On May 14, mothers of all kinds were honored and took the stage at Mother!, a night of comedy and revelry at Dorothy, 2500 W. Chicago Ave., exploring what it means to be a queer mother and what it means to be queer and have a mother.
The event was produced by Kris Lantzy, who also headlined. A longtime performer, Lantzy began her creative career in improv, sketch, and theater. But it wasn’t until after she had her son, Archie, in 2021 that she seriously considered stand-up. “Stand-up gave me agency,” she explained. Lantzy said that becoming a mom made her more willing to take risks and embrace the possibility of failure.
Lantzy now co-produces the popular Bi Wives Club Comedy Showcase at Dorothy, along with fellow co-producers Christen Manville and Kayla McCaffrey. With Mother’s Day coming up, Lantzy decided it was time to produce a show about queer mothers.
The night’s lineup was stacked. Host Femme de Violette brought her signature brilliance and drag artistry, while comedians Dana Kaye, Sonal Aggarwal, Carina Magyar and Delilah Orizaba delivered sets packed with raw honesty and laughs. Some are mothers, some are not, but all had something to say about motherhood, whether it was about their own kids, their pets or their moms.
Lifelong Chicagoan, parent and queer comic Dana Kaye opened the show with a nod to dog moms, then moved into stories about raising a neurodivergent son and her cannabis-smoking mother, closing with a punchline about overly affectionate pets.
Trans woman Delilah Orizaba introduced her cat and spoke about her family. She earned cheers with jokes about her gender-affirming surgery, lamenting, “They don’t let you keep your balls.” After her set, Orizaba shared that while she isn’t a parent, it felt important to honor how supportive her immigrant mom has been of her transition.
Carina Magyar, a trans parent of two, delivered a sharp, rapid-fire, and raunchy set covering everything from Republicans and abortion to explaining death to children through two truths and a lie. She also noted that Caitlyn Jenner is totally fucking up.
“I’m always thrilled to perform on the topic of queer motherhood, a subject not many people think about but most people can surprisingly relate to,” Magyar said after the show.
Sonal Aggarwal, a self-described “clown goddess comedienne,” brought energy and quick banter, sharing stories about her Indian immigrant parents and their evolving views. A crowd favorite was the story of her parents unknowingly booking a Groupon cruise that turned out to be a Bear-themed trip.
Finally, Lantzy closed the show, tearing down maternal stereotypes. Her set riffed on everything from glory holes to lesbian bathhouses to the absurdities of queer parenting. “If Archie turns out straight, it’s not our fault,” she joked.
In an incredible show of support, Lantzy’s mother (Deb), father (Brian), and two brothers (Mike and Tom) were in the audience from out of town. The family surprised Lantzy earlier in the week by visiting Chicago for her 40th birthday. During the show, they caught Lantzy off guard again by leading the crowd in singing Happy Birthday, with her wife, Tia, kicking it off.
When asked what she thought about the show, Lantzy’s mom, Deb, said she loved it.
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