She started early

Cho began performing at age 16 in San Francisco's The Rose & Thistle comedy club, above a bookstore run by her parents. Early on, she won a comedy contest and opened for Jerry Seinfeld.

She's had varied experiences on TV

Cho first starred in "All-American Girl," an experience that proved to be difficult for the young comedian who was baring the weight of the Korean-American world on her shoulders. "There were so many kinds of pressures then, but you get older and you become more accepting of things," she says. "I found it to be a difficult experience, but now I'm glad I went through it." She's now appearing on the sitcom "'Til Death," and she's enjoying it. "It's totally easy and totally fine," Cho says. "I love all of my co-stars, and I'm having a great time."

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but ...

Cho isn't gay, although she has close ties to the gay community. "I think that that relationship just evolved," Cho says. "It was sort of helped along by when I was younger, the majority of my work was in gay clubs. A lot of material was tailored to that audience, and it works for me."

Directing novice

Cho just finished directing a movie called "Two Sisters," starring Yunjin Kim (of "Lost") and others, including Kathy Najimy. It's all about bellydancing, which is a familiar subject for Cho. You can check out the Margaret Cho hip-wear line at www.margaretcho.com.

Next up

The Birmingham gig is a one-shot deal for Cho, who doesn't really begin touring again until this summer's "True Colors" tour.