May 25, 2001

Actor John McGivern has gone bi-coastal, if we can consider the Lake Michigan shoreline a coast, and we will probably be seeing more of him.

The Milwaukee native has bought a condo near the lake as an alternative home to the small southern California place he owns near the Pacific. Several local theater companies have talked with him about appearing in some shows here after "Shear Madness" closes.

But first he must celebrate his movie debut this summer in the new Julie Andrews film for kids, "The Princess Diaries." A Hollywood casting director saw McGivern acting in the San Francisco production of "Shear Madness" and offered him the part of a San Francisco trolley car driver. John shot three scenes with Andrews, including one in which he is knighted by the star.

"After we finished shooting, I told Julie, 'I'm a 46-year-old gay man who has been knighted by Julie Andrews. I'm the envy of every member of my community.' "

McGivern declares the hair salon set the Milwaukee Rep built for this "Shear Madness" to be the best and most authentic of the six on which he has acted around the country. "We've put a lot of thought into the set and costumes, and this is going to look like the real thing."

Aveda is stocking the set with its products and consulting on the salon's layout. "It will be a beauty shop," he added.

The Milwaukee production marks the first time McGivern has taken on some of the producing duties of the show. He will also be associate producer of the Tampa "Shear Madness" revival next winter. "I've discovered that producing agrees with me," he said.

"I'm very anal retentive. I'm very organized. I like to get up at 6:30 in the morning, and I like to tell people what to do."