margaretcho
Cho started performing stand-up at age 16 in a comedy club called The Rose & Thistle above a bookstore her parents ran. Soon after, she won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. She moved to Los Angeles in the early '90s and lived in a house with several other young performers.
Still in her early twenties, Margaret hit the college circuit, where she immediately became the most booked act in the market and garnered a nomination for Campus Comedian of The Year. Arsenio Hall introduced her to late night audiences, Bob Hope put her on a prime time special and, seemingly overnight, Margaret Cho became a national celebrity. In 1994, Margaret starred in a short-lived ABC sitcom called All-American Girl. Says Cho: There were just so many people involved in that show, and so much importance put on the fact that it was an ethnic show. It's hard to pin down what "ethnic" is without appearing to be racist. And then, for fear of being too "ethnic," it got so watered down for television that by the end, it was completely lacking in the essence of what I am and what I do. I learned a lot, though. It was a good experience as far as finding myself, knowing who I was and what direction I wanted to take with my comedy.
In 1999, Margaret chronicled her experience on the sitcom in an off Broadway one-woman show called I'm The One That I Want. The show was extremely well received, toured the U.S, and was made into a concert film and a best-selling book of the same name. The film, which garnered incredible reviews, broke the record for the most money grossed per print in movie history. In 2001, after the success of her first show, OUTmedia worked with Cho to develop Notorious C.H.O. first in a small church basement theater in Provincetown, culminating with 2 nights at PTown's premiere venue, Town Hall. Notorious C.H.O. was launched and became a smash-hit 37-city national tour that culminated in a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Like I'm the One That I Want, Notorious C.H.O. was recorded and released as a feature film, hailed by the New York Times as "Brilliant!" Both films, produced by Cho Taussig Productions, were acquired by Showtime Cable Networks in Feb. 2004 and are currently airing on their channels.
In March of 2003, Margaret embarked on her third sold-out national tour, Revolution. The tour grossed 4.4M and was heralded as "Her strongest show yet!" by the Chicago Sun Times. The CD of Revolution, released in the fall of 2003, was nominated for a Grammy for best comedy album of the year. The concert film Revolution, produced by Margaret's production company, had it's World Premiere on Sundance Channel in June 2004 and was released on DVD in August. Margaret's production company will also release a behind the scenes documentary of the tour, tentatively titled Behind the Revolution.
On Aug. 28, 2004, Margaret launched her new tour, State of Emergency,with two sold out shows at The Apollo. Her most political and topical work to date, Cho took take State of Emergency through the swing states of the 2004 presidential election in an effort to get out the vote while always making people laugh. The show will go to London and Australia after that and return to the US in the Spring of 2005.
In September 2004, Margaret was honored by the ACLU of Southern California. Said Ramona Ripston: "In these very troubled times, when the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution are in jeopardy, we applaud your courage to speak out about the dangerous policies of the Bush administration and your commitment to organizing others to do the same. More than ever before, this country needs activists and artists like you to stand up and let their voices be heard." In addition, Margaret has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, PFLAG and the National Organization for Women for "making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity."
I didn't mean to be a role model. I just speak my truth. I guess speaking from your heart really creates a huge impact, and if I can encourage people to do that, then I would love to be a role model. If I could encourage people to use their voices loudly, then that's my reward. I don't care about winning an academy award; I don't care about mainstream acceptance, because it's never going to be what I want it to be. I just want to do my work and love it.
Cho has begun principle photography on her first narrative feature, Bam Bam and Celeste, described as a fag and fag hag Dumb and Dumber. She is also writing her second book which will be published by Riverhead, a division of Penguin Books, in 2005.
" physically gifted...convulsed the audience...murderously funny .
" "...risqué, laugh-till-it-hurts routine..."
"...smart, cutting and politically aware voice... .
"...perfect timing... profane... fearless.
" Smashing Taboos With Glee...the patron saint of anyone who has ever felt like an outsider .
" Honest and raunchy enough to make even Richard Pryor blush .
" ... feminist and political genius. ... the thinking woman’s answer to Eddie Murphy’s Delirious .
