Las Vegas Backstage Talk

Dave Coulier, Margaret Cho

Oct. 8, 2015

Audio of interviews posted below

dave coulier

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full House’ star Comedian Dave Coulier and Comedian Margaret Cho guest on Las Vegas Backstage Talk radio show with Comedian Michele LaFong to promote his upcoming dates at The South Point Showroom Oct. 9-11 at 7:30pm.

Dave Coulier’s career goes outside of his “Joey Gladstone” persona – as he acted in many television shows and movies, and has been performing live comedy for decades – but he always includes the beloved show in his stand-up acts.

Full House aired for eight seasons (1987-1995, with 192 episodes produced) and can now be seen on the Nickelodeon and ABC Family network lineups. Additionally, the show is currently in worldwide syndication in over 100 countries.

Dave followed this success by hosting his second prime-time hit series, America’s Funniest People, which ran on ABC for four seasons.

His stand up show – which he said is eclectic– is a preview for a special he’s filming called “Glorified Birthday Clown” that will be released early next year.  Also next year, Dave will be seen starring in the highly anticipated spinoff “Fuller House” for Netflix.

Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margaret Cho guests of Las Vegas Backstage Talk radio show with Comedian Michele LaFong when performing her “Mother Tour” and will be performing her upcoming hilarious “PsyCHO Tour” at Treasure Island Oct. 16.

Beloved by fans for taking on social and political problems through comedy — especially issues of race and sexuality — Margaret Cho is a pioneer in the world of comedy. She has been recognized by civil rights groups for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women, Asians and the LGBT community. Cho has long used her place on the stage to channel her vocal support for civil rights causes. Her observational comedy about race, sexuality, drugs, politics, celebrity, and everything in between always leaves audiences laughing out loud.

Margaret Cho started performing stand-up at age 16 in a comedy club called The Rose & Thistle, located above a bookstore that her parents ran. Soon after, she won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

In her early twenties, Cho hit the college circuit, where she became very popular and garnered a nomination for Campus Comedian of The Year. She performed more than 300 concerts within two years and won the American Comedy Award for Female Comedian in 1994. Her short-lived ABC sitcom, “All-American Girl,” soon followed.

In 1999, Cho’s off-Broadway show, “I’m The One That I Want” toured the country and was made into a movie. The show and tour garnered good reviews and won “New York Magazine’s” Performance of the Year award and was named one of “Entertainment Weekly’s” Great Performances of the Year.

In 2001, Cho wrote material for her new show, “Notorious C.H.O.” She also toured to support her book’s release (also called “I’m The One That I Want”). In 2003, Cho went on the road again with her “Revolution” Tour, which was nominated for a Grammy award. In 2004, the tour was turned into a concert film and was released on DVD. She also launched the “State of Emergency” tour in 2004 during the presidential elections. This tour later emerged as a new tour called “Assassin.”

Cho launched her variety show, “The Sensuous Woman,” a mix of burlesque, comedy and belly dancing in 2006. In 2007 she received the first ever Best Comedy Performance award at the Asian Excellence Awards, the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization of Women.

Cho was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her stint on “30 Rock” as former North Korean President Kim Jong Il. Her U.S. national tour, “The psyCHO Tour” will bring all new material based on her famed taboo truths for a string of shows that will undoubtedly be hilarious.

0:00

 

 

Las Vegas Backstage Talk column in Casino Player Magazine-Oct.

Oct. edition-by Michele LaFong

Las Vegas Backstage Talk column

(Click on image below to enlarge)

ayout 1

Layout 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?i=176433&p=24

Oct. “Las Vegas backstage Talk” column in Casino Player Magazine-Please click here to view it.

The “entertainment pool” in LV this summer has been incredibly rich.

LVBST has enjoyed amazing line-ups all the way through September, and October looks pretty exciting as well!

Kathy Griffin, LaFong Margaret Cho  Margaret Cho was guesting on my radio show recently explaining what we could expect from her “Mother” Tour, at The Mirage. I wrote a little about it in last month’s issue, but wasn’t prepared for what was in store!

Jim Short an Australian comic that tours with Cho led off the evening.  He had the audience right out of the gate and just kept the laughs coming throughout his set.  The packed house, many in town for “Gay Day,” were now properly warmed-up and ready for “everyone’s Mother,” Margaret Cho.

