by Laurie Schenden ~ January 2007
What could be more fun than a road trip with comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer?
Southern California fans needn’t travel any further than Long Beach to see the clever comic spin hilarious accounts of her life as a lesbian activist, game show goddess and consummate show woman on Jan. 20 at Long Beach Center Theater.
But her show the following week on Jan. 26 in Indianapolis will be filmed for a Logo special of her live performance. The Midwest city will provide the backdrop for Westenhoefer’s second project with All Out Films, following the successful 2002 docu-comedy “Laughing Matters.”
The film will catch glimpses of Westenhoefer’s departure from LA as well as footage before, during and after the comedy show, and will air in 2007 on the Logo channel.
“Suzanne is such a real person on and off the stage,” says WOAR founder Andrea Meyerson, who’s producing and directing the film. “Her comedy is appealing to so many because it’s about life and love and what happens to human beings on a day to day basis.”
While Westenhoefer is still getting accolades from her appearance in “Laughing Matters,” she’s a little confused about how to respond, she says.
“People come up to me and say, ‘Oh my god you were incredible.’ I just did what I do all the time. I sat for an interview and I did my show—not exactly stretching! Not like I did algebra for an hour or learned sign language for the film,” she says, laughing.
She expects this film to be a similar experience. “I’m going to do my show, like always…. They’re going to film what it’s like to prepare the day before, but I’m not going to respond any differently,” she insists. “Like, I’m not going to pretend that I always have makeup on.”
But then she has second thoughts: “I should! I should do some scene where the camera bursts into the door, like when I get up in the morning I have full makeup on—yes! This is exactly what I look like all day!” she says excitedly. “Now that’s comedy.”
Meyerson scouted the historic location, the Indiana Roof Ballroom, and loved it. Built in 1927, the former dance room where big bands once played has been refurbished with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. Westenhoefer recalls having played the venue before but couldn’t remember its name, launching into a jocular analysis on what lesbians call their venues.
“We’re not all that creative in naming our bars,” she says, rattling off familiar names like The Place or something equally unimaginative. “But then,” she concedes, “you really can’t call it ‘Where Dykes Meet’ or ‘Lezzies on Ice’ or ‘Muff Divers’—that’s a horrible name right there.”
Westenhoefer has new material every time she steps on a stage, primarily because much of her act is recounting what’s going on in her life at the time. “I like to talk about sex a lot,” she says, “I want lesbians to have more sex.” She may also touch on being a regular on the Game Show Network’s “I’ve Got a Secret” and, perhaps, her November marriage to her partner, Jenn.
The wedding, which included members of both their families over the Thanksgiving weekend, has not provided much comedy material—yet. In shows right after the ceremony Westenhoefer tried to talk about it, she says, “but it was too sweet. We had cake, we had rings … I cried.”
But just give her time. Her other half already figures in her current tour, although Jenn’s participation was completely unintentional and—until now—an inside joke. The tour title, “Live From the Ladies Room,” was inspired by a behind-the-scenes photograph taken of Suzanne applying Jenn’s makeup before her comedy show.
“It always makes people laugh,” says Westenhoefer. “We were just being silly—Jenn doesn’t actually wear makeup.”
When Jenn expressed concern about the photograph being used on show flyers, on Westenhoefer’s Home Page and as the symbol for her entire tour, the comic gave her new spouse plenty of reassurance, and recounts it as going something like this:
“Honey, no one will know it’s you,” she insists.
“Are you sure?,” asks the ever-trusting Jenn, as Suzanne nods her head sincerely.
Besides creating a fun ride for audiences, which she does on a regular basis, Westenhoefer turns serious when asked about what she hopes people will take away from her new film.
“I hope people see how much it matters to me that they laugh,” she says. “How much I take seriously speaking for the gay community.”
However, Westenhoefer reminds us, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the same aspirations as other entertainers. “I want to be famous!,” she says with sparkling eyes and a luminous smile.
“I know she’s the right person to do this film with. She’s extremely playful with the camera,” says Meyerson. “She’ll let the viewers really see the true Suzanne Westenhoefer on and off stage, with her partner, with fans and on the road.”
For tickets to the Long Beach show, click here or call: (310) 578-8888. |
