Hunky John Duff Brings His Classic Sound (and Looks) to Provincetown

This week the multi-talented and very queer performer John Duff makes his Provincetown with his cabaret show "Just John" at the Art House Art House (214 Commercial St, Provincetown) on July 19 and 20, then on August 16 and 17. Follow this link for ticket information.

If you never heard of Duff, he wouldn't be surprised. In fact, he jokes about his anonymous fame calling himself in ads for his show "the greatest has-been that never was." How's that for self-deprecation? But if the brief video he posted on IG is any example, his recent appearance at Chicago Pride shows him to be a performer likely to turn heads. A sentiment shared from viewing his numerous videos as well.

"In a humorous, musical, vulnerable, and innovative hour-long cabaret, John Duff bares it all (literally and figuratively) as he discusses the ups and downs of (almost) making it in Hollywood," his press release reads. "Live singing, live piano, unreleased videos, the hits, the misses, stories, Broadway, pop, dance, gossip, costume changes, partial nudity, and even some Olivia Newton John. Nothing is off limits. It's Just John!"

Duff has also released a new single, "Be Your Girl," which is available for download from major streaming platforms. As he puts it, "Be Your Girl" is the kind of song Frank Sinatra would have sung... if he were queer.

EDGE spoke with the sexy and cheeky Duff as he wound up appearances at Chicago and New York Pride and prepares for his first Provincetown dates this week.

SD: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

JD: My name is John Duff, so that's a good place to start. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. I went to Syracuse University to study musical theater. I worked as an actor for a few years in New York, then moved out to LA, and started pursuing music.

SD: How would you describe your music?

JD: Well, it shifts. It's not one thing. I love music; at the beginning of my career, it was very pop mixed with R&B, and then I shifted to more dance music. In the past year or so, it's become slightly more refined. "Be Your Girl" is the first song of this upcoming project, where all of the instruments were played live, and the strings and horns were all arranged. All of these songs were really written to sound like something from yesteryear. Moving forward, my sound is classic.

SD: Your latest track, "Be Your Girl," can you tell us what it's about?

JD: This one's about unrequited love, like many other songs. It was born of a desire to create a song that sounded like something Frank Sinatra could have sung, but I changed it to make it gay; revisionist history was the goal. Once it was written and arranged, we took it in a more disco direction, which, again, is not new turf for the American Standards or the musical theater songbook to be disco. I bring up Grace Jones. Her "Portfolio" album was entirely Sondheim, "Annie," and "A Chorus Line." So, nothing's new.

SD: The video looked really fun to film. How much of the creative input did you have?

JD: We shot the music video in 2022. Oftentimes, that's how I have to do things because I'm trying to stock up and save money and then spend it. During the pandemic, I sat around watching a lot of 1930s movie musicals on Turner Classic Movies, and as a musical theater major, I already had my own repertoire of knowledge. With "Be Your Girl," I knew I wanted the video to represent that type of glamor. I wanted a front-facing stage performance, like a Busby Berkeley film. I directed it and designed every shot you see and every setup. After I came up with a plan, I took that to my director friend, who drew better pictures, and then I choreographed it with the choreographer. I met with him three times before we brought in the dancers. I think we did pretty well, and all 38 costumes in the video were my style.

SD: I definitely saw Berkeley's influence in "Be Your Girl." What is it about his style that you love so much?

JD: Well, it turns out that he was pretty corrupt and that he was making a lot of people work for free just for their chance to get in the movies. And my God, I wish that was still the case. I would've had a hundred dancers in the video. To me, it was the scale and the platform. Since him, nothing's quite comparable. And it was all human beings. It was before visual effects. They were building these amazing sets for everyone to dance on. There is so much cheating in films nowadays.

SD: After watching a few of your videos, I love how you tap into your sexuality. What freedom comes from that?

JD: I lead everything in life with a sense of humor and my tongue firmly on my cheek. I didn't know I was a sexy person. I just imitated one for a long time. When we're on set, and I'm doing the sexy bit, we're all laughing, but it translates. Maybe that's because of how I look, but I think it started as a joke, and then I started getting laid, so I just rolled with it.

SD: You are going to be pretty busy this summer. Where will you be performing?

JD: This will be my first time performing in Provincetown. I have my four shows booked at the Art House this month and next, and then something else in New York later. Hopefully, more dates will be booked on the calendar. My favorite part about performing, in general, is just an opportunity to connect with the audience. For years, I did not have the opportunity to perform because of the Pandemic or because I was not the desirable choice, but now I'm starting to get booked, so I am very excited.

SD: Even though more queer themes are being accepted in music today, what needs to continue to make it more mainstream?

JD: I would say that I can't speak for women artists, but for queer men, it's hard. I mean, men adjacent, I'm trying to get it right. As a gay man, what I can say is that I do feel there's a limitation on the amount of fun that we are allowed to have in our work. I envy the people who started more serious or sad in their work because if you start straight, sad, or as a victim, now we understand when you do drag. Now we understand when you do something fun. I began with fun, so I was written off as a parody and a satire. I think outside of just queer people in music and music in general, fun needs to be celebrated and needs to be allowed to be had. I need at least one vessel of entertainment that doesn't make me want to jump off a bridge.

SD: Are there any new projects besides this song that you can promote or would like to promote?

JD: "Be Your Girl" and its remix are out. The remix has a B side because we're acting like it's the past. The remix is "Totally Eclipse of the Heart." I've been performing it at different Pride events, and it's been a hit. I am working on more singles and, eventually, my debut album, the Greatest Hits.

John Duff brings "Just John" to the Art House, 214 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA on July 19 and 20, then on August 16 and 17. Follow this link for ticket information.

His latest single "Be Your Girl" is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Follow John Duff on Facebook and on Instagram.

Check out pics from Duff's Instagram: