Ep. 296: Ryan Landry on Showgirls, Provincetown & 45 Years of Camp Legend

Ryan Landry has been a fixture of Provincetown since 1979, and on this episode he opens up about nearly five decades of camp, chaos, and creative survival. He talks candidly about how the town's architecture and artist-friendly spirit have eroded under development pressure, and why he believes preservation matters as much as any economic argument for growth. From there the conversation moves into the legend of Showgirls, the longest-running show in Provincetown history. Ryan walks through his prolific output of adapted plays and musicals, his parallel life as a visual artist, and the found-family dynamic of running a company of performers he affectionately calls his "orphans." He shares a run of unforgettable backstage stories — including an act so outrageous it left Zach speechless, and a pyrotechnic mishap involving a fellow performer that turned into one of the most chaotic nights in the show's history. The two also dig into Ryan's relationship with his partner Scott, his years in 1980s and 90s New York, brushes with figures like River Phoenix and Anita O'Day, and his creative partnerships with performers like Dina Martina and Miss Richfield. Ryan is refreshingly blunt about treating his art as a business, protecting his work legally, and why he sees his career less as glamorous stardom and more as steady, disciplined labor — punching in and out like a factory shift, six days a week, all summer long. It's a conversation full of humor, grit, and genuine heart from one of Provincetown's most enduring performers. Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captryanlandry Check out Ryan's Website: https://www.ryanlandryfactory.com/ Get Tickets to Show Girls in Ptown: https://kikipedia.app/event/showgirls-ptown Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.