Imagination! Imagination! I put it first years ago when I was asked what qualities I thought necessary for success on the stage.

Every time you get on a stage or in front of a camera the whole exercise is about imagination. You're constantly depicting something that doesn't exist and trying to find the reality of it. Once you settle on that premise everything else is a matter of degrees.

I love theatrics and have a huge imagination: Why would I want to sit onstage and sing a bunch of ballads back-to-back?

I was a precocious only child and then I went through a fat awkward stage for several years so I learned to fall back on my humor and personality when I was growing up. It's how you survive so I think it was more of a natural progression for me developing into comedy.

Lesbian humor isn't trying to sell anything it doesn't have to sell out. Coming out as a lesbian onstage is still a very political act if it weren't more women would do it.

People come up to me as I leave the stage after a performance and tell me tey saw my mother onstage with me every time I sing. I keep a sense of humor about it.

I'm Method trained. How is this character like me? What does she think of her mother? What does her mother think of her? It's like construction and then yes you hope you're talented and that the universe aligns and captures the kind of laborer's work you've done and whatever else sprinkles down on you and it's all caught on film or onstage.

If you live through the initial stage of fame and get past it and remember thats not who you are. If you live past that then you have a hope of maybe learning how to spell the word artist.

There's no hope of me becoming completely relaxed on stage. If I did I'd sit down and doze off.

I love being able to sing for my job. I am blessed beyond words and I hope my fans can feel that while I'm on stage!