theatre
Red Hot and HilaRious:
KATHY GRIFFIN
at tHe oCPaC
by david vera
Let’s face it, Kathy Griffin rose from the dismal depths of the D-list the moment
she did what none of us had the courage to do—make shameless advances
toward Anderson Cooper on live national television. Between accurately predict-
ing which celebrities will come out of the closet, claiming us (the gays) as her
own and publicly asking the questions we’re all secretly wondering (like, “Why
are [the Kardashian sisters] famous?), our little two-time Emmy Award-winner
and Grammy-nominated comic Kathy Griffin has found the time to visit us at the
Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Hall on Saturday, May 16
at 7:00 p.m. She may have had three extremely successful stand-up specials on
Bravo to back her up, but Griffin isn’t one to rehash a punch line. Expect all new
rants about any fresh new Madonna-grade scandal!
Considering her enormous success—and continually growing popularity with
her gays especially—it’s no surprise that this fiery copperhead grew up in drama
clubs filled with (surprise, surprise) gay boys! “I think gay audiences not only get
my humor, but they cheer whenever I say something that they were probably
thinking, said Griffin. “Whenever there is a mixed crowd in an audience that I am
performing in front of, let’s say 60/40 percent gay/straight, the f*$&@!#g gays will
cheer, whistle and holler, stomp their feet and not stop laughing at some of the
most outrageous things that I say about anything and anyone…”
Kathy’s spiked remarks haven’t always been received as well as she’d like. Clay
Aiken (or Gaykin, as she’s christened him) has been a major target in the past. She
even went so far as asking Aiken to marry her to make amends—we think. And
poor Ryan Seacrest, in all his ambiguity, was snapped back in his place when tear-
ing off part of Griffin’s dress, exposing her golden globes ala Janet Jackson. Griffin
later remarked that was likely the first time Seacrest had touched a woman! Don’t
mess with the bull, Seacrest! You’ll get the horns…as much as you’d enjoy that.
We’re not the only ones who hold a special place in Griffin’s heart. She is known
to have gone out of her way to acknowledge and thank her fans of every variety,
chat live online with her website visitors and even phone some of them person-
ally! Allegedly, she used to wish as a kid that famous celebrities would call her to
say hello. Looks like she’s living vicariously through us in a way!
Even regarding her more staunch leftist viewpoints, like the war in Iraq, Kathy
still values the lives and morale of the country’s troops overseas—having per-
formed for many soldiers in dire need of a good laugh.
Aside from her outrageous wit and matching mouth, she also has an eye for a
great teleplay. Two years before Desperate Housewives became a TV hit, Kathy had
an idea for a sitcom about a group of funny housewives. Her all-girl show would
have starred herself, Sarah Silverman and Caroline Rhea. No one saw potential in
the idea. Even an early sitcom-style incarnation of her show, Kathy Griffin: My Life
on the D-List, was passed over by NBC. Like the trooper that she is, she made the
show happen in her own way.
From her first TV apperance on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, our Kathynator has
been shocking and delighting audiences while hooking our interest without fail.
This upcoming show will no doubt continue her legacy of laughs.
Tickets to Kathy Griffin’s show range from $46 to $75 and are available now at
special discounted rates to groups of 20 or more by calling the Performing Arts
Center Group Sales office at 714.755.0236. Single tickets can be found at The
Center’s box office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Call 714.556.2787 or
visit
www.OCPAC.org.
MAY 2009 | RAGE monthly 9
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