Comic Sandra Valls on Showtime, Margaret Cho, Bette Midler and more.

National tour to touch down in San Geronimo Saturday. Next stop SNL?

She’s made them laugh on networks like ABC, HBO, Nickelodeon, Showtime, Logo and more. She’s got them in stitches all over the country in comedy clubs and Pride festivals -- and offshore on Olivia Cruises -- sharing the stage with numerous comedy legends. She came out of the closet as a singer with folk legends at the august National Women’s Music Festival. In the recent hubbub about diversity on Saturday Night Live, she was singled out as one of the top 10 comics that Latina Magazine would like to see on that show. Tickets are moving for her July 12th show and advance tickets are recommended. Who is Sandra Valls and what is she doing in the San Geronimo Valley this Saturday at 8pm? Read the interview and find out!

Hannah: Why Comedy?

Sandra: Hannah, you had to ask me that. Weren’t you with me when I started it? [Note: Sandra began her career in Boston and was a featured performer at a number of Hannah Doress’ Hanarchy Now Productions events in the 90’s] Laughter is healing, it’s medicine. It’s a release; and anyone would rather release through laughter rather than crying, right? Why comedy? It chose me.

Hannah: Popular LGBT comic Georgia Ragsdale has said, “If Margaret Cho and George Lopez had a love child it would be Sandra Valls”. Have you met either of them in all your touring and shows?

First of all, Georgia Ragsdale is one of the funniest women in comedy. She is such a great person. I love her. George Lopez is very funny and a sweet man.  I look to his career for inspiration -- he’s been at it a long, long time and deserves all the success he’s gotten.  I’ve really been blessed to share the stage with him at various clubs in Los Angeles; Improv and Laugh factory. Latinos represent! Adelante, George!

I’m honored to be compared to Margaret, but we’re nothing alike. I think people compare me to Margaret Cho because she’s ballsy.  I had the privelege of working with her in her video, “Zapatos”! It was a spin off of the video “shoes". We play cholos shopping for shoes. Margaret edited and produced it.

Hannah: Should men be frightened to come to your shows?

Sandra: What? No! Not at all! They should be excited to come to my shows. I have information for them. I have insider tips and tricks.

Hannah: How long have you been in the comedy world?

Sandra: I have been performing for 20 years but professionally for 14 years.

Hannah: What have some of the highlights of your career been?

Sandra: A few weeks ago when I performed at the National Women’s Music Festival – not only performing comedy but I was on stage with dozens of incredible musicians in the artists’ jam. I just thought, what an amazing career I have, I get paid to make you laugh, to do what I love to do, in its full expression, and with others doing the same thing – that’s the biggest highlight to me.

Some of the incredible artists I joined on that stage included Katie Curtis, Lucie Blue Tremblay, Barbara Higbie, Wahru, Cheryl Wheeler, Gaye Adegbalola & the wild rutz and Big Bad Gina. Plus Lisa Koch and I sang “From a Distance”.

The highlight  for me is that I get to meet amazing people and heal and be healed.– when someone tells me that I got them through chemotherapy, my jokes got them through, that is just…wow.

Hannah: Okay this is the part of the interview where I make you namedrop famous people because that’s what promoters have to do. I saw a great photo of you carrying Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives in your arms. Is that really what it’s like when you live in LA?

Sandra: Yes, famous people jump into my arms all the time. Although, I did run the other way  when John Goodman came at me… Eva is amazing and sweet and kind and she is very funny. She’s so sweet. We were in the comedy group called the Hot Tamales – an all women’s Latina show together. I just think she’s hot.

Hannah: How did you come to meet Mayte Garcia (Prince’s Ex)? from (reality show) Hollywood Ex’s?

Her sister is one of my best friends. I hung out at a barbeque with her and her boyfriend (well known musician) Tommy Lee and we wound up at the piano belting out all kinds of music – I like making pretty girls laugh so I was in really prime form with the jokes – but Tommy Lee was laughing even harder. He’s the sweetest.

Hannah: You’ve had the opportunity to hang out with LGBT comedy legend Kate Clinton, I’m so jealous!

Sandra: Oh my god, Kate Clinton is an amazing iconic performer and I'm so honored to even be in her presense. One night she had a cookout for a bunch of comics that were all performing in PTOWN [Cape Cod in Massachusetts] and as people were leaving she took me aside and said, “You’re very funny, keep doing what you’re doing”. Who can say no to Kate? When Kate gives you a pat on the back…wow…just wow. Thank you, Kate. Your words mean the world to me.