When Cho hit the stage, the stereo-type of what a “mother” typically would look like disappeared from my mind faster than Miley Cyrus’ past “Disney” image at The VMA Awards!  Covered in tattoos almost from head to toe, Cho soon dug deep in her gut,   “throwing up” her hilarious impression of her Korean mom, spoke candidly and bluntly about her bi-sexuality, and just “put it all out there” onstage.  Her uninhibited honesty throughout coupled with her wild animations was uniquely shocking, as well as visually hilarious, and is what truly sets her apart.  I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!

Kathy Griffin made a surprise cameo appearance during Cho’s show.  What a treat!  Together, they shared a story that I had read in the Review Journal that morning about Kathy wanting Margaret to go halves with her for a private plane. It costs $50,000 to go from LA to Vegas.  Margaret’s response was “but… its $50 on Southwest!”  In the article, Kathy said she would try to go halves with Bill Maher on it.  It was really funny when Kathy announced on-stage that she ended up renting it alone, then later heard that Margaret’s flight had been delayed and in the end she had to call for a car to drive her to Vegas!

Immediately following the show, and falling in step with the theme of Margaret’s tour, “Mother,” I surprised myself when I spontaneously shared something with her, and asked for some personal advice to which she in-turn did answer…but ironically, like all mothers, they rarely get proper credit at the time.  I soon came to realize however that “mother” was right!

Both Margaret and Kathy were nice and gracious backstage, and true to character off-stage as well.  It was cool to see some of Margaret’s very detailed tattoos up-close, and I couldn’t get over how petite Kathy was.

Little did I realize that my experience backstage that night with both Margaret and Kathy, would prove to be “life-changing” for me, shifting my paradigm, leading me to choose a path that I didn’t have the “inner-fire” in the past to choose.  That’s all I am willing to reveal for now.  I am very thankful to Margaret’s publicist, Ken Phillips for not only providing me with great seats to Margaret’s sold-out show, but for being really straight forward…  A trait that is way too rare these days, especially in this business.

2013-08-24 18.39.26 - CopyI had a blast interviewing World Renowned Comedian Russell Peters in his suite prior to his sold out performance at his “Notorious World Tour” show at The Palms H & C.  Ironically, he is a name that still too many people are not yet familiar with in spite of the fact that his tour has become the highest attended comedy show in the history of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Lebanon, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and his home country of Canada, selling out arenas of up to 16,000 fans. In Dubai, Peters was the fastest selling concert in the history of the Emirate outselling Madonna! With over 60 million views on YouTube, His credits also include selling-out:  Radio City Music Hall (twice), Madison Square Garden, and the astounding list goes on and on, both nationally and internationally. It is no surprise that Russell, whose heritage is Anglo-Indian, was ranked by Forbes as one of the top ten highest grossing comics in the U.S., in 2009 and 2010!

Peters is always on-the go, and is constantly late, but always worth waiting for as he was a really fun interview, and one of the quickest “off the cuff” personable comics I’ve come across.  The audience was howling throughout his show.  Somehow he seems to be able to get away with political correctness being thrown out the window, as exampled in his latest DVD, Red, White and Brown recorded live at Madison Square Garden. His crowd ad-libs that night at The Palms were as on target as his material.  He is currently working on a project, writing with Billy Crystal.  Edited portions of Russell’s videotaped interview can be seen on casinocenter.com

After his show he invited my husband and me along and about 15 other guests to accompany him to The Ghost Bar, in The Palms where we partied till all hours! “Table service” was on him.

I’m still recovering…

wilson jardineLegendary music icons and Grammy Award winners, Brian Wilson (co-founder The Beach Boys) and Jeff Beck (Yardbirds) will perform live in Las Vegas as part of a co-headlining North American Tour. Wilson’s former band mates Al Jardine, (“Help help Me Rhonda”,) and David Marks will join Wilson and Beck.   The show will make a stop at The Pearl inside The Palms H & C on Oct. 18.  Al jardine, a return guest on our program gave a great interview which will air on LVBST on Oct. 17, with Ray Romano. (Al Jardine is on far left.)

Comedian Bill Engvall, mostly known for “The Blue Collar Tour” with Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White who has guested on LVBST many times, will be on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” for their new season beginning Sept. 16. He is teamed with Emma Slater, and will be competing against Leah Remeni, Snooki, Elizabeth Berkely, Jack Osbourne, and Valerie Harper. The audience vote counts for 50% of their score.  We, at LVBST support him, and encourage all to vote, and keep voting for Bill!    Engvall will be in town on Oct.25, appearing at The TI.  Video of his Backstage Interview can be seen on casinocenter.com.

