LAWRENCE HELMAN  PUBLIC RELATIONS
lhelman@sbcglobal.net
1643 32nd  Ave. SF, CA 94122
415.661.1260

Sasha Presents Drag Queens of Comedy

Producer and celebutante SASHA SOPRANO who presented COMEDY IN THE CASTRO in 2009 returns to the Castro Theatre in SF with DRAG QUEENS OF COMEDY an exciting new live showcase of comedians, TV personalities and Bay Area drag talent. Politically incorrect humor will be on the menu this evening, so fasten your seat belts. The uproarious line-up of DRAG QUEENS OF COMEDY features drag-royalty superstars including: MISS COCO PERU from the hit films GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS and TRICK; JACKIE BEAT a Drag luminary from stage & screen with razor-sharp comedic timing; SHANGELA from RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE and winner of the 2010 California Entertainer of the Year Pageant; LADY BUNNY the multi-talented drag artiste, comedienne, emcee, singer, songwriter, actress, DJ, and the founder, organizer, and hostess of Wigstock; HEKLINA the Mistress of Trannyshack – now a global phenomenon which originated in San Francisco. The entire evening is produced and hosted by the stunningly beautiful and acerbic SASHA SOPRANO. DRAG QUEENS OF COMEDY is on Saturday, OCTOBER 9, 2010 at 10:30 pm. ONE NIGHT ONLY!! Tickets are $35 advance / $45 door -  general admission. Tickets available online or call 415/ 254- 3362 The Castro Theatre is located at 429 Castro Street in San Francisco, 94114.

Performer Bios:

Storyteller / monologist Miss Coco Peru aka Clinton Leupp grew up in the Bronx NYC and got his/her start as a downtown favorite in the cabaret world of NYC after he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his first show “Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret” in the early 90’s. On screen, Miss Coco was featured in TRICK and GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS. (Best Actress HBO Comedy Arts Festival /Aspen, and Best Actor at LA’s Outfest Film Festival.) Other film appearances include TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR, NICK AND JANE, and STRAIGHT-JACKET. Coco can be heard in the Disney animated feature, THE WILD as Mamma Hippo! Coco has appeared on TV in ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, TWINS, WILL AND GRACE, NY UNDERCOVER, SHOWTIME'S RUDE AWAKENING, BRAVO’S BOY MEETS BOY, and in an Orbitz commercial - nominated for a 2005 GLAAD Media Award.

Coco also has her own LOGO TV comedy special taped as part of the “Wisecrack” series. Coco’s live one-person shows include: “Miss Coco Peru: A Legend in Progress”, “Miss Coco Peru at the Westbeth Theatre” “Miss Coco Peru's Liquid Universe”, “Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted”, and most recently “UGLY COCO.” These shows have been performed to sold out audiences throughout the US and abroad.

Coco hosts an on-going live series of shows at the Renberg Theater in LA called Conversations With Coco in which Coco interviews and celebrates the lives and careers of the GLBT community's favorite icons. Miss Peru's guests have been Bea Arthur, Lainie Kazan, drag legend Charles Busch, and Lesley Ann Warren.

Website: http://www.misscocoperu.com
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVUSf3qDPx0&feature=related

“Jackie Beat is the greatest drag queen on earth!”- Roseanne Barr

Drag superstar JACKIE BEAT has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and in Europe for over ten years with her razor-sharp comedy and highly amusing song parodies. Jackie not only warps hits by Britney Spears, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Cher and many others, but she flawlessly sings her twisted new versions LIVE -- hitting every last note.

Her one-woman show JACKIE BEAT IS A WHOLE LOTTA’ LOVE ran a record 18 months at NYC’s premiere cabaret, Fez, and she returns every year with her award-winning, sell-out Christmas show. Jackie’s stand-up has been featured in comedy clubs across the country and on Comedy Central, VH-1 and MTV. She was recently a staff writer for the WB comedy series “Hype!”, has written for the Sci Fi Channel, is one of US Magazine’s Fashion Police top cops and is currently the voice of Bertha on Nickelodeon’s animated series “Kung-Fu Spy Troll”. She has appeared on many TV shows and in several movies including FLAWLESS with Robert DeNiro and the cult hit WIGSTOCK THE MOVIE.

Jackie has also been in many off-Broadway productions, performed on cruises ships, and is lead singer of the popular electroclash band Dirty Sanchez.

