Comedian Kaitlin Colombo Crowdsources for 'GLITORIS' Burlesque

Stand-up comedian, singer and actor Kaitlin Colombo wants to make the world safe for LGBTQ youth. She is currently crowdfunding an IndieGoGo campaign to raise $50,000 for her national tour "GLITORIS," an ode to the burly USO-style burlesque shows of the '30s. And she intends to donate all profits to LGBT organizations.

"To do a national tour, I'll need about $50,000. It's not peanuts, but it's not the end of the world, either," said Colombo, who has currently raised about $1,500. "To me, it's the opportunity to give back to organizations that have helped me and those like me. Even if I can buy a homeless LGBT youth center one new computer, that would be incredible."

Although Colombo is not LGBT, she grew up with a gay father, and a mother who later came out as lesbian. Her father raised her on Long Island as a "Will & Grace" Italian Catholic, and although her smart mouth prevented the other kids from bullying, handling adults was a bigger problem.

"I remember talking to my mother's boyfriend, and he asked me, 'What are you going to do when you father dies of AIDS.' Who the hell says that to an eight-year-old?" said Colombo. Although she can make light of it now that she's older, she said, "That's why my heart goes out to all these kids."

Colombo said she has always been interested in entertaining. Her gay father instilled a strong love for Patti LuPone, with whom Colombo shares a birthday. She always sang and played guitar, ukulele and piano. At 13-years-old and newly relocated to Los Angeles, she became the youngest member of a stand-up comedy class.

"I grew up listening to George Carlin and almost got thrown out of elementary school for singing his 'Seven Words You Can't Say On TV' to the theme of 'It's a Small World,'" said Colombo. "So when I joined the class, the teachers took my money but said I couldn't be in the final showcase. I challenged them, saying if I brought five minutes of material and anyone laughed, they'd have to put me up there."

A joke about Britney Spears got a few laughs, so they begrudgingly put the teen on at the end of the set. When the showcase ran over, Colombo was found herself standing before a new audience -- among them Jay Leno and Bud Friedman, owner of The Improv.

"I made a reference to him in my set, and he came over after and said, 'The rest of these kids were awful, but you can come back anytime you want.' I was the youngest person to every work the main stage of The Improv," she recalled.

She combined her love of comedy with her musical chops about five years ago, performing song parodies in Provincetown, where she wrote and directed the spoof, "Planet of the Gays: The Opera," where two straight astronauts crash on a planet full of gay men and drag queens.

Colombo said that she has done varying versions of what is now her "GLITORIS" showcase, and that it was an absolutely cohesive show with unbelievably good music.

"My ode to the clams on the half shell came because I was raised very much as a Bette Midler devotee," Colombo explained. "I love musical comedy, burlesque, every dick joke on the planet and in between there will be Big Band covers of early '90s rock songs. It will be a high-energy, fun show, but stylistically very old fashioned."

She has partnered with LGBT organizations to help her reach her goal of mounting this show and traveling it around the nation, raising funds and awareness for gay causes.

As part of her IndieGoGo campaign, Colombo is offering a variety of perks, among them limited edition posters, private burlesque lessons by Cherry Poppins, assorted swag, your favorite song played on ukulele and her offer to punch up your most boring cocktail party story.

But her personal favorite is what she calls, "The Rock Hudson Special," where Colombo will serve as your fake Internet girlfriend for a month.

"I will post emoji-filled, all-caps, 'I love yous' online, I'll construct an intriguing narrative; it's really kind of funny," said Colombo. "And it's open to both men and women."

Right now, Colombo needs your help to make the world a better place for gays. She is crowdfunding her campaign through March 15, and then she plans to launch "GLITORIS" in the California area in March, moving on to Austin, Chicago and Provincetown, should all go according to plan.

"My dad was one of the early supporters of Bette Midler in her bathhouse days, and was always invested in her career," she said. "If I could find my own Bill Colombo who feels strongly about me and I can give them a voice or bring them joy, then I'll be happy!"