Sarah McPeck is a local lesbian comedian who’s already made quite a name for herself here in the Twin Cities (and has, in fact, been featured in The Column’s Spotlight on the Arts), but she’s as well known among show producers and event organizers as she is for her laugh out loud stand-up. Tonight at Lush at 7:00 P.M., both sides of her magnetic personality come together for a hilarious, entertaining show as The Big Fat Comedy Hour comes to life.
A conversation with McPeck about The Big Fat Comedy Hour revealed that she and James Nelson (of Lush) have been working on putting this variety show together for over a year. McPeck says of the show “TBFCH is a traditional variety show with an non traditional cast. I wanted to create a show where traditional stand up comedians that don’t normally work the gay bars gain a new audience. I hope we can bridge communities and make new supportive spaces. It is a show that allows drag performers to focus on comedy acts and hosting skills. It is a space that welcomes spoken word, clowning, improv, storytelling and anything else is long as it is comedy. Above all else you will find a space that is all about having a bawdy, raucous good time.”
TBFCH has some big names slated to perform at its opening. Those include McPeck herself alongside local comedy darling Maggie Farris, singer Mayda, and spoken word and rap artist Kevin Kaoz Moore. The show is billed as part open mic as well, offering those who haven’t done comedy the chance to do so. Says McPeck of the show overall: “I hope that you will find performers pushing their limits, pushing past their normal routines and creating new works of art. One thing you will see at TBFCH that you won’t see any where else in town is a virgin sacrifice. The virgin sacrifice is a very brave person who has never performed stand up before. They will be given 3 minutes to deliver their best stuff. During their performance an offering will be taken and all money raised during their performance will go to a different gay charity every month. April’s charity is Gay For Good.”
Again, this brand new show (in a delightful, classic style) opens tonight at 7:00pm at Lush. Doors are just $5, and anything else that gets donated goes to Gay for Good. This first event also features a special screening of Project Q: A Documentary immediately after the show. Project Q is a documentary McPeck put together showcasing her own rise in comedy and highlighting other important LGBTQ+ artists here in the Twin Cities. More on Project Q here.
The Big Fat Comedy Hour will happen monthly in Lush’s event center at 7:00 P.M. on the second Sunday of each month.