Margaret Cho returns comedy to Detroit

With her current tour, comedian Margaret Cho is finally returning to the national spotlight following a four-year low as a result of the cancellation of her television show. Cho brings her recent success to Detroit this weekend with a new brand of comedy for this unique performer.

Cho earned the opportunity to create that show through her own individuality as a comedian. "The fact that I'm an Asian-American woman in comedy is unusual," she said. "Other than that, it's the level of emotional truth I'm willing to reveal."

She opens up on stage about everything from her relationship with her boyfriend to her childhood on San Francisco's Haight Street, known for its eclectic mix of people. Her most famous routines feature Cho imitating her Korean mother's attempts to

Courtesy of Carol Rosegg Margaret Cho entertains tomorrow.

understand her daughter's modern, American life. "A lot of it is generated from my experience," she said. "I've always managed to use the truth to really illuminate my life."

Discussing controversial issues in her routine is nothing new for Cho. She unabashedly proclaims herself a "fag hag," and she also addresses the issue of racism in her act. During a World AIDS Day performance last year, Cho did an imitation of a man who accosted her while she was walking her dog due to her ethnicity. "This homeless guy jumped out and he goes, 'That dog gonna wind up in a pot of rice,' and he probably wouldn't have said that if I was by myself," Cho said during the routine.

The "I'm the One That I Want" tour examines Cho's experiences with her TV show "All-American Girl," which was canceled after one season, and her subsequent four year long depression. "It talks about a very painful time, so there is more depth there," she said about the concert's content.

"All-American Girl" received a lot of attention as the first sitcom starring an Asian-American, which Cho felt worked against her. The final product didn't represent Cho's comedy, but rather a more watered-down version of her act.

The series' cancellation hit Cho hard. "It had a huge effect on me and where I am now, emotionally and creatively," she said. "The worst thing that could happen did; it was a personal and professional failure. Only recently have I been able to come out of that."

The tour constitutes part of the coping process for Cho. While she retains her contagious humor, which made "I'm the One That I Want" an off-Broadway hit, the show also deals with deeper issues in Cho's personal life.

Even after the current show's achievements in New York, its sold-out status around the country and her past touring success, Cho still finds the devotion of audiences around the country hard to believe. "The same people come to see me all the time, and this is about connecting with them," she said. "It's really remarkable, the following I've attained."

Cho intends to continue her comeback by putting together a new show she has already started writing. Upcoming projects include releasing a film of the "I'm the One That I Want" concert tour and writing a book.

Yet in spite of media outlets across the country labeling her recent achievements a comeback, Cho only views this as a change in the public's consciousness of her over time. "I don't feel like I went away really, but I guess I did in that I didn't have much mainstream success between my television show and now," she said. From either viewpoint, the popularity of "I'm the One That I Want" certainly signals newfound celebrity for Cho.

11-19-99