Alan Cumming: Legal Immigrant

by Alan Cumming (Narrator)

2 hrs and 16 mins

Legal Immigrant is Alan Cumming's collection of musings on his experiences as a US citizen, growing older, and what it feels like to be an immigrant in today's America, featuring songs and stories that are as eclectic and idiosyncratic as Alan himself. The audio, recorded live at the Minetta Lane Theatre, is a smorgasbord of genres, styles, and tales. Replete with laughter, tears and, of course, provocation, featuring covers of songs made famous by a diverse array of musical legends.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Biography, Music, LGBT

Audible Audio

First published November 19, 2019

About the author

Alan Cumming, OBE, is a Scottish-American stage, television and film actor. His roles have included Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy. He has also appeared in independent films like The Anniversary Party, which he wrote, directed and starred; and Ali Selim's Sweet Land for which he won an Independent Spirit award as producer.

His London stage appearances include Hamlet, Madman in Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist for which he received an an Olivier award, the lead in Martin Sherman's Bent and as Dionysus in The National Theatre of Scotland's The Bacchae. On Broadway he has appeared as Mac the Knife in The Threepenny Opera and the Emcee in Cabaret for which he won the Tony in 1998.

Cumming has also written a novel, Tommy's Tale, contributed to many publications, and performs with his band I Bought A Blue Car Today on a regular basis.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Cumming is tremendously funny, charming and talented. I love seeing him live, but even without being able to see him I enjoyed this audiobook. I didn’t really read the description so I wasn’t expecting all of the songs. They are interspersed with the anecdotes from his life and career. The central theme is his immigration to the United States. He became a citizen about 10 years ago. At the end of the audiobook he interviews some other immigrants with varying immigration status. I wasn’t crazy about that part. My choice would have been to limit this to his stage show.

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Legal Immigrant is Alan Cumming's collection of musings on his experiences as a US citizen, growing older, and what it feels like to be an immigrant in today's America, featuring songs and stories that are as eclectic and idiosyncratic as Alan himself. It is a smorgasbord of genres, styles, and tales: laughter, tears and, of course, provocation, featuring covers of songs made famous by musical legends as diverse as Pink, Adele, and the Disney princesses."

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this on Audible I downloaded without really knowing what it was. It's Alan Cumming; of course it will be awesome. Not only does he talk about his experiences as immigrant to America; he SINGS. This his cabaret show. Funny, sometimes serious, and absolutely wonderful.

[Joyce Driggers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flipping love Alan Cumming. A hilarious take on a very, very not hilarious subject.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is some kind of one-man show, sort of deal. Where Cummings has an audience and has a few songs he sings, a few anecdotes; with its main purpose to highlight the fallacy of anti-immigration sentiments in a country where basically everyone comes from immigrants. At the end there a couple of short interviews with friends, which were probably better than the funny main show, to me, given the purpose of it. Overall, it was fun spending time with Cummings but it also was mostly just that.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Cumming is a performer through and through. This audible original had it all: comedy, an important message, and a medley of songs. I am very interested in seeing one of Alan Cumming's shows now!

[Kelly Kurposka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan: "Anyway, we're coming to the last song of the evening..."
Audience: "Aww..."
Alan: "We're not really, for f%#@&'s sake, c'mon, you know there's an encore!"

[Cassandra Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious little listen. Found myself agreeing with a lot of his “musings”. Made mowing the lawn very enjoyable!

[Amanda Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so funny and on point about immigrants and the anti immigrant sentiment that's been brewing, strangely enough in a country built on the backs of immigrants. He sings and entertains and it was lots of fun to listen to. Last year I had also listened to his memoir Not my Father's Son and that was great too. I've always liked him as an artist.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a podcast than a book. A recording of one of his live shows. I chose it as a palate cleanser - my last book left me feeling frustrated lol. This was so enjoyable (if you’re a fan of Alan Cumming) Some comedic stories, some songs, and at the end some interviews with some immigrants.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Cumming is super fun to watch in The Traitors. This was a good mix of musical & spoken comedy. Appreciated the theme of the show (Legal Immigrant) and how the US is build on immigrants (and immigration). As the Cheeto has shown, no one is safe.

[ANITA JACKSON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stories to go with the fun singing. Like going to a one man Broadway show at home. Listened by Audio book.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

quick and entertaining

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free | This was fine, but in a couple days I'll have forgotten it even exists, let alone that I gave it two hours of my time.

[Debbie Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Cumming's audible original is filled with singing, jokes and information about his life and work. It is entertaining with moments to ponder about immigrants, crime and current issues.

