Watch out! Lea Delaria will swoon you with song then bite your head off with her comic wit (and she’ll probably enjoy it too!) In her brand new show (still in progress) The Last Butch Standing, Delaria tells all about what it meant to come out in the 80’s and just how far the gay and lesbian community has… come. There are no holds barred in her singing and in her comedy, with a voice that anyone interested in jazz needs to have in their life! At times, her revelations of being a 21st century American butch might have made your toes curl, but perhaps the most shocking of all was not how many times she used the f-word (or the c) but that she is now 53 years old. Her voice is soulful and has mixed broadway and jazz with impeccable timing and skill.
As the first openly gay comic to perform on television in America (and to have been censured by Congress) she now has a four record deal with Warner Jazz records. Her pride at her accomplishments was clear to the audience, as her infectious laugh often made her take an extra beat, for our sake and hers. It would be inaccurate to say that the autobiographical nature of her stand-up is for everyone. If you’re of a particularly sensitive disposition, or find brash talk offensive, this may not be the show for you – but for everyone else who doesn’t mind about the many in’s of lesbianism – this show is a must. It’s currently in its final stages and hopes to be on broadway in the new year.
Delaria was accompanied by Jeanette Mason on piano (a legend in her own right!) Pete Turner on bass and Errol Roberts on Drums, where the medium of jazz enabled all artists to steal the limelight for a time with their own musical solos. A killer combination which, if they were to perform jazz only, would be worth a night of its own.
Her songs included Welcome to My Party, I Enjoy Being a Girl, Butch Woman Blues, Night and Day, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Call Me, and the amazing The Ballad of Sweeney Todd which earned her an encore at Carnagie Hall. And even better, if you can’t wait for the tour, you can view her songs on YouTube!