Margaret Cho brings 'in your face' comedy to the Pantages

No one can accuse comedian Margaret Cho of being a wallflower. She takes the stereotype of the demure, passive Asian female and turns it completely on its head, cutting through one taboo subject after another in her stand-up act. That’s one of the reasons her audiences love her.

The fiercely liberal comic is appearing tonight at Tacoma’s Pantages Theater.

Not content to keep her 25-year stand-up career as her sole artistic outlet, Cho acts, sings and yes, dances. She recently appeared on NBC’s “30 Rock” and “Dancing With the Stars.”

Though she is married to a man (artist/writer Al Ridenour), Cho describes herself as queer and has been a tireless champion for LGBT causes. On Friday night, she’s hosting a $100-per-person meet-and-greet prior to her show as a fundraiser to support Equal Rights Washington’s campaign for marriage equality in Washington state.

The News Tribune interviewed Cho in advance of her Tacoma appearance:

You took your stand-up show, Cho Dependent, to Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At one point, you were booed when you walked on stage, apparently because the audience didn’t know who you were and didn’t want to hear from an Asian woman. What was that like?

It’s strange – the way that they have a perception of people of color. There’s so much invisibility over there. It’s something that I’m not used to, because I became famous in America so quickly. It’s a good challenge and it’s a good thing for me to go through. I’m going back to Scotland in a couple of days. It’s important to keep going and keep representing my point of view there. I’m quickly becoming successful there. It’s like what I went through here 25 years ago is what I’m going through there.

Does all of your humor work with a foreign crowd or do you have to modify it a bit?

I don’t really have to modify that much. I’ve been playing internationally a long time. I play Australia and Canada a lot. I think the world has become a lot more on the same page. We’re all looking at the Internet and we’re all reading what we’re doing collectively. It’s way different than playing these countries 10 years ago.

How much of your stand-up these days deals with politics?

It just depends on what’s going on. My act changes every day. Right now, I’m talking a lot about Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann’s husband.

What about her husband?

He’s just so gay. He’s a Truman Capote gay. I don’t understand why he’s so closeted. He teaches at a facility where they try to teach gay people how to be straight. I guess those who can’t do teach.

Comic Liam Sullivan directs your videos. Did you discover him through his viral video “Shoes?”

No, my husband made the robots in the video, so I was one of the first people to see the video. I posted it on my site and that’s how it went so viral. He’s so gifted. He’s a very, very close friend.

You recently played Kim Jong Il on “30 Rock.” Were you a fan of the show before you went on it?

Yes, and I’m a big fan of Tina Fey’s and Judah (Friedlander). I love her writing and her take on things. I think she’s phenomenal. I always wanted to (play Jong Il) because I knew it was possible. I just never had the chance.

You play Teri Lee in the TV series “Drop Dead Diva” on Lifetime. The network has just renewed it for a fourth season. Are you enjoying the show?

We are very close, the cast. We shoot out in Peachtree City, Georgia, which is very far away from normal life. It’s the capital of the southern tea party. So that’s a weird place to live and work. I love the show. We’re very excited to come back.

Why do you devote so much time to gay rights advocacy?

I’m queer myself. It’s my community. It’s where I do the most political work. It’s where I want to tell stories about my coming out and now growing into an elder, which is really important. It’s important to celebrate how far we’ve come. I’m really happy with what’s happening with gay marriage in New York and the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” It’s a very exciting time.

Your mother is a legendary part of your act. Do you hold back when she’s in the audience?

No, she comes so much. She’s been in my performances. We play music together. There’s so much involvement.

On “Dancing With the Stars,” you had some conflict with Bristol Palin. What happened?

She has grown up to be quite a homophobic person. Where did that come from? I knew she didn’t want to do the show. She’s really quite a private person. But Sarah Palin had forced her to, because Sarah blamed her for losing the 2008 election. So I had to tell everybody about that because it’s really good gossip and it’s funny and it’s true. She got very furious with me, or actually her mother’s speechwriter got really furious with me in a long, obtuse homophobic rant at me. I can’t believe Bristol would sign her name to that, because first, she can’t read, and she doesn’t know that many words.

How did you discover your singing voice?

I had been singing most of my life. My parents are singers. Where I get it from was that I was touring with Cyndi Lauper and she heard it and really encouraged me to pursue it. Now I sing with Fiona Apple, Jon Brion, the Watkins Family, Gillian Welch and all these fabulous people in Americana roots music. I really gravitate to that style and my voice is suited to that style.

With all you have going on, are you going to cut back on stand-up?

I think I’ll always be a stand-up comic, because that is what I do. I’ve become very obsessed with it in the last year in particular. I’ve been doing it for a quarter of a century. I’ve gotten to this place where I’m really crazy about it. I love singing and I love acting, too, but I think I’ll always do comedy the most.

Craig Sailor: 253-597-8541, craig.sailor@thenewstribune.com