Exclusive Q&A with MargOH Channing!

Buddy Beaverhausen:: It was such s great pleasure to finally see your show. At Pangea, your guest star was Broadway's Nellie McKay. Your first show there  had Randy Jones of the original Village People with you. How do you manage to attract such wonderful artists to share your stage?
MargOH Channing: Well, I happen to know both of them from years ago. Nellie was a guest on the Manhattan cable tv show I had, and that's how we met.

BB: What, and who, inspires your material?
MC: I was a big fan of exploitation films, especially Russ Meyers. So I got the idea of doing MargOH from those films. Also, my own mother, who's a lot of fun and has always been a big jokester.

BB: How did you hook up with your co-star Man-ee Champagne? You make a great team.
MC: I've known Manny for over 20 years. It's an old love affair story; we met at a bar. It was in Providence, Rhode Island but we moved together to New York.

BB: Any plans to return to Pangea?
MC: Yes, I expect to be back there on May 19th
BB:Yay! Just after my birthday!
MC: Show's called "Hello, It's Me, Margoh!" We're lining up guests and, of course, Manee will be with me.

BB: What are your favorite movies of all-time?
MC: So many! My number one is Moonstruck with Cher. And anything with Judy Garland.

BB: It was so great seeing your mom with you at the show. She obviously supports what you do.
MC: She's a big supporter. And it was great for me to see her here in Manhattan, at Pangea, supporting me. All my family supports me.

BB: How do you play drunk so well?
MC: I had some practice. [laughs]. But it's acting. Part of my character. I watched Totie Fields, Foster Brooks. But you really can't drink and go on-stage. I learned that early on.

BB: Who are your favorite divas nowadays? And who are your most despised?
MC: That's a tough one. I love Adele. So talented and seems so down-to-Earth. Love Madonna; saw the Rebel Heart concert twice.  I don't really care for Iggy Azealia. Just kind of annoying. Not a big fan of Rihanna, either. A little too over the top for me.

BB: It was my friend, Nick Lion, who introduced me to your show. How do you know Nick?
MC: He's been such a big supporter for me and I love him. But we only hooked up on-line.

BB: Any last shout-outs to our readers?
MC: Thanks for your support. Lots of love. And come see my show in May!

BB: Thank you so much MargOH!
MC: Thank you, Buddy Beaverhausen!

On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: MargOh Channing at Pangea

Joined Nick Lion for a night loaded with laughs and great fun all around at Pangea in the East Village.

MargOh Channing was starring and she performed in character, in a slyly sloshy style

What a great room Pangea is, full of kind, prompt service and it's handicap-friendly. It was my friend, Kevin Scott Hall, who, amongst others, convinced the owner, Stephen Shanaghan, to open the dining room as a cabaret. Wonderful idea!

"UnCorked" was the title of MargOh's show and she shared the stage with the sexy Man-ee Champagne on background vocals and, sometimes. as lead or solo  singer. Songs ranged from classics like "I Got You Babe" to "I've Written a Letter to Daddy."

None other than the great Nellie McKay (pronounce Kye, gov'na!} was MargOh's special guest for her final show for now at Pangea, at least for a while. She had a great, satirical political number, "You Govern," and joined MargOh in a duet by singing "Over the Rainbow."

I was the evening's paparazzi. Snap, snap, snap for this ingenious and snappy production at this idyllic, intimate room. Tracy Stark was accompanist, astounding as always on piano and there was a terrific drummer onstage as well.

After the show, after Nick and I had a drink and free shot at the bar, we went home. On the street outside, Nick first ran into Flotilla DeBarge, out of drag, soon to appear at Pangea cabaret in his own show on Valentine's Day night. Expect new Q&As with both MarGoh and Flotilla very soon!

Special thanks to Nick's better half for driving me home to Bay Ridge!

Our sexy waiter, Venny!

The sexy manager, Stephen Shanaghan

Tracy Stark, Nick Lion, Margoh

Flotilla & Nick