Selene Luna Interview from Punk Globe

3 and half feet tall and a ball of fun. Who else could I be talking about other than Selene Luna? She may smaller than most stand-up comics but she stand against them all. Selene has brought her brand of lunacy to a club in Silver Lake on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and kicked some ass. Akbar is her venue and her show is called Selene Luna’s Dog and Pony Show. A dog and pony show is an old showbiz tradition. It is an amalgamation of acts it is vaudeville at its most primal level. It’s DIY, its punk rock and so is Selene.Selene’s dog and pony show has its up and downs, when it is down man is it down but when it is up and it usually is it is hysterically funny as is Selene herself. She is one of the best parts of the show.
Selene is busy; she is working her ass off frankly. She and I chatted a couple of times and she agreed to take some time away from her whirlwind life to talk to me and Punk Globe.

Punk Globe: For our readers who don’t know about you, can you give us a bit of your background?

Selene Luna: I’m a 3’10″ actress, comic and burlesque artist, born in Mexico and raised in Los Angeles. I’m an original member of the Velvet Hammer Burlesque, tour internationally and perform regularly with burlesque icon Dita Von Teese. I’m probably best known for my role in Lionsgate’s feature, My Bloody Valentine 3D, and playing Margaret Cho’s assistant in Vh1′s The Cho Show. My stand-up comedy has led me to work alongside Roseanne Barr and Robin Williams, as well.

PG: How did you come up with the idea of The Dog and Pony Show?

Selene: The Dog & Pony Show was my best friend Jackie Beat, drag superstar’s idea. During the Holiday season the entertainment industry tends to shut down, which is torture for someone like me because nothing bums me out more than idle time. Jackie suggested I put on a regular show during this downtime and it snowballed from there.

PG: Do you have someone coming to perform that you are really excited about?

Selene: Yes, I was especially excited about having Alec Mapa, Coco Peru and Calpernia Addams at my last Dog & Pony Show. I’m a tremendous fan of their work and we’re all great friends so it felt like family night. Jackie Beat will be doing my April 29th show so I’m super excited about that too! Jackie’s my vaudeville sister!

PG: How did you get involved with Margaret Cho?

Selene: Margaret and I have been friends for a long time; we met at her birthday party years ago. Margaret’s a beautiful dancer and she too is a fan of burlesque, so I began performing with her in the Sensuous Woman Show, Margaret’s burlesque and variety show. After touring with the Sensuous Woman Show, we continued to work together in various capacities. Margaret’s not only a dear friend but also my standup comedy mentor. I love that woman!

PG: Was the Cho show a lot of fun to do?

Selene: Absolutely! The best part about being on the "The Cho Show" was waking up in the morning to go work with friends that cracked me up all day.

PG: Where has you best show been?

Selene: This is a tough question. I’ve been lucky and old enough to have done more shows than I can remember. Reaching back to recent memory and I’d have to say it was last summer’s southern tour with Dita Von Teese. We did a show at the Dallas House of Blues, and the electricity that came out from that audience was unbelievable. The audience made me feel like we were doing Madison Square Garden.

PG: Have you had any really bad shows?

Selene: Ha! Yes, of course! Bad shows are learning moments for performers. I did a comedy festival in Maine last summer where I completely bombed. I simply wasn’t connecting with the audience, and that happens sometimes. I was tortured about the experience for months. I had the opportunity to return to Maine this January where it was much of the same audience. This time, my set went great and felt thoroughly redeemed. My work was simply better because I learned from previously bombing.

PG: Who would you have in your “Dream” Dog and Pony Show? Living or Dead.

Selene: How much time you got? Liberace , Don Rickles, Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, Joan Rivers, RuPaul, Divine, Katt Williams, David Sedaris, Amy Sedaris, Madeline Kahn, Richard Pryor, Murray Hill, Chavela Vargas, Penn & Teller, Dirty Martini, Dina Martina…my list is endless!

PG: Do you have any upcoming projects that you are really excited about?

Selene: I’m most excited to announce that I’m returning to NYC to perform my solo show “Special Needs” at the Laurie Beechman Theater on March 31^st http://seleneluna.com/site/?p=2033. Also, I’ll be doing a west coast tour with Dita Von Teese and opening for Margaret Cho in 2012. Please visit my calendar for dates and information.

PG: You are travelling a lot, where will you be so our readers who don’t live in Hollywood can see you?

Selene: The best thing to do is to visit my online calendar which is frequently updated http://seleneluna.com/site/?page_id=2

PG:  Do you have any show business advice you would like to pass along?

Selene: If you’re thinking of pursuing a showbiz career, just remember, your agent collects 10% because you do 90% of the work.

Selene Luna’s Dog and Pony Show plays on most Sunday nights at the Akbar throughout the summer. If you are in Los Angeles on a Sunday night around 8pm and have five bucks the show is well worth every single one of those five dollars and more!