On Thursday February 16, lesbian comic Marga Gomez and friends return to Brava Cabaret with "Who's Your Mami Comedy," a show that promises to offer fearless stand-up, sarcastic social comedy and unladylike mayhem. The monthly comedy series first premiered in August 2019. The show packed the house with high-energy audiences of gay, straight, young and older comedy fans. But then the pandemic hit, and Gomez was forced to take her shows to Zoom for a year.
"It was cool to be able to book comedians anywhere in the world for our virtual monthly show," Gomez told the Bay Area Reporter. "But the reality was we were all jones-ing to be back on a real stage. The Zoom shows kept us writing material during the quarantine and we could perform it in pajama bottoms."
Gomez explained that the name "Who's Your Mami" is a play on the expression 'who's your daddy.' Her title, she says, puts women comics on top.
"There's so much happening with this Spanish term Mami, which literally translates to Mommy," Gomez said. "Sometimes it is slang for a badass woman who gets what she wants and is comfortable in her body. When I was growing up in the hood, Washington Heights in New York City, Mami was a dreaded catcall from the guys on the street corner."
But as Gomez explained it, Mami has since morphed into a term that Latinas call each other.
"And that gives me a little boner when they do," she said. "My dream is that all women will use the term Mami as a greeting the way guys use bro. We need something like that for women."
When Gomez takes to the stage at Brava on February 16, she'll be joined by Chelsea Bearce and Carla Clay, both of whom Gomez describes as "bold and fearless." Clay has headlined at San Francisco Punchline, while Bearce was a finalist at the San Francisco International Comedy Competition. Gomez has been voted Best Gay Comedian by B.A.R. readers several times.
"I'll be wearing my tiara," she said. "We also have a cute gay emcee, Riley Manlapaz, who can really get the party started."
The March installment of "Who's Your Mami" will feature Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, host of KQED's "Dating With Dhaya." Gomez notes that the April show will take place on 4/20, a day of celebration for marijuana lovers, and will feature comedy superstars Sampson McCormick and Natasha Muse, both of whom Gomez promises will get everyone high on laughs.
Gomez said that she loves working at Brava.
"What I like best is that Brava survived the pandemic," she said. "We've lost too many community venues. Brava is a grand absolutely beautiful iconic treasure in the Mission. Brava has allowed me to become a comedy curator as well as teach performance and develop a few one-person shows. Also I'm part of the giant mural on the exterior."
And what does she like best about being a comedian?
"Sleeping until noon," she said.
'Who's Your Mami Comedy,' Thursday February 16 at 7:30pm, and every third Thursday thereafter. Brava Cabaret, 2781 24th Street. $15 and up. www.brava.org
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