by Margaret Cho
At the Westbeth Theatre Center
Reviewed by David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited
Margaret
Cho is very, very funny. Sometimes critics need to state the profoundly
impenetrable in the simply obvious way. Self professed fag hag, first Asian
American to star in her own sitcom ("All-American Girl"), recovering alcoholic,
and survivor extraordinaire, Margaret Cho is a spellbinding presence on
the Westbeth Theatre Center's stage where her "I'm The One That I Want"
runs through Saturday, August 14th. Whether sharing her experiences with
dating, dieting ("the first thing you lose on a diet is your soul"), or
almost dying, Ms. Cho knows how to capture the heart of an audience then,
with our hearts in her capable hands, she suddenly makes us laugh.Though her routines about the sitcom (her "journey to hell and back") and the sheer abuse she suffered at the hands of Hollywood "stylists" (obsessed with image) are touching and laced with humor, it is the humor which she draws from her family life that works the best because it is humor with which everyone can identity on some level or another. Favorite family routines are the messages left by Margaret Cho's mother on Ms. Cho's answering machine. Messages like, "You're grandparents are going to die." When Margaret calls later, she discovers her mother meant they are going to die "eventually" and she just wants Margaret to "be ready."
When Margaret Cho was "at bottom," she determined at one point "I'm not gonna die." She discovered, she said, "I needed me." This strength, mixed with a sense of comedy that is unique, makes for an engaging evening of story and comedy. Don't miss it.
Reviewed on Wednesday, July 7, 1999 (Opened on Thursday, July 8, 1999)
"I'M THE ONE THAT I WANT"
Created and performed by Margaret Cho. Creative director, Karen Taussig. Set design by Gemma Kahng and Kristen Costa; costume design by Gemma Kahng; light design by Josh Monroe; sound design/operation by Gregory Kostrof; stage manager, Laura Steib. Presented by Westbeth Theatre Center/Arnold Engelman, Producing Director at the Westbeth Theatre Center, 151 Bank Street between Washington and West Streets. Performance schedule: Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Tickets at $30.00 - $35.00 can be reserved by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100 or by clicking on "Purchase Tickets" above. Visit the Westbeth Theatre Center website at http://www.westbeththeatre.com