Clinton Celebrates

Comedy

Steve Carr

It was barely four months ago that Kate Clinton was in town to host the Lambda Legal Indiana Benefit, but don’t think a lot hasn’t changed since then. She is celebrating 25 years in entertainment with a 50 city tour that kicked off Jan. 28 to a sold-out house in Long Beach, Calif. The tour, which is sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, takes a fond look back, but Clinton, as always, is focused forward.

“We just had the State of the Union address. Oprah is going crazy over whether a book was fiction or not. There is so much wonderful stuff happening that you just can’t not talk about it.”

Each show opens with video footage featuring friends, activists, performers and other well-wishers sending shout-outs to Clinton on her silver anniversary in show biz.

“[This tour] is a celebration of doing what I have been able to do for 25 years, but also of the people who worked hard to enable me to perform in their towns over the last 25 years. It’s a celebration of performing all these years but also the community of people who come to the shows.”

One of the indicators of Clinton’s appeal is that over the years her audience hasn’t just grown, it has broadened. Her frustration with politics, search for faith and consternation with the Disneyfication and Walmartization of, well, everything is universal.

“I really feel honored that I have been a part of bringing some visibility to a very vibrant, growing lesbian community and also being a part of it,” Clinton said. “We are a presence in the culture, but there is a lot of political work left to do. It’s like George Burns said, ‘I will keep talking as long as there is someone there to listen.’”

Clinton is appearing at Clowes Memorial Hall Feb. 11. VIP tickets are already sold out, but $37.50 and $27.50, and $20 student tickets are still available through the Clowes box office (317-239-1000) or online at Ticketmaster.com.