BY AJ TRAGER
ROYAL OAK – Four days before the Lions face off against the Minnesota Vikings, national comedy star Jennie McNulty is scheduled to perform a Pride Tailgate Comedy Show 8 p.m. Oct. 21 at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak.
McNulty is a Detroit native and longtime sports fan, and she played sports growing up. She never did anything with theater or comedy until she attended a few open mic nights and eventually tried her hand at making an audience laugh. Right at the height of the comedy boom in the 1990s, she took her budding career out west and eventually made it big.
"I am really proud of being from Detroit and I'd like to say it's a great place to be from," McNulty said. "Comedy wise, you have to be in New York or Los Angeles. But I'm a Detroiter at heart."
Since coming out of the closet in 1999, (a surprise that came only to her), McNulty has traveled all over the world from performing for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe to the beautiful beaches and serene sea ports of the LGBT travel world with travel companies Sweet, Atlantis and Olivia Lesbian Travel. In addition to headlining comedy clubs, colleges and events across the country, McNulty has also performed at Pride festivals all over North America.
To show her hometown support and to give back to the Metro Detroit LGBT community, all proceeds from the event will go towards benefiting Ruth Ellis Center.
"I'm coming back to Michigan and I thought, 'Let's do a show! But let's make it be not just calling attention to the Lions game, but also some of the other places in town that do good work,'" McNulty told BTL.
In her free time, McNulty plays professional women's tackle football for the California Quake in the Independent Women's Football League. She is also a freelance writer and regular contributor for http://www.lesbian.com and can be heard weekly on LA Talk Radio as co-host of the popular "Cathy Is In" show.
Tickets will cost $20 per person, for ages 18 and up. Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle is located at 10 S. Troy St., Royal Oak.
