If you’ve spent even the smallest amount of time strolling through SOHO and Nolita, there’s a good chance you’ve spotted “The Prince of Elizabeth Street”. Self-proclaimed NYC bohemian royalty who also goes by the name Brian Ermanski, he’s hard to miss: look for the top hat, drain-pipe jeans, lots of black and a booming BoomBox. From the green benches outside Balthazar to his make-shift stage outside the new local Duane Reade, Ermanski and his lifestyle are hardly discreet. The artist took a turn as an actor in Paul Stone’s short film “The Prince of Elizabeth Street”, which is being screened tonight at the one-night-only showing at Tribeca Cinemas at 6:00 PM. Here, VMAN catches up with this modern renegade.

 

Let’s talk about today, which is your big day! How are you feeling leading up to the big reveal?

It is big! The world premiere in LA sold out and I don’t even live there. Hopefully it will be well received and as inspiring as it was in California. I have a manager now and he gave me my first script for acting. It hasn’t left my side for the last 3 weeks and I want to nail the audition.

You certainly are a SOHO/Nolita staple. What is it about this area that you are compelled to?

This area has great energy, the prettiest and coolest girls in the world, and a very European aesthetic. When I was younger, I was often sentenced to the “corner” at Montessori School and was forced to wear a thinking cap. So, painting on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth wearing my top hat was where I felt most comfortable trying to accomplish all the things I ever thought of doing in my youth. The streets became my living room, studio, playground and office.

It has been said you have an “old New York bohemian lifestyle.” Do you agree?

I know I live like “The old New York bohemian lifestyle” because my cousin George Rackus (who has lived in SOHO for about 45 years) used to tell me stories about his times with Hendrix and Dylan. They used to hang around the streets playing live gigs and surviving on pretty much nothing. They worked their way to the top bartering their creativity for dinner and shelter. I have lived at friends’ places for almost 3 years in trade for art, and whatever money I made I would help as much as I could. I sold or gave away almost everything I owned 4 years ago and have been living out of two suitcases ever since. I may not be able to take girls out to dinner every night, but I can smile all day long knowing that I am free to create art that makes my collectors happy and hopefully will have a lasting touch on society.

If you had to associate yourself with a past time period, what would it be? Why?

The time period I could associate myself with would be when there was no sense of time, at this point people were truly free. They gave thanks and were grateful for the air they breathed, the fire they created, the water which quenched their thirst, the earth which provided nourishment, the sun which allowed them to see, the moon which allowed them to rest and dream, and the stars which above all else allowed them to use their imagination!

“The Prince of Elizabeth Street” touches on your real life identity, but seems to also challenge one’s perspective. How much of this film is fact and how much of it is fantasy?

The Prince of Elizabeth Street does everything I could not do on my own. I created “The Prince of Elizabeth Street” to save my life when everything went wrong. I was in chronic pain and had numbness for years after being assaulted by a bouncer 4 years ago, but I did not have to feel it because “The Prince of Elizabeth Street” felt it for me. When I went unconscious that night – he woke me up. When I was all alone, he stuck by my side and said everything will work out if you are honest, respectful, positive and believe in yourself.

You are always with your “BoomBox”. What music do you never get tired of?

I love most classic rock but have been appreciating soft rock more which I grew up listening to with my dad traveling to soccer tournaments across the northeast as a kid. I don’t listen to much new music unless a friend invites me to a show. I never had much money to go to Burning Man or South By SouthWest or any of the other festivals, but since things are looking up, I might be able to go one day and it is something to look forward to.

If you had to retire your crown as “The Prince of Elizabeth Street,” what is the next title you would like to adopt?

I would like be called a “Renaissance Man” one day. It is the singular version of the name of our graduating class at Saint John’s H.S. in Shrewsbury, Ma. We were all very talented there and excelled in numerous fields. For now The Prince of Elizabeth Street, BE Radical, Ice Man, and Radio are enough. Oh, and Hollywood has a good ring to it!

BUY TICKETS
www.ThePrinceofElizabethStreet.com

KEYWORDS: film, Movies