Suzanne Westenhoefer

Biography: Raised in The Pennsylvania Amish country, Suzanne always loved being the center of attention, so she naturally gravitated to acting in school. After graduating from college, with a BFA, like so many aspiring actors, she moved to New York City and became a bartender. Finally, she was dared to enter a comedy contest at a popular cabaret in the West Village and won first prize. From then on, she was hooked on comedy and everyone who saw her was hooked on her.

Suzanne then began doing stand-up as one of the first openly gay comedians performing gay comedy to straight audiences in mainstream comedy clubs. In 1991, Suzanne appeared on a groundbreaking episode of the Sally Jesse Raphael show called, "Breaking the Lesbian Stereotype…Lesbians Who Don't Look Like Lesbians". Says, Suzanne, "In the 12 years since that showed aired, I still get mail from people who tell me how that show changed their lives. It changed mine too."

With appearances on such programs as Comedy Central, EvEvening at the Improv, Caroline's Comedy Hour, and Politically Incorrect, engagements quickly expanded to include theatres, clubs, colleges, large fundraisers, and social events across the USA and Canada. Suzanne continues to perform over 100 live comedy concerts a year. Her current show plays to sell out crowds across the country, repeating the success of numerous past shows including, TOUR DE FEMME and BANNED IN PITTSBURGH.

Her HBO comedy special, the first by an openly gay comic, was nominated for a Cable Ace award. Suzanne's CD, NOTHING IN MY CLOSET BUT MY CLOTHES is a best-seller and won the GLAMA award for best comedy CD in 1999. Her latest CD, I'M NOT CINDY BRADY, has also won acclaim as best comedy CD of the year from GLAMA (Gay and Lesbian American Music Award).

In-between shows and being on the road, Suzanne has acted in independent films , co- hosted fundraisers (Project Anglefood) with Eric McCormack, hosted and headlined at the Montreal Comedy Festival, and appeared on HBO's Arli$$. Suzanne was nominated for the prestigious GLAAD media award for best Los Angeles theatrical production. (A first for stand-up.)

Off the road Suzanne divides her time between Los Angeles, and Columbus, OH. She lives with her girlfriend who loves her as much as do her audiences, without the sex.… Expand