Website: http://www.jackiebeatrules.com
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyzTioazK0M

SHANGELA (D.J. Pierce) hosts and performs as a drag entertainer in LA. and was seen on the wildly popular 2nd season of the hit series RuPaul's Drag Race. She had only been performing drag for 5 months when she was cast on the show making her the “youngest” drag persona on the series. A native of Paris, TX., this actor, host, and female illusionist brings high-energy performances and side-splitting comic personality to a number of projects. She can also be seen regularly as her alter ego DJ Pierce at the comedy store on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, and will be starring on a LOGO comedy special later this summer. Shangela will next be seen in a co-starring role on the anticipated new FX series Terriers, from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, premiering Fall 2010.

Website: www.shangela.com
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4KxKyyR0fU&feature=related

LADY BUNNY, the multi-talented drag artiste, with glitzy outfits, sky-high wigs, and false eyelashes long enough to embarrass even Tammy Faye Bakker, would turn heads even if looking glamorous was her only talent. Lady Bunny is a successful comedienne, emcee, singer, songwriter, actress, DJ, and, most famously, the founder, organizer, and hostess of Wigstock, the outrageous festival of drag and music that delighted New Yorkers every Labor Day for nearly 20 years.

She tours with her bawdy, Dusty Springfield-meets-Don-Rickles mix of potty-mouthed humor, Southern charm, zany “Laugh-In”-style skits, and X-rated pop song parodies. Bunny has made the leap to TV and the movies, with cameo appearances in HBO's Sex and the City; Britney Spears' MTV special In the Zone & Up All Night; and the feature films Dragtime, Party Girl, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Bunny also DJs at fashion industry parties and society events around the globe; has collaborated as a singer and songwriter with the likes of Lady Miss Kier and The Ones; and is a frequent cultural commentator for magazines such as Visionaire and Interview, as well as a talking head for TV networks like E! and VH1.

Website: www.ladybunny.net
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgTdTcVxXpw

HEKLINA is the hostess, producer, and creator of Trannyshack, SF’s longest-running drag performance night club… 13 years of shocking and delighting packed audiences every Tuesday night at midnight at the STUD Bar in SF. Defying all expectations, Trannyshack incorporates everything from low brow trash to high brow performance art, and has become famous (or, infamous) worldwide as the quintessential San Francisco experience. No visit to the City is complete without a stop at Trannyshack. The club has been featured in OUT (which named it one of the top 10 reasons to move to SF), GENRE, and PAPER magazine and has won numerous Best of the Bay awards. Trannyshack has branched out its empire, with London, LA and NYC. Heklina has been seen on the E! Entertainment Network, BBC Television’s AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 RAVES, and as a guest on the Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake shows. She was voted Community Grand Marshal of the 2004 San Francisco GLBTQ Pride Parade.

Website: www.trannyshack.com
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TOd68J_Qkc

SASHA SOPRANO is a San Francisco native, has been performing drag for 2 years. She can be seen in the 2008 and 2009 Desperate Divas calendars, where she also competed in the Miss Desperate Divas Pageant.

Making an appearance AND an entrance is something that is not new to Sasha. She was featured in music videos for Katy Perry (“Hot and Cold”) and on MTV2. She is also a club regular at Radar and The Crib in SF. She has performed at the Comedy Store in LA multiple times. Sasha is the creator and producer of Comedy in the Castro (09), the largest gay comedy show in SF, which featured Nene Leakes from The Real Housewives of Atlanta and comedienne Loni Love.

As a producer, her goal is to provide high quality comedy featuring hot comics, realityTV stars and a plethora of local San Francisco drag talent.

To arrange an interview with any of the performers or for additional information
call Lawrence Helman at 415/ 661-1260.

DRAG QUEENS OF COMEDY is part of Rooftop Comedy’s inaugural Out Loud Comedy & Arts Festival, to be held in San Francisco, CA on October 8-10, 2010 at multiple venues, including the historic Castro Theatre and the Swedish American Hall. Find full festival details, including show times, performer lineups, and ticket purchase information on the Out Loud Web site at: http://www.OutLoudComedy.com

To download PRESS PHOTOS and for additional information about the event visit

www.comedyinthecastro.com/press

 

The Castro Theatre is wheelchair accessible.