[Linda Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this as a podcast on Audible. It is actually the recording of a stage show (kind of a cabaret I guess), I don't know whether it comes as an actual book but it's well worth the listen if you're able to get hold of it. What a showman! He sings, he tells stories, he makes digs at then president Trump. It's partly about his own decision to become a US citizen and partly about how the US is built on immigration. Fabulous!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible and it was great fun with the stories interspersed with a live show and songs.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This is very clearly an audiobook, but it does not read (listen?) like a traditional audiobook. You’re listening to Alan’s stand-up routine. It opens with song and there is plenty of singing and songs sprinkled throughout, which is a joy!

Alan’s wit and humor is quick and refreshing, which is to be expected from him. Done in 2019, he hits on the very serious, and controversial at the time, topic of immigration. He speaks about himself as an immigrant, he interviews other immigrants, he hits on the political climate surrounding immigration, and he brings light to the very real issues surrounding it.

It is fresh and funny and serious. *chefs kiss*

[Lucy Sweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legal Immigrant by Alan Cumming (narrated and performed by Alan Cumming)
☀️☀️☀️🌥️ (3.25 rounded down)

▪️This one man show-turned-audiobook incorporates all of the best bits of Cumming's repertoire without losing sight of its intention: highlighting the difficulties faced by immigrants in America today
▪️I began listening to this not realising it was a live recording of a performance in New York City, but the atmosphere of the crowd and the intermingled songs Cumming sings add an enjoyable layer of entertainment to the listening experience
▪️ Although short, this still contains both the live show and interviews with immigrants close to Cumming's personal life; most of these are too short to be truly impactful (the last piece was perfect!), but they provided a much needed reality to the overall lighthearted and joyous show beforehand
▪️This was a mega-quick audiobook to listen to - I managed the whole thing during a morning walk and then some chores - so I was left wanting more of Cumming's effortless charisma as well as a deeper exploration of the immigration system and it's many flaws
▪️For a bite-sized book, I had a good time, but it's size is the element that will unfortunately make it more forgettable in time. If Cumming ever chooses to expand on these issues, though, I'll be there in a heartbeat.

"You know, I'm a pretty good actor I think, but I don't know that I have the understanding of not having had sex for two years...I say careful what you wish for, because Parker (Posey) and Amy (Sedaris) are absolute darlings and genius people and I love them very much, but they're also mad as fucking cheese."

[wickedwitchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I needed a little bit of Alan Cumming right now. His charming presence, amusing anecdotes and captivating voice. When words alone aren't enough, we still have songs.

2023 - love you, Alan!

[AttackGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

His "Book" sharing starts out with him singing and I am immediately reminded of Doris Day. How creatively perfect are those special humans to be the person blessed with creative spirit. I can see him and Doris singing and dancing across the stage, of course it would be Doris leading, and its just engaging and perfect.

"Legal Immigrant" is perhaps a wonderful treat for friend filled home playing dress up party !

We have gone from theories Nature vs. Nurture to the current "proof" of DNA vs. Epigenetic's which is really just other words for Heredity vs. Environment oh wait now we are combining the Environmental factors to affect the DNA for the next generation's DNA IAW gene transfer from your grandparents. So no longer a "verses" now we have influencing factors. So I guess Galton was right after all and all people had to do was read the KJV Bible.

I was also reminded of the worlds water tests revealing location specific drugs which fit the personality of locations. Results showed high antidepressant levels in San Franscisco, Amphetamines in DC, Heroine in Croatia, Ecstasy in Oregon etc... (Science, 2014) you get the picture. So as the world violently riots, initially I wrote the polite word: protest, but of course if you have read anything I have written I am not into the lying. To much ancient wisdom teaches us of the power of speech and truth. Aren't all the peoples of the world in belief of being created with the Word, the Logos the intentional creative thought. Which brings us to the very unique creation of Alan, and I wonder about his family DNA, drugs in the water and what special mixture creates such a treasure. Well, you can find out all about his journey in his autobiography "Not My Father's Son".

Enjoy! Perhaps take time to think about Adele and Alan sharing the same land.

[Amanda Youngs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant little audiobook -although it's not really an audiobook. What "Legal Immigrant" is, well, it's more like a cabaret performance, with songs in between spoken pieces.

I've followed Alan Cumming's career since I first saw him twinkling away in "The High Life", put out by BBC Scotland way back when. I knew he was special even then, and his career has proved me right on that one.

"Legal Immigrant" is Alan Cumming's response to Donald Trump's creation of a more hostile environment for would-be immigrants to the United States of America, of whom he is one. In fact, as he points out, the USA was built on the back of immigrants from day one. He's political in a way that, shall we say, does not align with Donald Trump and in his performance he attempts to rebalance the scales a bit by singing songs by immigrants to the USA from nations all over the world.

Be warned: this is not a child-safe or work-safe performance. It gets a bit sweary at times, but most grown-ups should be able to cope with that.

I would recommend.

