Comedian, writer and actor Fortune Feimster is bringing her Live, Laugh, Love Tour to Balboa Theatre on June 10 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. – a moment which she describes as “full circle.”
When the Los Angeles transplant was first starting out on the comedy circuit, she headlined her first show at La Jolla Comedy Store.
“The audiences from very early on in my career were very supportive, coming out to see me there so it feels cool, like a full circle moment getting to come back down that way and do the bigger theatres,” Feimster said.
This is her second time performing at Balboa Theatre although there is all new material this time. The material will also be new to people who watched her second Netflix special “Good Fortune” in October 2022.
In this show, she is talking more about her relationship with Jax, including stories from their honeymoon, and Feimster’s mom, who has become an important part of her podcast “Sincerely Fortune.” Plus, she plans to be more interactive with the audience, whom she liked during her previous performances at Balboa Theatre.
“Both crowds were just so energetic, so ready to laugh. There’s just like an easygoing vibe down there and I feel like that that really fits my vibe as well,” she said. “I’m just there to have a good time and to make people laugh and be silly and I feel like everyone there is on board for that.”
An LGBTQ+ comedian, Feimster has a unique brand of comedy that delves into love, relationships, sexuality and shared experiences. She is excited for her tour to coincide with Pride month celebrations across the nation. She met her wife during Chicago Pride.
“I think having these Pride celebrations is important First off, because it’s a chance for all of us to get together and keep our community strong and visible, to be proud of who we are for each other,” Feimster said.
In her second Netflix special, Feimster brought her wife and their dog on stage to introduce them to the audience. She explained that after sharing so many personal stories about them, it can be helpful for the audience to put a face to the person she’s been talking about. For the LGBT+ audience members though, the introduction had a dual purpose.
“It’s also important for other gay people to see representation; to see gay people living their lives being happy doing everyday things together, being in a relationship, taking on adult challenges together. I think that’s also an important thing to show,” she said.
Feimster said she attended San Diego Pride for years before she was ever involved in the entertainment industry and found the community to be strong and supportive. After pivoting to entertainment, Pride celebrations became an even more integral part of her life as she often performed at Pride festivals and events.
“I love the community of it. I love the celebration of it. It’s something I look forward to every summer,” she said.
The theme of San Diego’s Pride Parade and Festival this year is Thrive! For Feimster, the LGBT+ community thrives when people are free to be themselves.
“We’re thriving when we’re being our best selves. When when we come out, I think there’s such a huge weight lifted off our shoulders because we’ve been trying to conform for so long to what we thought society wanted of us. And then when we finally come to terms of who we really are, there’s such a happiness and such a lightness that comes with that.
“Thriving means you’re really living in that freedom of being who you are… For people to be able to truly live an authentic life and to be who they are is the greatest gift that you can give yourself,” Feimster said.
For more information on the show, visit https://sandiegotheatres.org/event/2023/06/fortune-feimster.
