RALEIGH, N.C. — In addition to answering the questions I had for her, Margaret Cho was also running the airport security gauntlet on Monday morning when we were connected for a phone interview.
Cho, a veteran stand-up comedian, writer and actor who headlines Goodnights Comedy Club in Raleigh this week, is certainly accustomed to the challenges that nearly constant traveling can present, and she deftly handled a couple of momentary interruptions during our interview.
The road has been home for Cho in recent months during her Fresh Off the Bloat tour, which will take her overseas in May.
We discussed the name of the tour, differences in American and foreign audiences, being willing to switch up material for shows, honoring Joan Rivers and more.
Enjoy the interview,
follow Cho on Twitter and don’t forget The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes at the end.
Tony Castleberry: What was the inspiration for Fresh Off the Bloat, the name of this tour?
Margaret Cho: I like a pun. To me, it’s the highest form of entertainment. I love that show, Fresh Off the Boat, and I had the first Asian-American show, All-American Girl, so it was just sort of a meta-title, but also because I retain water. [interviewer laughs] It’s a good name.
TC: You’ve been touring this material for a little bit now. Did it take a while for you to get comfortable doing this hour or were you pretty happy with it early on?
MC: I was pretty happy with it. I think you have to be happy with things as they go and as they keep developing. They have to be good at every level. You’re doing shows every day so you can’t have it not be good.
TC: From when you first kind of feel the hour coming together, do you set that hour pretty rigidly then or is each show its own thing that can be changed on a show-to-show basis?
MC: It’s gotta always be different. It’s gotta always change and move and grow as you go. I think that’s something you wanna be aware of. It should always change and grow, never set and it’s never done. I think that’s really important.
[Cho asks for a break in the interview to handle some airport security details.]
TC: In May, you’re doing shows in Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Singapore. In your experience, are there differences between American and Asian crowds?
MC: There’s a real difference. You have to adjust, I think. You have to feel like what you’re doing makes sense to the people there. It’s touring. You have to get into it and get into the people and what they’re saying. Everything is part of being good at adapting.
TC: Does that present a challenge to you as a performer?
MC: I think so. You just want to be good at it. You want to be able to travel and be adaptable.
TC: Yeah, no matter the crowd, you’re gonna get them, right?
MC: Yeah, that’s the whole point, being good at it.
TC: Did you enjoy your time co-hosting Fashion Police?
MC: I loved it. It was Joan Rivers’ legacy and for her, it was this whole thing where I was trying to get into her shoes. They’re big shoes to fill. I love Joan and I love her brand of comedy. She was my role model. I miss her and I miss that kind of connection that I had with her so (co-hosting the show) was one way I could kind of relive it and be part of her story.
TC: That’s a beautiful way of putting it. In that way, it makes sense that you would enjoy it because there is this connection to a legend there.
MC: For sure. I miss her and I love her. That’s the best way to honor somebody is to just be in her light so I loved that.
Here it is, The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes:
Tony is a comedy writer and contributor to Out and About and Raleigh & Company.