Margaret Cho, Kevin Meaney-LVBST w/Comedian Michele LaFong

BPG Drop Dead DivaBPG Drop Dead Diva

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)

Sept. 5, 2013- 6-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & The Web

Emmy & Grammy-nominated comedian and actress, Margaret Cho guests on Las Vegas Backstage Talk with Comedian Michele LaFong.  Cho was featured in LaFong’s syndicated column, “Vegas Backstage Talk” in Sept. issue of Casino Player Magazine.

Margaret Cho is set to return to the road this September in support of her new stand-up comedy show called MOTHER. MOTHER is a complicated and completely original take on sex, queer politics, drugs, guns, identity and madness, proving time and time again, boundaries uncrossed are meaningless.  Nothing is sacred, least of all, this MOTHER.

The cornerstone of MOTHER revolves around Cho’s long-suffering Korean mom and a staple of her shows, for all tour info: 

 Margaret was recently was back in New York co-hosting ABC’s The View on July 25 & 26. Her tv show, “Drop Dead Diva,” now in it’s 5th season will air brand new episodes thru the fall every Sunday on Lifetime while her new YouTube series, a dark comedy about three women fresh out of jail titled, “In Transition,” can be seen every Wednesday thru September 18 on Cho’s YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQYh9gtNK4&feature=share&list=PLIUvOXZ9sn4hIEamhAYvwnQ9fWDyhplWd          

In addition, Cho has teamed with comedian Jim Short for a brand new podcast show called “Monsters of Talk.” Margaret &           Jim get intimate and up front with their guests which have included Tegan & Sara and Billy Bragg among others. Click here to listen in http://www.margaretcho.com/2013/05/28/monsters-of-talk-podcast-latest-episodes/

Margaret will make various television appearances in the coming months including TheTalk and The Arsenio Hall Show on October 1, E!’s Fashion Police on October 4 and Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show and Chelsea Lately on October 10.   For more about Margaret: http://www.margaretcho.com/

 September 6 at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Click here for all tour info: http://www.margaretcho.com/

Comedian Kevin Meaney

K.M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Meaney guests on LVBST with Comedian Michele LaFong in a videotaped interview from Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, at The MGM in Las Vegas, where he will be headling through Sunday.

Kevin has been one of the country’s most popular standup comedians for more than 25 years. Tom Shales of the Washington Post said, “Picture the precocious love child of Jonathan Winters and Ethel Merman and you have some idea of Kevin Meaney’s act.”

His first HBO special in 1986 catapulted him to the forefront of the comedy scene. In 1987, Kevin made his debut appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and was invited by Johnny to join the guest panel. Since his first appearance, Kevin has returned to the show a dozen times. He was a special guest on Saturday Night Live and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Regis, Oprah and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Kevin also starred in the CBS sitcom Uncle Buck which ran for a full season. In addition, he has done numerous guest appearances on both sitcoms and dramas. He also had a featured role in the movie Big.

Known for drawing upon his family relationships for much of his material, Kevin has made such lines as “That’s not Right” and “We’re Big Pants People” and “We’re going to lose the house” (delivered in the tremulous voice of his mother) catch phrases for hilarity. An evening with Kevin is a trip to the funhouse and one laugh escalates into a bigger one and good-hearted humor prevails.

Kevin is also a successful writer and producer. He wrote and produced and starred in a one-man autobiographical play titled Wedding Vows in Vegas which premiered at the prestigious U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado before going on to
a successful summer run in Boston at the Hasty Pudding Theatre. Steve Martin called it, “The most innovative, heart-rending and funny show I’ve seen in along, long time.”

In 2002, Kevin moved home to NY from Los Angeles and began working on Broadway in the hit musical, Hairspray. Hairspray
has been a life changing experience for Kevin and during an interview on XM Radio’s Stand Up Sit Down on May 28, 2008, Kevin told the host that he was gay.
It’s been a big transition but he’s seemed to find humor in how this all happened.

So, Big Pants People of the world unite… your leader is here,his name is Kevin Meaney and he’s on a mission of mirth.

Kevin is currently living in New York with his daughter.

0:00