Margaret Cho's last solo show, I'm the One That I Want, ended a 40 city national tour at NYC's Town Hall, June 17, 2000. Just over a year later, she put together another, all-new evening of stand-up comedy and embarked on a 35-city tour Aug. 3-Jan. 12.
"The Notorious C.H.O." arrives at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom Oct. 21, exactly a month later than the original date for which her performance had originally been scheduled. The comedienne did resume the rest of her tour following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling the NY Daily News (Oct. 18) that at her Los Angeles gig on Sept. 15, "...in my audience that night, there was a very new idea of embracing patriotism. ...The show suddenly turned into this USO show and I was like Bette Midler in there for the boys."
Cho's show began its journey at Miami's Jackie Gleason Theatre Aug. 30 and is inspired by such female rap stars as L'il Kim and Missy Elliot and, according to spokespersons at Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli, is "raw, raunchy, feminist." Cho was quoted as lauding female rappers for being "strong and beautiful."
Cho's last show earned a MAC cabaret award for its 11-week run at the Westbeth Theatre Center Off Broadway, was based on her experiences as the first Asian-American to star in her own sitcom. It chronicled Cho's meteoric rise and near-fatal demise during and after the groundbreaking television series, "All American Girl." The ABC sitcom was the first network series to feature an Asian family coping with generational, cultural and assimilation issues.
When ABC cancelled the show, Cho descended into a highly publicized bout of depression and drug/alcohol addiction. She continued to perform as a stand-up comedian for thousands of fans in top comedy clubs and on college campuses and gained a new audience that embraces her honesty about showbusiness and her personal demons. Her book of the material was released May 1, and the film of the performance of I'm the One That I Want was recently released on DVD. For more information, visit Margaret Cho's tour website www.margaretcho.com.
Here are the remaining dates for "The Notorious C.H.O. Tour":
Oct. 19: Washington DC: Warner
Oct. 20: Boston, MA: Wang Center
Oct. 21: Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC
Nov. 2: Albuquerque, NM: PopeJoy
Nov. 3: Phoenix, AZ: Celebrity Theatre:
Nov. 8: Columbus, OH: Mershon Auditorium
Nov. 9: Chicago, IL: Chicago Theatre
Nov. 10: Detroit, MI: Royal Oak
Nov. 16: Minneapolis, MN: Orchestra Hall
Nov. 17: Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Civic
Nov. 22: Montreal: Metropolis
Nov. 24: Vancouver, Vogue
Nov. 29: Kauai, HI: Marriot Resort
Nov. 30: Maui, HI: Maui Arts Center
Dec. 1: Honolulu, HI: Blaisdell
Dec. 7: San Diego, CA: Spreckels
Dec. 13: Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum
Dec. 14: Palm Springs, CA: Wyndham Hotel
Jan. 10, 2002: Houston, TX: Aerial Theatre
Jan. 11: Dallas, TX: Majestic Theatre
Jan. 12: Austin, TX: The Paramount
-- By David Lefkowitz
