Bulldyke in a China Shop

Taking questions directly from the crowd, Lea DeLaria spends a chunk of Bulldyke in a China Shop handing out unvarnished advice on sex and dating. The back-and-forth anchors the album, balancing improvised interactions with structured routines about gay culture—most notably a rant mocking the closeted names given to lesbian bars. Between the stand-up tracks, she fronts a live band to sing jazz standards like “Straight, No Chaser” and “Why Don’t You Do Right”.

Recorded in January 1992 at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood, the audio release captures the comic just prior to a major career shift. The following year, she would perform on The Arsenio Hall Show, becoming the first openly gay comedian to do a set on American late-night television. Distributed on cassette and CD, the album documents a working club act that periodically halts the comedy so the performer can hit a high note.