Laverne Cox Teases Raw And Vulnerable One Woman Show

Instagram/@lavernecox

Late on a Tuesday night, there was this unmissable moment for an Instagram Live camera with Laverne Cox. She was talking about her upcoming one-woman show and waxing poetic about Audra McDonald’s powerfully moving performance in Gypsy. It was just too much for the Emmy-nominated actor-activist to keep it to herself as she cartoonishly spilled out the entire plot of this deeply personal show opening at City Winery in NYC on the 28th of July.

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Described by Cox as the most vulnerable act in storytelling, comedy, music, and costume changes she has ever done, “We’re doing the thing,” she stated, promising the audience will see “all the things that make Laverne Laverne.” These include never-before-told tales about one of her exes (“Yeah, he’s blocked now”) and the ugly, messy road to that glowing acceptance of self. The Orange Is the New Black alum added that there isn’t just a series of therapy sessions — this is about a fully staged theatrical production for every bit of entertainment.

The impromptu broadcast also took a few emotional turns, with the great Laverne expressing furious excitement about McDonald metamorphosing into Mama Rose, whom she said: “She’s channeling all the ancestors!” and about art as a thread of life through turbulent times. “Being alive right now feels like this hellscape,” she confided, “Thank God I have creative expression.” The comment section was flooded with support from fans; one of them, who already had tickets, kept typing about her excitement in all caps. Another fan remarked about Cox hauntingly resembling a Pre-Raphaelite painting during the live stream-the mood she indulged by strutting some vintage John Galliano from 1997.

A few stray comments tried to veer the conversation off track. One user ominously tried to coerce Cox to “tell more people” about financial strategies for trans visibility, while another wanted to know if the show was going to tour (short answer: there’s no plan to bring it to the UK unless someone steps in to pay). The majority of comments pretty much echo that of another user who simply wrote, “You look like a Pre-Raphaelite painting!!! Stunning as always.”

Between admitting that she might just be “too old for the club” and dropping sly hints about some very snappy memoir fodder she will be saving for her book in 2025, Cox’s stream-of-consciousness-style monologue is a reflection of that unfiltered, glitzy, and down-to-earth human beauty her fans love. If it gave any inkling of what to expect, this gig at City Winery will be sometimes cabaret; sometimes group therapy, and always completely unforgettable.

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The show opens on July 28 at 6 PM. For tickets, see her bio. Drama? Assured. For more on her style, check out this article discussing her fashion choices. Additionally, some attendees at the US Open thought Laverne Cox bore a striking resemblance to Beyoncé.