more than my real family over the years. My industry is constantly new, every job is different, every show and role are unique. I rarely do long jobs that last months (other than films), so I relish in the new. I’ve learned to become good at many things very quickly, and apply these years of nonstop newness into an openness to all things creative. They all feel similar and connected now. I wilt when I feel like I have to do something, rather than choosing to do something, so I'm happy to say I’ve learned to choose almost everything in my life, the good and the challenging. Its the path of least resistance, and I highly recommend it.
Jonny - I loved the Movie Show Girls that you also had a part in, I loved the dance scenes more etc. Now it has now gained cult status. Where you disappointed at the negative press when it was released and how do you reflect upon it?
Kevin - I was very disappointed that it didn’t do well. I was so thrilled to have been given a part, and I had even given up directing a full concert in Japan to do the movie. I was not surprised it didn’t do well, however, when I actually saw the film. It was not promoted as camp, and the contrast of moments like the French fries, with the glitz of the dance, and the rape of Molly was too great for the same film.
As a viewer, I felt used by the screenwriter, manipulated, almost abused. It was like a bait and switch… it wasn’t sexy and fun, it was campy and cruel, which is such an odd mix! Elizabeth was done a complete disservice by Paul Verhoeven. Criminal. However, in the realm of camp, it has been redeemed and it excesses have proven closer to reality than we thought. It was outlandish in 1995, not as much after 2020. That film directly changed the course of the entertainment world. Writers lost their power after Joe Eszterhas charged 5 million for that abysmal script, and the entire industry turned to ‘reality’ and competition programming as a result so save money. Cut to 20 years of reality tv later, and the rise of social media driven by façade and illusion, and untethered trolling, and Showgirls looks surprisingly prescient.
Rihanna performing a rendition of Madonna's hit single Vogue with Kevin Stea
Jonny - You danced with Rihanna in 2008 for her rendition of Vogue at the Fashion Rocks show. How did this come to be and how did it feel performing an iconic song 18 years later with someone else?
Kevin - I was brought in by Barry Lather and Tina Landon. Barry gave me my first job, with Debbie Gibson, and I had done Ricky Martins tour with Tina, and I was so excited they brought me in. It was hard not to grin from ear to ear doing that number. I got to pat myself on the back a little there and say “hey, I still got this on lock, and looking better than ever”. It was fun teaching all this younger dancers the chorus choreography. It was also really endearing to see how much Rihanna cared about doing justice to the song. She was nervous and it meant a lot. I felt protective and supportive with her in a way I hadn’t learned to be yet with Madonna. Inside I felt like just as big a star as her, as an OG doing it again. My wardrobe by Dior Homme helped with that too!
Lady Gaga - Poker Face featuring Kevin Stea
Jonny - There you are in the Poker Face video by Lady Gaga. Could you sense from Lady Gaga that she would soon be compared to Madonna? Did you notice a similar creative work ethic that has perhaps caused this compassion?
Kevin - I had no idea there would be so many comparisons to Madonna back then. She was really on her own path at that point. Her sound was her own. No one was using McQueen like her, which I was so happy to see, or all her custom pieces. I was immediately struck by her drive and seemingly endless energy. She knew very well what it would take to become a star. When she auditioned dancers, she told us all that we had to LIVE and BREATH dance and nothing else. No boyfriends or girlfriends, no side gigs or goals. I had all of those, so I just did the video!
I saw her work harder than I’ve ever seen Madonna work. Madonna was very scheduled, but gaga was obsessed. I loved seeing how quickly gaga rose to fame, and giving her all with every step, every look, every day, several times a day. I invited her to my birthday party that year, and she had literally three performances at three different clubs that night, and was still trying to make it to my party. She was the girl outside splash in NY giving away her CD. She was the one opening the shoe boutique at the department store before flying to Thailand and back. Like doing EVERYTHING. With so many looks and moments and concepts daily, it was inevitable that there would be crossover. No one has ever produced looks and content as fast as gaga in her prime. They are both outspoken powerful driven women with similar audiences. Comparing them diminishes them. They should both be celebrated for changing the world.
Jonny - The Lady Gaga Monster Ball tour for the younger “Little Monsters” would be like us in 1990 witnessing the Blond Ambition tour. A result of this has led them to discover the 1990 tour. Have you noticed younger fans these days begin to recognise you?
Kevin - Some do. Certainly online they do. I look so different from most of my high profile gigs back then. Many people don’t realize they’ve probably seen me in twenty things at LEAST on average, but don’t realize I'm the same person. I used to change my look as much as Madonna!
Jonny - You have met and worked with so many people within the entertainment industry. How do you manage to stay grounded?
Kevin - I credit my education in the United World College system, and the fact that I’ve never been a fanboy except with Prince. Because of that, I’ve always seen ‘stars’ as people, and can separate their hype from who they are. I wasn’t thrust into a world that fawned over me after tour, I was simply right back at the same auditions. It opened my eyes about the dangers of attaching my self worth or value to a gig or someone I’ve worked with. I found value in doing great work, not in who I'm working for. I'm solid in my talent and accomplishments, but my resume is just a piece of paper, well, many pieces of paper, but they mean nothing if I haven’t learned from them or grown. I see my life as a never ending expansion, not a moment of “I’ve arrived, and somehow that means I'm better than anyone else”. I'm a much harsher critic of myself than anyone else ever has been, and that leaves me humbled, and sometimes unnecessarily beaten down, but also full of excellence and a continuous drive for mastery.
Inside the Life of Kevin Stea
Jonny - How have you been keeping yourself healthy and occupied during the pandemic?
Kevin - Its been a challenge. I feel completely static and can’t wait to take classes again and feel sharp again. I haven’t been nearly as productive as I would have like to have been, but I have to be forgiving of myself. I look to my dog Slinky for all the support and love that I need. She brings me back to the little things. There is nothing more calming or beautiful than falling asleep with her snoring face to face with me.
