Varla Jean Merman Brings Hit New Show A STAR IS BORED To Largo For Los Angeles Premiere

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that international chanteuse and drag superstar Varla Jean Merman will premiere her hilarious new comedy show A Star Is Bored in Los Angeles at Largo on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 PM. After 25 years of giving over 75% of her best at every performance, Varla is well, tired.

With fierce competition from Kardashians, Drag Race and social influencers who are as old as Varla's undergarments, our favorite daffy drag diva might have to (gulp) make an effort this year. Can sizzling new songs, dazzling new couture, and Ariana Grande-style ponytails add up to a thrilling evening of entertainment? Find out when Varla pulls out all the stops and actually makes an effort in A Star Is Bored! Written by Jefferey Roberson and Jacques Lamarre, directed by Michael Schiralli, featuring Gerald Goode at the piano. For tickets and information, please visit https://www.largo-la.com/ or call 310 855-0350.

Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman starred in the new musical Lucky Guy opposite Leslie Jordan in NY at the Little Schubert prompting The New York Times to rave, "If Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman had stood in front of the right pair of funhouse mirrors, they might have resembled Ms. Merman and Mr. Jordan in stature as well as comedic talent." Jeffery wrote and starred in the film Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads. He also played the title role of Giancarlo Menotti's opera The Medium in New York at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre. Jeffery co-starred in The Judy & Varla Show with Judy Gold at The Huntington Theatre this past October and they will bring this show to Joe's Pub in NYC in April.

He guest starred as Varla Jean on Ugly Betty in the final season of the show and was also featured on Bravo's Project Runway Season 5 as the winning model for the shows drag challenge. He played the role of Mary Sunshine in the revival of Chicago on Broadway and also made his network television debut on All My Children in the recurring role of lady of the evening Rosemary Chicken. He shared the Outfest Film Festival Best Actor Award and the Aspen HBO Film Festival Best Actress Award with his costars Jack Plotnick and Clinton Leupp for his featured performance in the cult classic film Girls Will Be Girls (Sundance 2003) directed by Richard Day. Jeffery also appeared at the Long Wharf Theatre in Hartford Stages production of The Mystery of Irma Vep directed by Michael Wilson performing the roles originally made famous by Charles Ludlam. In 2010 Jeffery won an Elliot Norton Award for Best Musical Performance in The Phantom of the OPRAH. He returned to Boston in the fall of 2011 to star as Mother Superior in SpeakEasy Stages production of The Divine Sister by Charles Busch. As Varla Jean, Jeffery has filled cabarets and concert halls across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the New York Public Theater, London's Soho Theatre and LA's Renberg Theatre. Jeffery wrote and starred in the short Improve Your History with Varla Jean: Stonewall, for the launch of the MTVs television network Logo and was also seen in their One Night Standup: Dragtastic special.

About: Mark Cortale (Producer) co-produced the critically acclaimed new Off-Broadway musical Midnight At The Never Get at The York Theatre last fall, which received 3 Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Best Musical and 2 Drama Desk Nominations including Best Score. He produced Deconstructing Patti on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS starring Patti LuPone and Seth Rudetsky. He created the Broadway @ concert series in 2011 at The Art House in Provincetown where he serves as Producing Artistic Director. The series, featuring creative partner Seth Rudetsky as music director and host, just wrapped its ninth season this past summer, and guest artists over the years have included Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Megan Mullally, Christine Ebersole and Jessie Mueller. The Broadway @ series also premiered in 2013 in New Orleans, in Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) with Megan Mullally and in London's West End with Patti LuPone at the Leicester Square Theater. The series has since travelled to cities that include Chicago @ The Steppenwolf, Beverly Hills @ The Wallis, Fort Lauderdale @ The Parker Playhouse, San Francisco @ The Herbst Theater and Scottsdale @ Scottsdale Center for the Arts. In the 2018/19 the series launched in Boston @ the Huntington Theatre with Chita Rivera and at The Town Hall in New York City with six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. Mark produced the feature film Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads and also produces the singing string quartet Well-Strung, which he co-founded. Info at www.markcortalepresents.com.

For tickets and information, please visit https://www.largo-la.com/ or call 310 855-0350.