Orange Is The New Black actress, outspoken comedian, jazz musician, and gay icon Lea DeLaria brings her live show of side-splitting comedy and bravura jazz vocals to the The Purchase PAC on March 9. We got to ask her some questions about the upcoming performance as well as fan encounters she’s had. And she tells it like it is.
Q: What drove you to become a jazz musician?
A: It certainly wasn’t a desire to be wealthy. Trust. It’s in my blood. My Pop (father) was a jazz musician.
Q: Do you have a particular routine or strategy that helps you before each of your performances?
A: No, not really. I just smoke a jay and go onstage.
Q: What should the audience expect from your performance?
A: Fasten your seatbelts, bitches. It’s gonna be a bumpy night.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self when you first entered this industry?
A: Learn to bartend.
Q: What is one of the most memorable fan encounters you have had?
A: Approximately 24 hours after the first season of Orange dropped on Netflix, I was walking past the local hardware store in my neighborhood. Suddenly one of the employees came running out screaming, “Big Boo! Big Boo will you please sign my screwdriver.”
Tickets to see Lea DeLaria are available here, or at The Performing Arts Center box office at 914-251-6200, Wednesday-Friday from 12-6 pm.