Jonny - Any new creative projects in line for us?
Kevin - I'm working on my documentary Great Walls, that I shot several years ago. I'm determined to finish it this year. Everything else is just up in the air, for now. I'm just recovering from Covid and trying to keep my promise to my mom to REST, and not overdo it. I'm itching to do chest presses or take class or hike, but I know its imperative to heal. I'd really like to get back to making more music as That Rogue Romeo, I miss that terribly. I was also supposed to be on tour all last year with Perry Farrell, but it was all cancelled.
Jonny - How do you manage to stay in shape these days? Do you remain disciplined as a dancer?
Kevin - I suck at staying disciplined without live class. I do squats and stretch, but that’s about it at the moment. I’ve always been like that though.
Jonny - From dancing all these years, have you any long-term injuries? If so, how do you manage them?
Kevin - People think my hip replacement was from dance, but it was actually from a motorcycle accident. I have some knee issues, but I had those before dance too, from gymnastics. I manage that by always being careful with knee work, and bringing knee pads to jobs, and being aware of the surfaces we’re on. I have some arthritis in my joints that’s getting a bit worse, but I’ve lived my life with a sort of background buzz of pain from dance, so it doesn’t stand out except in my lower back occasionally. I do crunches to support that, but I know I need to do more as I age. I used to get whiplash constantly from thrashing so hard and fast, so in some ways I feel less injured now than I was in my 20s.
Jonny - What is your favourite chillout thing to do?
Kevin - Watch superhero movies. Snuggle my dog. Drink wine with friends.
Jonny - Do you prefer a quiet night in with friends or a night out these days?
Kevin - Quiet night with friends, or a night out with friends where we can at least sit down and hear ourselves talk. I rarely go dancing, I mean, its like going to work! Plus I like music with melodies and words, not beep beep boop boop *cue siren.
Jonny - What is your home skincare regime to keep yourself looking fresh?
Kevin - My parents sell Atomi, a really great Korean brand that hasn’t really broken the US market (its confusing), so I always get that for Christmas and Birthdays. I love “The Ordinary”, and Neutrogena tinted sunblock. Always sunblock. And then lasers for the rest!
Jonny - Favourite cologne?
Kevin - I've had various Commas Des Garçons scents in my drawer for 25 years. Currently my fave is VERY small batch called “28” by OSM (olfactory sense memory). I spray it just for myself at home over and over. Its just addictive. Its meant to recall and recreate the age of “28”
Jonny - Favourite Fashion Designer?
Kevin - Ooh that’s tough. Alexander McQueen women’s probably. Iris Van Herpen is stellar and pushing boundaries. Historically, maybe Balenciaga or Mugler. For men it varies by season. I love what Kim jones does, and Gaultier is legend.
Jonny - Favourite book?
Kevin - The prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Kevin Stea featuring in the video Promises by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith
Jonny - You appeared in the Sam Smith & Calvin Harris music video Promises. How did that come to be? It is a great song and nice homage to the Vogue scene.
Kevin - I've worked with the producer before in the past and they reached out to me to get a hold of the LA Vogue scene, so I connected them to a few key players and got to come in and play! I’ve never done new way vogue, so I was super nervous that that’s what they were expecting, but I got to just be myself and my own old way stuff. They gave me a lot of respect and I appreciated that, but I also kept redirecting them to the kids still in the ball scene and their stories. I'm from the world of commercial vogueing and exhibition, those other kids battle and keep the tradition alive and evolving!
Jonny - Speaking of Vogue. Have you watched Pose? Your friend Jose Xtravaganza cameos in it alongside Sandra Bernhard. If so, was it weird to watch as this is set in the time that you guys where out tour with the Blond Ambition. And you all knew people first-hand that were overcome by HIV and AIDS.
Kevin - I actually haven’t seen it! I had missed the first few episodes and didn’t want to start halfway in, so I waited for the whole season to come out, and then never got around to it! I know Jose is in it, and I'm looking forward to watching it now that you’ve reminded me! It was a very scary time. As a young newbie to the community, it seemed dangerous to be LGBT, there was such stigma and anger directed at us, and people were dying all the time. Its easy to forget how it affected us. There were many times when I couldn’t get a hold of someone, and my first thought was that they had probably died. I wasn’t always wrong.
I don’t think this younger generation has ever experienced that daily level of dread and fear until 2020. The idea that one slip could end your life. I think there’s real generational trauma in the LGBT community from the combination of the AIDS crisis, discrimination, lack of protections, and religious condemnation. The disgusted comments thrown at us for even holding hands. So many suicides and substance abuse, self-loathing and shame as a result. Those who have survived have either become warriors or emotionally crippled. The freedoms felt by younger gays today were gained in battle, they weren’t handed out.
Some light questions to finalise the interview:
Jonny - Can you look at an Evian water bottle without getting flashbacks of Madonna?
Kevin - Haha! No.
Jonny - Bad Tour or Blond Ambition Tour?
Kevin - Blond Ambition for sure.
Jonny - Madonna or Lady Gaga? (Before anyone drags me for this question, pretend we are talking about football teams)
Kevin - ooh. Madonna.
Jonny - Finally, here is one that all Madonna fans will get…
Where’s the fucking party?
Kevin - Wherever you motherfuckin’ say it is, cause its your motherfuckin’ party!
Jonny - Thank you, Kevin, for taking time for this interview and I hope we can pick up on this over on YouTube in the next year and discuss further.
P.s, Can someone please have a word with Madonna and have you all on stage with her again for a 2.0 Ambition.
Kevin - AMEN!!
You can keep up to date with Kevin Stea here:
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