Hannah: It seems like you are always involved in giving back – what are some of the causes you are involved with?

Sandra: I am planning a nationwide tour to raise funds for local battered women’s shelters. I’ll be in North Carolina in a couple weeks for one of these, for an organization called Chickweed. Women’s empowerment. That’s a huge cause for me.

Also every September, for 4 years I’ve been doing a special sobriety show in Los Angeles, called One Gay at A Time. I produce and host the show featuring sober comics.

Hannah: How did it feel to have Latina Magazine choose you as one of the top 10 comics they’d like to see on Saturday Night Live and to select you as one of the top 33 Badass Latina comedians?

Sandra: To be recognized by your own is just so amazing. It always feels so humbling and validating to be recognized for all the hard work and for doing something you love.

You know Hannah, I don’t usually get recognized as Latina, people usually think I’m Persian or Afghani, they think I’m Middle Eastern. That’s cool – but it was great to be appreciated as Latina.

Hannah: What’s it been like to be on the big TV shows?

Sandra: I like how much of an impact it has had on the LGBT community. I get letters from people telling me that they came out to their family because they saw me in the Latin Divas. They felt represented. I am so touched when I hear this.

Hannah: I hear you’re singing more in your shows…

Sandra: It is my first love, I love to sing, it’s such an amazing thing, I can’t explain it, it’s from the soul. I’ve woven more music in my shows because that’s who I am also. It’s my soul talking…Is this too deep for this interview? LOL.

Hannah: What kind of music?

Sandra: Anything that I want, anything that I feel like singing. I’ve started to include original numbers too. I had a band in high school called Bad Habit – but then again I went to a Catholic School. And then I had another band called Misfit. Then I followed up with a band called Legacy, a Stevie Nicks Tribute Band.

Hannah: Did you get rapped with a ruler for having a band called Bad Habit at a Catholic school?

Sandra: No, I got rapped with a ruler for not knowing times tables and because I talked a lot, I couldn’t be quiet. They would make me kneel on the linoleum, and we wore skirts by the way so I’m on the linoleum on my knees and it frickin’ hurts.

Hannah: You grew up in Texas?

Sandra: Laredo.

Hannah: So how did you become you from there?

Sandra: When you’re a Mexican Catholic Girl from Laredo there are not many options. I had to fight to go out of town to college and then I had to fight to major in musical theatre. My parents were like “huh?”. From there I went to acting school in New York and I came out as lesbian. My parents are like “What?”

Hannah: But it sounds like you’re really close with your parents?

Sandra: Yes we are very close. I think my parents recognize I’m really standing up for who I am and they respect that.  

Hannah: But times have changed so much since then – have things changed in Laredo also?

Sandra: Actually, yes. I was blown away when I won the 2013 International Woman’s Day Award in Laredo Texas – they had a picture of me up on a big screen: Sandra Valls, Lesbian Human Rights Activist – what? in Laredo they had the word Lesbian up on a big screen and they chose me? Amazing!

Hannah: Why do you do what you do?

Sandra: All of us need to have a human revolution.  There’s a Buddhist quote that says,  “a great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.” . I feel like it’s my calling to heal and transform and educate and make the world better -- myself and everyone around me -- through music and comedy.

I’m not going to invent the next vaccine, that’s not me. But if I can make your life a little brighter with my jokes or music, then mission accomplished.

I am inspired by that Marianne Williamson quotes – “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate but that we are powerful beyond measure”.  I mean, really meditate on this.  She goes on to say,  “When we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.”

Hannah: What’s the long term trajectory for Sandra Valls? Where are you going in your career?

Sandra: I want to incorporate more music, I was a musician first, music and comedy how can you go wrong? It’s like being a good kisser and a good lover – those are two different things you know.

Bette Midler is the ultimate of that genre – she does an incredible comedy and music together. That’s where I’m headed, to be the butch lesbian Latina Bette Midler. …well…soft butch.

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Sandra Valls will perform Saturday, July 12th at 8pm at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., 10 minutes from Fairfax in Marin County. The show is geared towards an adult audience. Discounted advance tickets and a video of Sandra Valls on ABC are available on Brown Paper Tickets. For more information visit SGVCC.org or call 415-488-8888. The event is cosponsored by Spectrum LGBT Center.

Hannah Doress is Events Programmer at San Geronimo Valley Community Center, Director of Earth Day Marin and produces and promotes events through Hannah Doress Events.