Lea DeLaria
(born May 23, 1958) is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. [1] [2] [3] The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show
. [4]
Called "every inch and ounce a star," by The New York Times
, [5] DeLaria has performed stand-up comedy for over 25 years and is an extremely prominent figure in the world of lesbian stand-up comedy, she is noted for her raunchy persona and inflammatory, irreverent political commentary, which have proven controversial inside and outside the gay and lesbian community. She began her career billing herself as "That Fucking Dyke"; she states "I called myself that because I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me. But after two years of performing I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me and I wouldn't know if they were a fan or not!"
"I'm at West Virginia University to do a show, right, and they've done all this fucking publicity about it...so when I get to my show, who's waiting for me but five hundred Christian protestors with great big signs. 'Lea DeLaria is going to hell.' Not generic 'gay is not good': 'Lea DeLaria
is going to hell.' Which is what I need five hundred strangers to tell me, like twelve years of Catholic fuckin' school wasn't enough, right?!"
:— Lea DeLaria, from Box Lunch
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LEA DELARIA TICKETS
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Early life
The
Italian American DeLaria was born in
Belleville, Illinois,
the daughter of Jerry, a homemaker, and Robert DeLaria, a
jazz pianist and social worker.
She attended kindergarten through 8th grade at St Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances.
Career
Of her watershed 1993 appearance on
The Arsenio Hall Show
, as the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk-show, DeLaria said "It's the 1990s ... It's hip to be queer, and I'm a bi-i-i-i-ig dyke!"
In December 1993 she hosted
Comedy Central's
Out There
, the first all-gay stand-up comedy special.
DeLaria is also known for her touring "musical comedy about perverts,"
Dos Lesbos
(1987-1989) as well as
Girl Friday
, a comedy she conceived, wrote, directed and starred in, and which won the 1989 Golden Gull for Best Comedy Group in
Provincetown,
Massachusetts.
[6]
DeLaria has released two
CD recordings of her comedy,
Bulldyke in a China Shop
(1994) and
Box Lunch
(1997). She has also written a humorous book entitled
Lea's Book of Rules for the World
.
DeLaria appeared as Jane in the 1998
Off Broadway production of
Paul Rudnick's
The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told
, a "a gay retelling of the
Bible."
[7] Entertainment Weekly
said "a star is born with Lea DeLaria" of her "showstopping" performance as Hildy Esterhazy in the 1998
Broadway revival of
On the Town
.
[8] [9] DeLaria subsequently played Eddie and Dr. Scott in the 2000 Broadway revival of
The Rocky Horror Show
, and can be heard on the
cast recording.
[10]
DeLaria has also appeared in a number of films, including
Edge of Seventeen
and
The First Wives Club
.
DeLaria integrates musical performance into her stand-up comedy, focusing on traditional and modern
be-bop jazz. She has even said at her shows "It is my personal goal to bring be-bop jazz back into the gay and lesbian community." In 2001 she released a CD of jazz standards called
Play It Cool
. This was followed by the album
Double Standards
in 2003,
[11] [12] and by
The Very Best of Lea DeLaria
in 2008.
In 2001, DeLaria was the voice of Helga Phugly on the short-lived,
animated sitcom,
The Oblongs
. In 1999 DeLaria played the
recurring role of
Madame Delphina on the
ABC soap opera One Life to Live
, returning in 2008 as both Delphina and
Professor Delbert Fina.
[13]
In 2008, Warner Records released
The Live Smoke Sessions
, DeLaria's first recording focused on "timeless pop standards" such as "Down With Love," "Night And Day," "Love Me Or Leave Me" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." She noted, "I styled this CD on the old school live recordings ... It is my hope that this CD will take you back to 1948 and the Village Vanguard. So please let me invite you to mix a cocktail and enjoy a smoke while you sit back and soak up the swing."
