Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Blue Wave Tour Review – Energizing

The show was sold out, Photo: B. Keer
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Athenaeum Theatre, Photo: Mary Dixon

Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Blue Wave Tour arrived in Chicago on October 28, 2018-a day many will remember. After a week of horrific events there were reports of the shooting in a Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Stephanie Miller’s show, which had been sold out for weeks, became a healing event. It allowed the audience to let off steam, find humor in an increasingly scary world and ultimately to be encouraged to find hope and to take positive action.

 

In the lobby, Photo: B.Keer

Chicago was the second of the three shows that Miller is offering this year; Washington, D.C., Chicago at the Athenaeum Theatre, and Los Angeles which will take place on November 3rd at The Saban Theater with Special guest Margaret Cho. At the Chicago show Margaret Cho and John Fugelsang joined Miller, all polished comedians. In addition, the audience was treated to a panel at the end that included Representative Jan Schakowsy and Jill Wine-Banks who, as Wine-Volner, joined the United States Department of Justice, becoming one of the first female attorneys in the organized crime section, and served on the staff of special prosecutor Leon Jaworski.was responsible for cross-examining President Richard Nixon‘s secretary Rose Mary Woods.

Stephanie Miller

It is WCPT 820 A.M.that presented this engagement, and features “The Stephanie Miller Show” weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m.  Stephanie Miller presents politics and humor, differently. The radio show originally inspired Sexy Liberal which has brought incisive, inspiring political comedy to sold out theaters across the USA and spawned a #1 album. “The Stephanie Miller Show” is heard nationally, reaching more than three million-plus listeners weekly. She is ranked #12 on influential industry publication Talkers Magazine’s “Heavy Hundred” list. Her years of stand up and improv experience is reflected in the show, which manages to be very funny and very political.

And there is more about Stephanie. Her e-book “Sexy Liberal! Of Me I Sing” quickly became #1 on Amazon in political, humor and memoirs, and three comedy albums all entered the Billboard Comedy charts in the top positions, as well as chart topping on Amazon, ITunes and Googleplay.

John Fugelsang, Photo: Jennifer Fields

John Fugelsang, who began the show, hosts “Tell Me Everything” weekdays on SiriusXM Insight #121.  John performs his standup show for audiences across the country. He has been a regular on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News and has performed for US troops, including the humanitarian mission in Haiti. His film “Dream On,” a road trip in search of the American Dream, was named “Best Documentary” at the NY Independent Film Festival and recently premiered on PBS. I love the pacing and language of the stories he tells. He was charming as the opening act.

Margaret Cho, Photo: Albert Sanchez

It was Margaret Cho who followed John. She is a consummate professional, who could be called the  “Queen of all Media”. Her impressive accomplishments include, conquering the worlds of film, television, books, music and theatre. She has five Grammy Award nominations (two for music albums, “Cho Dependent” and “American Myth”) and one Emmy nod for her groundbreaking work on “30 Rock.” She is almost overpowering as in her presentation of topics that can be taboo. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine named one of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics calling her “the sort of funny, sex-positive feminist and LGBT activist younger comics continue to look up to.”  Note, too, that Cho is widely recognized for her charitable work with gay rights and anti-bullying campaigns.

While Cho can be counted on to be honest, forthright, and passionate, I loved her imitations of her Mother and the accent and twist of words characterizing the Korean speech style. These bits were hilarious.

Stephanie Miller was greeted by an enthusiastic audience.  Her stories of the state of the country, “the week that was” and what we can do, did not disappoint.

The panel, Photo: Mary Dixon

The performance ended with a panel that was comprised of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Margaret Cho, Stephanie Miller, Jill Wine-Banks and John Fugelsang who commented on being the only male. The audience was asked who had voted and nearly every hand went up. The final note was a request to encourage others to vote.

Mary works on the song parodies that liven the radio show, Photo: B. Keer

A bonus for me was the chance to talk with Mary, who sings the parodies written by Mike Hardeman (“Rocky Mountain Mike”).  The lyrics are clever and important to the show.  Stephanie refers to Mary as “Mary in Ann Arbor.” I was surprised to learn that Mary and  Steve had driven into Chicago from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and they were headed back after the show.

Mary’s story:

In 2012, I attended the Columbus ‘Sexy Liberal Tour’ show and, inspired, I contacted Rocky Mountain Mike through Twitter and told him about my background in singing in high school and college.

My first job with him, later in 2012, was a parody of ‘When you say Bud’ with lyrics that went ‘When you say Mitt.’ From then, I was his regular female singer when he would need it. I live just outside of Ann Arbor, MI and am a porcelain tile maker in real life. I also show a rare breed of dog-Kromfohrlanders.

My songs can be found on my page ‘Mary in Ann Arbor’ on Facebook. It is an honor to be part of this fun and intelligent show!

Mary Dixon and Stephanie Miller, Photo: Mary Dixon

The next show on November 3rd in LA features a slightly different cast  along with Stephanie.  People will be coming from near and far to see it. .

Photos: Courtesy of “The Stephanie Miller Show” unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

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