[Juan Camilo Velandia Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reputation preceeds Alan Cumming, of course. The Tony-Award winner and Emmy-nominated actor and singer is simply wonderful, I've seen him in very different roles before and he always excels on all them. In this great Audible piece, you get to see Alan the man, the American citizen and the immigrant on the world. His views, his opinions, his jokes and his charm is all over, so get a glance of who this awesome human being. He sings and talks with love and pain for the United States of Trump, the ones before and what it meant for him to become a citizen in a country built by immigrants, that always get the job done (Thanks Lin-Manuel Miranda!) He breaks into songs from Moana, The Little Mermaid, Adele, Annie, and so many more. The last song, "Last Day on Earth", is quite wonderful. A great experience!

[Tali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick listen and quite an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

It's listening to Alan's show, so you do lose something that I'm sure was quite amazing in person, but I quite enjoyed the songs and stories as I was going about my daily chores this morning. I listened to his book Not My Father's Son a couple years ago and absolutely loved it, so was all in for a quick jaunt with him. Plus who doesn't love a Scottish accent? 😏

He sings, he name drops, he tells jokes, he entertains with the best of them, ladies and gents. I'd love to see him in person.

He gets political at the end, but it's something he's passionate about, and something I feel the same way about so I didn't mind it at all, and I enjoyed hearing the immigrant stories and struggles.

If you have an audible subscription, I believe this is included. And it's only 2 hours long.

[Soha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coincidentally, I just happened to listen to this book on the Fourth of July weekend, and got to celebrate the joys and sorrows of being a citizen of this country. Alan, always witty, charming and cheekily sly, talks about his native homeland and his chosen homeland, sings very interesting mashups and shares what loves and troubles him about our country. After the theatrical portion of this performance, he interviews other immigrants about their experiences coming here, and why they wanted to come.

You can enjoy this recording for just the songs and the anecdotes, but as the grandchild of immigrants whose family includes the children of immigrants from four different countries, I enjoyed hearing about what our country means to others and what we can do to make this country even better.

[Elise Skidmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this Audible Audio. I didn't realize when I downloaded it that it would be like seeing a stage show, but I was amazed by what a wonderful singing voice Alan Cumming has. His patter between songs--and they are a brilliant collection of songs and mash-ups-- is funny and has a point. (I would warn you that if you are a Trump supporter, you will probably hate those parts.)

I saw in some of the reviews that some people thought the interviews with the immigrants at the end were boring, and while a couple of them were very low key, I found it very interesting to learn the machinations of immigration. And if you stick through the interviews (maybe 25 minutes?) you get rewarded with another beautiful mash-up at the end. I will definitely listen to this again.

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook format.
I like Alan and after reading his autobiography, I liked him even more. So I delved into this, thinking it was spoken word. What it was, was a recording of a live performance, complete with songs. Even though he has a decent singing voice, I’m not really into show tunes, so preferred the spoken word parts, as Alan is funny and very entertaining.
The theme is very much ‘immigration’ as pertaining to Trump era USA. If you are left leaning, you will appreciate Alan’s narrative. If you are not, you will be challenged - hopefully in a good way. As someone who is a migrant (Australian not American, though), I could relate to the topic.
There are some interviews with migrants in Alan’s life, at the end of the recording.

[Jen Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s my fault for not reading the description better (I don’t recall if I read it or not when I preordered...). But when I purchase an audiobook, I sort of expect it to be an audiobook - not a cabaret with some bits between the song sets. The bits were good. And I’m sure his singing is lovely, but I skipped through those parts, making this maybe 40 minutes of listening. There were interviews with immigrants for the final 30 minutes, but the sound quality was so bad for the first interview, I just turned it off. I loved the overall message and there were some funny personal stories, which is why I gave it 2 stars.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMO Winter is not the time to read depressing books that stew on the problems with the US Immigration System. Fortunately this book is enlightening without being too heavy handed. This book does not pretend to have all the answers on Immigration or represent "The Immigration Experience." To me, this book is a celebration of America and some of the immigrants who've made some of the musical hits we love so much. It's storytelling, and it's funny, plus it's nonfiction. So for me it checked all my boxes on a dreary snowy day.

[Seema Dubey · Rating 4 out of 5]

#LegalImmigrant by #AlanCumming Book #108 of the year 2023

It's like a Broadway song-joke routine with a serious interview with paperless immigrants thrown in towards the end.

Cumming was a strong presence in TV series The Good Wife. His singing and humour prowess came as a surprise. His singing took me back to the musicals like Phantom of the Opera. Butter smooth voice, powerful singing. 👌👌

This audiobook is a deviation from other audiobooks- there's music and songs. But, it's listed as one by Goodreads and who am I to argue? Perhaps the concept of audiobooks is changing!