Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1958 at Belleville, Illinois) is a US comedian, actor, and jazz musician. May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Belleville is a city in St. ... This article is about the country in North America. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans. ...

An extremely prominent figure in the world of lesbian stand-up comedy, she is noted for her raunchy persona and inflammatory, irreverent political commentary, which have proven controversial inside and outside the gay and lesbian community. Some of her comedy releases include Bulldyke in a China Shop and Box Lunch. She has also written a humorous book entitled Lea's Book of Rules for the World. A lesbian is a female who is aesthetically, sexually, or romantically attracted to other females. ...

She has also appeared in a number of films, including Edge of Seventeen, The First Wives Club and in musicals, including The Rocky Horror Show and On the Town. Edge of Seventeen is a 1998 movie by David Moreton, starring Chris Stafford. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (in London initially, on June 16, 1973) which inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... On the Town is a musical that opened on Broadway at the Adelphi Theatre on December 28, 1944, with music by Leonard Bernstein, book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, direction by George Abbott, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. ...

Much like fellow comedienne Sandra Bernhard, DeLaria has always integrated musical performance into her stand-up comedy. However, unlike Bernhard, DeLaria focuses on traditional and modern be-bop jazz. She has even said at her shows "It is my personal goal to bring be-bop jazz back into the gay and lesbian community." In 2002 she followed up on the goal, releasing a CD of jazz standards called "Play It Cool." Bernhard in the cover of Playboy Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955 in Flint, Michigan) is a American actress and comedian. ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz which uses a fast tempo and complex improvisational techniques. ...

"I'm at West Virginia University to do a show, right, and they've done all this fucking publicity about it...so when I get to my show, who's waiting for me but five hundred Christian protestors with great big signs. 'Lea DeLaria is going to hell.' Not generic 'gay is not good': 'Lea DeLaria is going to hell.' Which is what I need five hundred strangers to tell me, like twelve years of Catholic fuckin' school wasn't enough, right?!"

-Lea DeLaria, from Box Lunch

In 2000, she played the roles of Eddie and Dr. Scott in the Broadway revival of "The Rocky Horror Show", and can be heard on the soundtrack.

See also

• U-Haul (lesbian)

Well she only went for 9 years of Catholic School. She went to Belleville Township High School West in Belleville which is a public school (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BTHS-west-1976/) In the lesbian community, the term U-Haul is used to describe a relationship that becomes very close very fast -- a pattern stereotypically attributed to relationships between two women. ...

External links

• Wikiquotes of Lea DeLaria
• Lea DeLaria at Queer Theory
• Review of Double Standards
• About Lea Delaria
• Lea DeLaria's Website
• Lea DeLaria at the Internet Movie Database
• Lea DeLaria at the Internet Broadway Database