Bold, bawdy and just plain hilarious, Suzanne Westenhoefer is not afraid to ask tough questions to uncover the laughs underneath. The iconic lesbian comedian has made a career out of telling the truth since 1992â┚¬â€Âand the truth isâ┚¬â€Âlife is funny.
A master of satire and pure wit, Westenhoefer breaks all barriers again performing her timeless stand-up in a new stage show, aptly named â┚¬Å”Semi-Sweet.â┚¬ÂÂ
â┚¬Å”There's a lot of sweet stuff to talk aboutâ┚¬â€Âand a lot of stuff that, well, isn't.â┚¬Â says Westenhoefer. â┚¬Å”Expect 90 minutes of non-stop, inappropriate comedy!â┚¬ÂÂ
Currently, Westenhoefer can be seen on the second season of the web series, We Have to Stop Now, co-starring out lesbians Cathy DeBuono, Jill Bennett and Meredith Baxter. She will also be seen in the upcoming Nicole Conn film A Perfect Ending. Filming is scheduled to begin this spring. She's appeared on LOGO, Comedy Central, Politically Incorrect and Sally Jesse Raphael. She was nominated for a Cable Ace Award for being the first openly-gay comic to host her own HBO special and was a GLAMA winner in 2000 for her comedy CD, I'm Not Cindy Brady, the title stemming from an incident in which she was mistaken for the former child star by an acting classmate.
Before embarking on tour for her latest stand-up show, that brings her to St. Petersburg's Palladium Theater on Saturday, March 26, the 49-year-old Pennsylvania native dishes on gay adoption, heartbreak and being hit on by Sally Jessy Raphael.
WATERMARK: Is it true you began your comedy career on a dare?
SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER: I was a mild-mannered bartender just calling my male clients â┚¬Å”homosâ┚¬Â and suddenly everyone thought I could be a comic. So, I entered a contest. I guess they were right.
Tell me more about the concept for your web series, We Have to Stop Now.
I was hired to do WHTSN as an actor. I would say the concept is that there can be fun lesbian/gay produced television programs that people can watch from their computer. Not all of us can [afford] cable.
Can you tell me a little about your upcoming movie role of Sylvie in A Perfect Ending?
She is an over-40 hooker with a heart of gold. It was total type casting.
How did you feel when you were asked to be on Sally Jessy Raphael's show for the episode entitled, â┚¬Å”Breaking the Lesbian Stereotypeâ┚¬Â¦Lesbians Who Don't Look Like Lesbiansâ┚¬Â back in 1991? Did you think of the experience as positive or negative?
Being on SJR was astonishingly positive. The lesbian community woke up after that and suddenly we were saying good things about ourselves and not waiting for straights to do it for us! Plus, I think Sally Jessy was hitting on me a little.
Who are some of your comedic influences?
All the women and men who thought to stand up and be gay in front of an audience before I did. I bow to them…As I expect Ellen and Rosie bow to me now. [Laughs]
Why do you think your coming out publicly and performing â┚¬Å”outâ┚¬Â material was better received than say, Ellen DeGeneres'?
I came out and worked in straight clubs in 1990. Ellen did it in 1997 and in front of way more people, there is no comparison. She had the world listening; I just had drunks on dates and waitstaff.
You've done numerous charitable causes. Are you more passionate about some more than others?
I don't pick specific causes. I work and have worked for anything that puts more value on the life of us all. [I like] any group that realizes gays are way too cool to be mean to.
With the ban on gay adoption on hiatus here in Florida, can you offer any advice for those wanting to be parents?
I am scared of children and none of my friends will leave me alone with theirs. I say keep up the good fight but I don't know why you are doing it. Those kids are only going to get bigger and meaner. I've seen it happen.
Do you still live in California?
Yes, in Hollywood, and I couldn't love it moreâ┚¬â€Âunless we could get Susan Sarandon to live here.
Your latest tour is said to cover the topic of un-coupling in the modern world, among other things. Does that mean you've recently ended a relationship?
I refuse to answer this question. If you want to know the state of my life, you must come to the show and hear it just like everyone else. I even make my mom do that.
see+hear
WHO: Suzanne Westenhoefer
WHAT: Semi-Sweet Tour
WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, March 26 at 8:00pm Palladium Theater, St Petersburg
TICKETS: SuzanneW.com/Events or YouGoGirlProductions.com
