POSTED: Wednesday, May 14, 12:00 AM

by Harold Barnes III
Guest Submission

One night only, and one show only, the notoriously raucous Margaret Cho joins an all-star team on stage for her special appearance on the True Colors Tour June 23 at the Zoo Amphitheatre.

The show includes performances by Cyndi Lauper, The B52s, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Andy Bell of Erasure, Girl In A Coma and host Carson Kressley.

Cho has performed with the True Colors Tour previously and is working again in an effort to inspire people to vote this election year. The self-proclaimed “queer” is bringing all kinds of new experiences and adventures to the stage with a likely mix of old favorites.

The laid-back performer who seems much more centered than her public persona would lead most to expect is noticeably trimmer than years past. The comedian said it is just being conscious of movement which led her to pick up belly dancing to stay active. She said, “I don’t really think about food as much as I am very conscious about moving.”

Margaret recently wrapped a new show for VH1 called the Cho Show, which is a “structured reality show” and promises to be “very funny.” She’s watching the new Tila Tequila series and loves Celebrity Rehab as a personal fan of reality television.

After kicking off her headline comedy tour “Beautiful” in sexy Australia, she did Kathy Griffin’s show for the big Mardi Gras celebration.

Her tour is based on the rudest questions she’s ever been asked, “This is why it’s called Beautiful. It’s because like I did this interview and this guy asked me, ‘What if you woke up tomorrow and you were beautiful?’ And it’s like what do you mean what if? ‘What if you were blonde, and you had blue eyes, and you were 5’ 11”, and you weighed 100 pounds, and you were beautiful; what would you do?’ And I said I probably wouldn’t get up because I’d be too weak to stand.”

Her shows, which are both hilarious and moving are often critically acclaimed and have Truvy’s favorite emotion of laughter through tears. “It’s in the nature of the topics … and using humor to point out different things,” said Cho. “I hope to get that combination of something that’s really funny, but also that’s sort of meaningful. So, it’s something that I try and work toward.”

She said her stories are all truths from her own life. It sometimes seems too outrageous to be real, but her account of christening her car with an explosive bowel movement when she tried the raw diet is completely true. “That’s too embarrassing to have made up,” Cho said laughing. It seems that the ability to share brutally true events with a crowd and have a good time with it allows the audience to let loose themselves and take the journey with her.

“Its part of my experience and part of my life,” said Cho of growing up as a Korean American. Likely, her best known jokes are those about her mother and the scathing impersonation she does with a thick accent and fish-out-of-water accounts. “He a gay,” doubles crowds over when Cho scrunches her face and shouts that memorable accent from the stage. “(Being a Korean-American is) something I like to talk about and that I like to discuss just like queerness or feminism or sexuality. You know, all these things are important topics for me and interesting for me.”

“It’s up to the individual, but everybody has their own idea of what they want to call themselves or what they want to be labeled, and I think queer is a label for me because it sort of means everything to me. And it sort of describes my political life and who I am,” said Cho who is in a five-year marriage with a man and identifies as a bisexual.

She loves touring and describes the experience as “a blur” and said one of the things about traveling the country in a bus as she did as the host for last year's True Colors Tour was showering. “I would go running through the day, and we would have no idea where we were and take showers in the venue which is totally gross and get ready for the show.” she said. “It’s tremendously exciting to be on tour with (Cyndi Lauper), and to watch her show every night which I love doing. So, I love her and it’s a tremendous honor, and it does make me feel like a rock star.”

The self-proclaimed homebody said she loves quiet nights at home, but that’s usually not the case with the working schedule she keeps. While it is slowing down for her, she was working four days a week filming The Cho Show and traveling three days a week for her Beautiful Tour. When going out she does have a favorite place to hang. “The wildest I think is probably Tranny Shack in San Francisco, which is exactly what it sounds like a big shack full of trannies which I love. It’s the most exciting, but I love gay bars no matter where they are. They’re all great.”

Working keeps Margaret centered and she said being a comedian is still a “joyful” experience which fulfills her. “I’m really proud of everything,” she said of her vast career and all the stories that make people laugh. “I just want it to be good,” is her goal for every show she does, and Cho said she just tries to be in the moment.

Kicking off her career at 16 years old, she’s been putting herself out for scrutiny in front of crowds for years and has some advice for the younger set. “Get connected. I mean I think there are a lot of gay support groups online … there’s a lot of support for queers everywhere. I think that online is a wonderful place to go for that sort of stuff, but the trick is to not be isolated. The trick is to be connected with people.”

For Oklahomans who want to connect with Margaret Cho, tickets to the True Colors Tour are online at www.TrueColorsTour.com. Tickets range from $428 for a meet and greet package to $41 for general admission at the Zoo Amphitheatre June 23.