Published: Sept. 21, 2010
Updated: Sept. 22, 2010 10:11 a.m.
Margaret Cho to waltz into Anaheim

By KELLI SKYE FADROSKI
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Margaret Cho says her plate is now officially full. She's currently out on tour with a new stand-up act that will include songs from her first comedy/music album "Cho Dependent," which dropped Aug. 24. She also signed on to be a celebrity dancer on this season of "Dancing with the Stars."

"It's all kind of crazy right now," Cho says of her busy schedule during a recent phone interview. "It's a lot of fun but there's really a lot of work to do. What's cool about doing 'Dancing With the Stars' and being on tour is that my partner (Louis Van Amstel) is on the road with me. He's actually on my tour bus so he's constantly there so we rehearse when I'm not on stage. The hard part is actually finding time in all of that to practice."

Cho and Amstel's first dance, a Viennese waltz to Queen's "We Are the Champions," on Monday night only earned the duo 15 out of 30 points from the judges who were united in the decision that Cho should stop trying to do comedy on the dance floor – "accidently" getting wrapped up in her costume and then fake falling at the end of the performance – and truly focus on her footwork.

If she makes it through to the next round, Cho says that Amstel will even be by her side to rehearse during free moments as the tour stops at the Grove of Anaheim on Thursday.

"Cho Dependent" combines Cho's love of comedy and music with songs about love, sex, rock 'n' roll and calling into work stoned – instead of sick. The album features songs co-written and performed by artists like Tegan & Sara ("Intervention"), Andrew Bird ("I'm Sorry"), Ani DiFranco ("Captain Cameltoe") and Ben Lee ("Calling in Stoned," on which comedian Tommy Chong makes a guest appearance). She also worked with Fiona Apple, Grant Lee Phillips, Garrison Star, Jon Brion and Brandon Benson.

There was no problem getting these artists on board to do tracks for the album, Cho says, since she's been friends with most of them for years.

"Everybody wanted to do it regardless of if I could sing or not," she says. "They just thought it would be cool and interesting and were happy to do it and then they discovered my singing voice in the process and did things to help make it better."

Cho realized that she could actually carry a tune while emceeing the True Colors Tour, headlined by Cyndi Lauper in 2007. That tour also included Debbie Harry of Blondie, Erasure, the Gossip, Rufus Wainwright, the Dresden Dolls and Indigo Girls. At the end of each show, Cho would join Lauper on stage to sing and in her best Lauper impression over the phone says that Lauper said to her one night, "Hey, you've really got something there. You can really sing."

"My mother is a singer," Cho says. "So I knew that I had it somewhere in me because it's always been a part of my life. Cyndi was very encouraging to me and I really think she discovered it."

These tour dates aren't all about the music, however, Cho says it will be a mix and include the same sorts of stand-up topics she's famously known for – social and political humor, digs about race and her own sexuality. She also mentioned that various "surprise guests" will be dropping by in various cities to perform live with her.

Along with the new songs, Cho has created a couple of music videos for YouTube, directed by one of the site's overnight sensations, Liam Kyle Sullivan who's known for creating the comedy music video "Shoes."

Cho is not only a comedian and a musician, she's also an author, an openly bisexual LGBT activist and an actor. Even with all of those other roles under her belt the 41-year-old says that she's still nervous and hopes to do well on "DWTS."

"I'm not used to working out at all," she admits. "I'm not used to this intense sort of physical activity so my body is like in shock. I'm supposed to be eating healthier, but I'm not. Louis tells me that I'm working out so much that it doesn't matter what I eat. I think he just wants me to be strong and healthy and give my body what it needs and it needs calories if you're working out constantly."

"DTWS" is known for putting its female contestants in skimpy outfits, but Cho isn't intimidated by that one bit.
"I like to dance naked so I don't care about that really at all," she says laughing. "I don't have an issue showing off whatever – it's all fine."

A "super fan" of "DWTS" since the show's debut, Cho says she's up for the challenge and has all of the confidence in the world in her partner who came in third last season with Kelly Osbourne.

"It's hard because I've never partner danced ever," she says. "So it's something that I'm now using a whole different part of my body for. It's such a unique art form and I'm totally excited to be a part of it this year."