Gotham Comedy Club’s Homo Comicus is known for showcasing the best gay and gay-friendly comics around and this spring is no exception. Laugh away those when-will-summer-be-here-already blues with two talent-filled shows: On May 1, the roster includes late-night TV fave Jessica Kirson, plus Molly “Equality” Dykeman, Michelle Buteau, Justin Sayre and Neil Thornton; while on June 5 Jessica Halem (of Gurlesque Burlesque) and Jackie Monahan bring the funny.
Put together Walt Disney with a bunch of drag queens and what do you get? A night you’ll never forget. Distorted Diznee is a cult variety show that puts a risqué spin on some of childhood’s most innocent and beloved animated classics. Every other week, drag stars Holly Dae, Pixie Aventura, Dallas DuBois, Bootsie LeFaris, Sheenea DeDranke and Tina Burner perform a 75-minute, Disneyfied dance, comedy and lip synching revue that also pays tribute to those fabulous divas we love like Cher, Patti LuPone and Rihanna. It’s currently playing at the Laurie Beechman Theater, so make sure you plan your visit to this one-of-a-kind Magical Kingdom.
At age 73, Lily Tomlin is going stronger than ever. The legendary lesbian comic and actress recently starred in the film Admission with Tina Fey, and plays Reba McEntire’s oversexed mother Lillie Mae on ABC’s sitcom Malibu Country. On May 10, she will take a break from her film and television projects to treat fans to a rare performance at New York’s historic Tarrytown Music Hall. Tomlin is known for her quirky characters, so perhaps we’ll get to see the return of a beloved old friend or two, like snarky phone operator Ernestine, sweet little Edith Ann, homeless philosopher Trudy, or smooth-as-silk male lounge singer Tommy Velour.
Get ready for a wild ride with Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan and David Huntsberger in Professor Blastoff, a live edition of the popular weekly iTunes podcast where an educational topic, such as science, philosophy or theology, acts as the springboard for lively conversation. Lesbian comic Notaro has made numerous television appearances on Conan, Comedy Central Presents and The Sarah Silverman Program, but is probably best known for incorporating her breast cancer diagnosis into a 2012 stand-up set. You can catch Tig and friends at the Bell House on May 7.
Classic film star Mae West shocked the Hollywood community in the 1930s with her racy movies, saucy catchphrases, voluptuous figure and provocative way of dressing. West forever changed the way sex is handled in the movie industry, fighting with the censors for her right to say what she wanted. Actress Darlene Violette will be paying tribute to this larger-than-life figure in a new cabaret show titled “Oooo!”: An Homage to Mae West and The Golden Age of Hollywood. Based on West’s actual writings, the show features music from the era and comedic sketches, with a cast that includes MAC award winner Sidney Myer and Jeffrey Johns. It will be playing April 7 to the 28 at Nuyorican Poets Café, so come up and see it sometime!
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