M.A.P. Quest

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade: out performer Steven Fales's hit one man show, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, made a theatrical triumph out of his tragic tale of being excommunicated from his church, losing his family, and drifting into sex work and drug abuse. Fales hits some of those themes in a much lighter key in his new cabaret show, Mormon American Princess, which he brings to Boston next week.

Q: I understand you took Confessions of a Mormon Boy to Europe.
A: Yes, I just got back from the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. It was a huge success and an amazing festival. And then there's a London run coming up.

Q: You're still spreading the word.
A: I'm still on a mission.

Q: But tell me about your new show, Mormon American Princess.
A: This is me going back to my musical theatre roots and essentially singing my story. It has a lot of outrageous parodies and more about entertainment than poignancy. It's more of a cabaret conception. The fun thing is that it's about narcissism and where I get it from.

Q: And where do you get it from?
A: Well, when everything you know about being human comes from Utah, and everything you know about being an American comes from Las Vegas where I grew up, and everything I know about sex, love and power comes from New York City...well, be very afraid.

Q: Did you absorb anything from Boston?
A: Ah yes, my first year of college was at Boston Conservatory.

Q: Is that the year we don't talk about?
A: Well, a year of musical theater isn't necessarily living in reality, is it? So after all that, after getting through excommunication, divorce, prostitution and drugs, now we're working on narcissism. And it's not going well.

Q: Maybe that's a fight you don't want to win.
A: You do have to keep a little bit of showboat in you to go on stage. But by the end of the show I at least realize I'm not a princess. I'm a Mormon American cowboy.

Q: Could that be the title of the piece that completes a Mormon trilogy?
A: Actually I'm working on a new solo play called Missionary Positions, and that's the next part. It's about my mission to Portugal. But this show, although I do get into the darker side of sex and love, is a lot more loose and free. I get to lead the audience through the 13 steps of narcissism.

Q: Is the first step admitting I'm powerless over myself? That sounds like a paradox.
A: But the last step is easy. You do the other steps, then you hit on yourself!

Q: I heard this show includes a "Broadway Mormon Medley."
A: Well, there's no Mormons like show Mormons like no Mormons I know! This show is all about singing, and gender bending some songs. How many ex-gay hookers get to sing "I Don't Know How to Love Him?" We've got some wonderful songs that aren't done very often. And there are some new songs I've written. I have the most amazing music director, G. Scott Lacy. We have such a good connection making music together. Too bad he has a boyfriend, or we could do other things together. I do have boundaries.

Q: So I can tell my readers that you're single?
A: Yes.

Q: Cute Mormon American cowboy seeks...
A: All American cowboy, temple garments optional.

Mormon American Princess plays at 8 p.m. on June 6 & 7 at Club Caf?, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston. Tickets $25, dinner package $43. Reservations: 617.536.0966 or www.clubcafe.com.