Interview: Margaret Cho for Sydney Opera House's Just For Laughs
Arts & Entertainment7 Jul 11 @ 06:00am by Matt Young

American comedian Margaret Cho is the next Christina Aguilera in waiting.

Well, sort of. That’s if she quit smoking, drinking and eating tomatoes and lemons. And frankly, she’s just not going to do that.

The hilarious comic has followed in the footsteps of friend and fellow comedian Kathy Griffin by releasing her own comedy album, Cho Dependent, but with a difference. Cho actually sings.

Sydneysiders will get the chance to hear Cho’s pipes in action when she returns to Sydney to partake in Sydney Opera House’s comedy festival, Just For Laughs, this September.

JUST FOR LAUGHS COMEDY FESTIVAL COMES TO THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

In Sydney for one show only, Cho will wow audiences with her off-the-cuff humour, discussing her excitement at the legalisation of gay marriage in New York, her experience at Pride festivals around the world (she was the Chief of Parade at our own Mardi Gras in 2008) and she’ll even sing a couple of songs from the Grammy-nominated album.

How do you feel about heading down under for the Just For Laughs festival?
I’m really excited. I haven’t been to Australia for a bit. I was there for Mardi Gras a few years ago in Sydney and it was so wonderful, I had such an amazing time. I’m really looking forward to coming back; it’s one of my favourite places to go to so I’m thrilled to be coming again.

You’re finally bringing your Cho Dependent tour to Sydney, are you sick of it by now though?
No, the thing about stand up comics is when we tour we always change our shows, because stand up comedy is more like a living art form than anything else, it always changes and grows. It almost becomes a completely different thing from the beginning of the tour to the end of the tour. That’s what happens with my material. It’s actually better to be towards the end, because you get into a different space, you do the best that you can. Usually, that’s why I film at the very end, because that’s when the best version of the show is. But it always changes, it’s something you never get bored with.

Do you know what kind of material you will be using at your Sydney show?
Yeh, well I know right now I’m really excited about the fact we’re celebrating some really great stuff in the US about gay marriage in New York, so definitely talking a lot about that. Just gay stuff in general. I’ve been at so many Pride’s so I’ll be talking about that. There’s a few songs that I’ll be doing from the album, it’s going to be good.

Do you have a warm up routine?
I did, I was really focused on doing vocal exercises, but really, I haven’t kept it up. I don’t really need it. It’s not as vocally strenuous as singing an entire show. I was working at doing a lot of vocal exercises, but I realised that a lot of rock and roll stars never do that, it’s not rock and roll to warm up before!

Cyndi Lauper taught you to sing?
Yes. I toured with her and I was there with her at Mardi Gras when she was there in Sydney.

And Kathy Griffin.
And Kathy Griffin. And Olivia Newton-John, it was like this crazy Fag Hag summit. All of the nation’s Fag Hags coming together, solving global issues! But Cyndi was so excited when she heard me sing on the True Colours tour, she was like, ‘You have a voice and you need to use it.’ She was somebody who influenced and helped me a lot vocally. To learn about singing and that it had a lot of value. This ability of mine which I’d ignored for years was something that I should be using, she was very encouraging to me.

How was she like as a teacher?
She was great. She kind of spoke in a language that I could quickly understand as an entertainer. There was a lot of vocal coaching. It was cool to learn how to sing and be taught by one of the greatest singers of all time, she’s really amazing.

You worked with Ben Lee on the album?
Ben Lee is actually probably the main producer I worked with on my album. He helped me so much and I spent a lot of time with him and Ione (his wife) and Goldie, his very, very new baby (born in September of last year). They were always in the studio so there was so much young baby energy. There were all these babies being born or just going through their first year when I was recording. It was an interesting thing to have all these straight people with kids, then here’s me with my album!

Are you a baby kind of gal?
No, not really. I love children but I don’t really think about it. I think I may have a baby sometime, I might, but I’m not one of those crazy mother hens. I’m a maternal person but I’m probably maternal more to people who are my age.

How would you rate yourself as a singer?
I’m not actually a bad singer, I actually could probably be an amazing singer if I took care of my voice better. I can tell I do have a decent voice but if I really worked at it I could probably have a voice like Christina Aguilera. I really do! I really have the pipes. I have a pretty interesting vocal range. I know that if I didn’t smoke, if I didn’t drink alchohol, if I didn’t eat tomatoes and lemons and if I didn’t insist on going to bed right after eating then I think I’d really have a magnificent voice.

It’s a lot to give up!
It is! For somebody to really be a great singer you do definitely have to modify your lifestyle because your body is your instrument.

You’re married now?
Yes, I’ve been married for a long time though, since 2003. I’ve been with my husband since 1999, long time.

Oh wow, you talk so openly about your sexual preferences.
I’m still very bisexual, I’m actually probably more gay than bi. I still totally identify that way, but being bisexual means that you can have a straight partner, so that’s my husband. We have an open relationship. It’s something that people don’t really talk about a lot. I think what we have is a marriage that most gay men in their fifties who’ve been together for 30 plus years have. They’re not monogamous, they’re still totally married. They still have the same construct and limitations that a straight marriage would.

Does the open relationship cause any issues for you and your husband?
Everybody has their own level of jealousy and boundaries. For me, this works well now. I don’t know what it will turn into but it’s worked well for several years. I don’t have the same kind of need for emotional monogamy which I think is what we have.

Considering what has happened in New York (legalising gay marriage), are you more hopeful for equality?
It’s a very big deal. It’s very exciting. I think the whole thing about gay marriage in New York is a really hopeful and thrilling and exciting sign for what’s to come. It’s been a very difficult road, trying to make marriage equality happen. It’s been hard, like myself people have been working on it since 2004, very actively. It’s very gratifying to see it finally happen.

Do you know much about gay rights in Australia?
I know that your new Prime Minister doesn’t support it because she has some idea that it’s a religious thing, but then she herself is not religious, so I’m trying to learn about what’s happening there. I think what’s happening in Australia is similar to what’s happening in the US; this weird idea that it’s a religious thing. The religious conservatives are holding back equality. It doesn’t make any sense, because we’re not living in the bible. We’re not living in that time, so why do you think we should follow the rules of that time, it doesn’t make any sense.

What’s your message to Australian fans?
It’s going to be great! So fun and funny, I really love it there and I’m so excited to come back. It’s going to be an awesome party!