[14]
In November, 2008, Lea completed a tour of Australia, playing Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
Discography
Comedy Albums
- 1994: Bulldyke in a Chinashop
- 1997: Box Lunch
(Rising Star)
Jazz Albums
- 2001: Play It Cool
(Warner/WEA)
- 2005: Double Standards
(Telarc)
- 2006: The Very Best of Lea DeLaria
(Rhino/WEA UK)
- 2008: Lea DeLaria - The Live Smoke Sessions
(Ghostlight Records)
Guest Vocalist
- 2005: Din and Tonic
– Janette Mason (Fireball Records)
- 2006: Drawn to All Things – Ian Shaw Sings the Songs of Joni Mitchell
– Ian Shaw (Linn Records)
- 2009: Alien Left Hand
– Janette Mason (Fireball Records)
Broadway and Film
- 1999: Edge of Seventeen – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
– Blue Skies
(Razor and Tie)
- 2001: The Rocky Horror Show – 2000 Broadway Revival Cast
(RCA Victor Broadway)
- 2005: Hair – Actors’ Fund of America Benefit Recording
(Ghostlight)
Filmography
Actress
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Frankie
(2009) (TV)
- One Life to Live
as Madame Delphina
and Professor Del Fina
(1999, 2008-present) (TV)
- Fat Rose and Squeaky
as Fat Rose
(2006)
- Will & Grace
as Nurse Carver
(2003) (TV)
- The Job
as Kiki
(2002) (TV)
- Mercury in Retrograde
as Betsy Brick
(2002)
- The Oblongs
as Helga Phugly
(voice) (2001) (TV)
- Further Tales of the City
as Willie Omiak
(2001) (TV mini-series)
- The Beat
as Kathy Speck
(2000) (TV)
- Edge of Seventeen
as Angie
(1998)
- Homo Heights
as Clementine
(1998)
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- In Through the Out Door
as various characters (1998) (TV)
- Plump Fiction
as Mr. Purple
(1997)
- The Drew Carey Show
as Jewel
(1997) (TV)
- The First Wives Club
as Elise's Fan
(1996)
- Friends
as Woman
(1996) (TV)
- Rescuing Desire
as Sadie
(1996)
- Saved by the Bell: The New Class
as Miss Hearst
(1995) (TV)
- OP Center
as Captain White
(1995)
- The John Larroquette Show
as Loreli
(1994-1995) (TV)
- Matlock
as Det. Pat Jordan/Det. Pat Poletti
(1994) (TV)
|
Self
- Ptown Diaries
(2009)
- Outlaugh!
(2006)
- The Award Show Awards Show
(2003) (TV)
- Just for Laughs
(2002) (TV)
- Cabaret Live!
(2001) (TV)
- The 55th Annual Tony Awards
- Performer, "Time Warp"
(2001) (TV)
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show
(1998-1999) (TV)
|
- Great Performances - My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies
(1999) (TV)
- We're Funny That Way
(1998)
- Out There in Hollywood
(1995) (TV)
- In the Life
- Guest Host
(1993) (TV)
- Camp Christmas
(1993) (TV)
- The Word
(1993) (TV)
- Out There
(1993) (TV)
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Writer
- In Through the Out Door
(1998) (TV)
References
- Lea DeLaria profile - Hollywood.com Retrieved September 28, 2008.
- Lea DeLaria Biography - FilmReference.com
- "You & A Guest" Interview: Lea DeLaria - Breakupgirl.net July 15, 1999.
- Cagle, Jess. "Stand-up Kinda Gays." ''Entertainment Weekly''. December 10, 1993.
- Canby, Vincent. "THEATER: An Exhilarating ''On the Town'' Spreads Some Joy." ''The New York Times''. November 29, 1998.
- Post, Laura. Lea DeLaria profile - Allmusic Retrieved August 28, 2008.
- Cagle, Jess."The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told." ''Entertainment Weekly''. April 23, 1999.
- Cagle, Jess. Stage Review: ''Little Me''/''On the Town''. ''Entertainment Weekly''. December 4, 1998.
- Wontorek, Paul. "Handicapping the 1999 Tony Awards." ''Entertainment Weekly''. June 4, 1999.
- Lea DeLaria profile - Internet Broadway Database Retrieved August 28, 2008.
- Reynolds, Nick. "Lea Delaria: ''Double Standards'' Review." BBC.co.uk November 3, 2003. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
- Delaria: ''Double Standards'' - Amazon.co.uk Retrieved September 28, 2008. ''Double Standards'' was first released in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2003 and in the U.S. in 2005.
- Murray, Jesse. "Madame Delphina Sees All." SOAPnet.com July 1, 2008.
- Lea Delaria: Live Smoke Sessions To Be Released 9/9