Margaret Cho's hilarious one-woman show is a portrait of the artist as a young, self-described fag-hag. But then, who can fight nurture? As a child, the comedian lived in San Francisco, where her parents ran a bookstore. In charge of the gay porn section (although admittedly "not ready" for some of the illustrations), her mother tried to interest young Margaret. Apparently the infatuation, if not the orientation, took. In her performance at the Warner Theatre that kicked off her six-month, 15-city national tour, Cho captivated an already enthusiastic (mostly male) audience, who cheered every gay reference. (Did I get off at the wrong subway stop and end up at a Redskins game with the only cheerleader bouncing around the arena in bright red blouse, sheered pink skirt, and high black boots using language unsanctioned by even the NFL?)
Cho is still recovering (both physically and emotionally) from the experience of her failed ABC 1994-95 sit-com, "All-American Girl," a groundbreaking, but short-lived show featuring the second-generation Korean-American Cho as the young, irreverent daughter of an Asian family. Constantly criticized for her weight by the producers, the 25-year-old Cho dieted until it almost killed her - literally - when losing 30 pounds in two weeks sent her into kidney failure. "We were replaced by Drew Carey, because he's so skinny..." she chirped.
Cho's spirited mother, Young Cho, who resisted an arranged marriage in Korea to marry a man who writes joke books - in Korean -- provides a lot of material. An excellent mimic, Cho becomes both beep and mom, as she repeats the lengthy messages left on Margaret's answering machine. (Apparently Asian mothers rival Jewish mothers for instilling guilt; mom advises Margaret she hopes her grandfather will die before her next visit so as to save her a trip.) An inveterate trouper, Cho launched her stand-up career at 16 in "The Rose & Thistle," a comedy club located above the family bookstore, and won the American Comedy Award for female comedian in 1994. Her television appearances include "Leno," "Letterman," "Rosie," and "Oprah," and her films John Woo's "Face/Off" and "It's My Party" with Eric Roberts.
Despite the self- destructive streak that pushed her into a bout with drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity following the cancellation of her series, this performance artist, whose prize from her first contest was opening for Jerry Seinfeld, is one tough cookie. I'm the One that I Love was an off-Broadway hit at the Westbeth Theatre Center. Obviously those black boots were meant for walking on stages, earning grand applause.
