11.17.06
Lesbian comedian brings her 25th annual tour to West Palm Beach
D and I saw comedian Kate Clinton last night in West Palm Beach. She was great!
Comedian Kate Clinton is hitting the road for her 25th anniversary tour.
The 50-city tour, called “It’s Come to This,” is a celebration of all of her years of being a comedian. The tour has not only been an anniversary for the performer, it has also hit a nerve with some fans who remember when they first saw her.
“People have stories,” Clinton says. “They tell me, ‘We saw you on our first date.’”
Some stories aren’t as warm and fuzzy though.
“Someone said, ‘I went and saw you with my ex. . . I was so mad,’” she says.
“I seem to be constantly updating my show,” she explains. “By the time I get there, we will see where Foley is.”
Clinton is known for her intelligent and humorous observations on politics. And with everything going on with current affairs lately, she promises not to disappoint.
“By the time I get there, who knows?” she says of her South Florida performance. “It just seems insane.”
Right after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she would get mixed reactions when she would insult George W. Bush, she says.
“When I would start making unkind remarks about Bush, people would leave or go to the bathroom,” she says. “Or I would pretend they went to the bathroom.”
Clinton, who started out performing in the basements of Unitarian churches, says that it was a big deal when she first came out.
“It was political to say you were a lesbian,” she says.
She still hits upon the gay topic on tour, although not as much as she used to.
“When I first started, I could talk about any gay stuff for five hours,” she says.
CLINTON’S LONG HISTORY AS a comedian is impressive. She’s done one-woman shows titled “Correct Me If I’m Right,” “All Het Up” and “Kate’s Out Is In.” She has written books, “Don’t Get Me Started” and “What the L.” She also writes monthly columns for The Progressive and The Advocate.
Frequently on television, Clinton was a commentator for CNN for a brief period when the trouble in Afghanistan began. She also wrote for television, on the first season of lesbian Rosie O’Donnell’s show. She is also on Sirius Satellite Radio and many radio shows.
“I’m all over the place,” she jokes. “I’m like a bad penny.”