Margaret Cho is fresh out of rehab and apparently Fresh Off The Bloat as well. Oh wait, that is the title of her new comedy show at Parlor Live in Bellevue tonight through Saturday (March 29-31). You don’t want to miss this show! It is getting awesome reviews for its honesty and grit. Cho delivers and you better be there to catch it.
She also loves her Seattle crowds. She said that she loves, “the dour gloominess of the Pacific Northwest. It is really melancholy and beautiful.” Well, that is about the weather but you get the gist of it.
Here is some info about the show from Parlor Live:
Parlor Live presents comedy icon Margaret Cho! You saw Margaret make waves in the 11th season of “Dancing with the Stars.” In 2010 she was honored with a Grammy Award nomination for “Comedy Album of the Year” for “Cho Dependent,” her incredibly funny collection of music. Her next special, “MOTHER,” offered up an untraditional look at motherhood and how we look at maternal figures and strong women in queer culture. Cho received an Emmy nomination for “Best Guest Performance” on “30 Rock.” Margaret was one of the hosts of TLC’s “All About SEX.” Her 2015 special, “psyCHO” was called “wildly kinetic” by the New York Times.Margaret has signed on to develop “Highland,” a dramedy for Amazon. Parlor Live is a 21+ Facility (18+ Thursday). Two Item Minimum Per Person.
Earle Dutton: Did you participate in the March for our Lives this past weekend?
Margaret Cho: I wasn’t able to participate. I was watching though. It was so incredible to see. I think it just shows how much more advanced the next generation is. They are just so powerful and inspiring. I think that the world is going to be okay. These kids are in charge. We are going to be fine.
ED: What have you been working on?
MC: A bunch of different things, I have really been working on my new TV show, Highland. It is all about a Korean family in the middle of this big marijuana boom. I am very excited about that one. We are still in development and still kind of finding its place. I have also been working on my new comedy show and tour, Fresh Off The Bloat which I am bringing to Parlor Live in Bellevue. So, there is a lot of different kinds of stuff and I am excited about it.
ED: I read that you compared the Highland’s family running a marijuana dispensary to your actual parents running a gay porn store in the 70s, which I thought was pretty interesting.
MC: Yes, because it was incredibly controversial for a Korean family to be involved in a gay business in the 70s. It was really shocking for a lot of the people in my parent’s community. I think it was more controversial than even owning a marijuana dispensary. Nowadays, owning a dispensary in Washington or California is just a savvy business move. It is a smart thing to invest in. It is a different time and very different era.
ED: Did you happen to watch the Stormy Daniels interview?
MC: Oh my god! That was so crazy! I believe her. I feel so much for all of these women. Trump has just been so abusive. I don’t know why all these powerful men keep getting taken down but he is still in office. He just ignores everything like nothing happened. It is just all crazy.
ED: Would you rather have President Pence?
MC: No, that is worse. Pence is evil.
ED: You have been a really strong supporter of Kathy Griffin. What do you think of her come back so far?
MC: I think it is great. I think she is great. I don’t think she ever left. There was never any sense of all of this being permanent. I never saw it as something she had to pay a price for. I think that it is really funny. That is who she is. She likes to court controversy. I think she is happiest when everyone is talking. I think she plays Hollywood like an instrument. She is a virtuoso. I am very close to her. We never talk about this kind of stuff when we talk. I am very surprised by all of it and then not really surprised at all.
ED: Do you think that rehab has affected your comedy?
MC: I actually love rehab. I love a mental health moment, especially when it is very Girl Interrupted. That to me is like the ultimate. I was definitely overdue for quite a long stay. It is like a long term spa or retreat. Sometimes you need that kind of stuff. I think it helped a lot. I highly recommend it.
ED: So it was like self-care?
MC: Oh yea! Five stars! It feels so good to be able to take that time. Well at first, it was really like that Amy Winehouse song. I did say No No No to rehab… Then it was like, you can’t say no. You have to go. It was pretty crazy.
ED: What is your favorite part about the new show you are bringing to town?
MC: I love talking about the #MeToo movement and my own experiences. I have been campaigning for the causes of survivors like myself to be able to talk freely about our experiences in society. I don’t want to talk in these hushed tones of fearful respect. I want to be very outright about my suffering and angry. I think that outrage was very unacceptable for many years. I have been pushing this topic in comedy and people would get very upset. Now, we are always talking about it and I love it. This is material that I have wanted to do for so long. Finally society has caught up with my act and I am thrilled.
ED: How does anger and comedy mix?
MC: Oh, it is perfect. It is exactly how it should be. Outrage is perfect for standup comedy. I think the best comedy comes from that sense of rage. It is very exciting and dangerous. I love it.
ED: What would you say to get people to come and see the new show?
MC: I think it is outrageous and empowering. I have a great time. I think I am the best I have ever been at this point in my career as a comedian and artist. To me, that is inspiring and exciting. I hope people can see it.
Get tickets and more info here.
