March 23, 2024

Sunshine Cathedral Center for the Performing Arts

www.SunshineCathedral.org

By Denny Patterson

Sunshine Cathedral Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present an upcoming musical concert by cabaret icon and LGBTQ+ ally Amy Armstrong on March 23, 2024.

Billed as a diva with the voice of an angel and the mouth of a sailor, Armstrong’s ability to bring joy and laughter to audiences worldwide with her humor and music has been legendary. Earning her chops in Chicago, she quickly rose in the cabaret scene and is best known for performing alongside fellow entertainer Freddy Allen. 

In recent years, Armstrong has been finding a new lease on life, especially after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in June 2019. Surviving and now living in Mexico, she is inspiring others struggling with life threatening diseases, and promoting the message of love and that we are not alone.

OutClique had the opportunity to catch up with Armstrong and talk more about her anticipated South Florida visit, staying positive during times of darkness, and what more she hopes to accomplish as an artist. 

Denny Patterson: Amy, what can we expect from your upcoming performance at South Florida’s Sunshine Cathedral?

Amy Armstrong: Well, this will be my second time performing at Sunshine Cathedral, and I have to brag a bit because when I performed the first time, they asked me back that night, which I thought was incredible. It’s amazing for a performer to be asked back that quickly. I’m also excited because I now work with a lot of musicians here in Mexico, so I’m trying to bring my one friend that’s a violin player to come with me, and I’ll have a piano as well. So, we’re going to do a lot of stuff from the 70s and 80s. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so my spectrum of music is pretty broad, and I used to do a lot of show tunes and standards. I’ve been in Mexico for the last 10 years though, so I’ve really broadened my horizons. I do two shows here in Mexico. One is an 80s show, and then the other is a show that I call Old School, which has a lot of showtunes and standards with a guy named Mark Hartman, who is a fantastic piano player from New York. I love to do different stuff, and I think what I’m going to bring to Sunshine Cathedral is great. Plus, I do a lot of comedy. I have a great heart, but a dirty mind. I call myself the poor man’s Bette Midler (laughs). 

Denny Patterson: What do you always hope audiences take away from an Amy Armstrong show?

Amy Armstrong: I want them to forget about their troubles and have a good time for a couple hours. Personally, I’ve had a tumultuous five years. I went through ovarian cancer, survived it, but then had a lot of stuff happen to me where I was in the hospital for five months over the summer. I didn’t know if I was going to make it, so my attitude about everything now has changed. I just want to be happy, sing, and make sure people feel that. I know it’s been a few years now, but there are still a lot of people in a weird kind of state because of the pandemic. So, I want them to come and enjoy themselves, forget their troubles, and sing along. 

Denny Patterson: Even though you were going through cancer and medical treatments, you never lost your drive and joy to entertain. How did you maintain such a positive outlook?

Amy Armstrong: Because I kept thinking about music, which is the love of my life. Music has been there for me since I was a little girl. When you’re the tallest, biggest girl in second grade, you have to find something to deflect negativity, and for me, it was comedy and singing. I just kept thinking, I don’t want to go yet. I have a lot of stuff to do. I want to continue singing and traveling, and I’ve been very blessed in the 30 years I’ve been performing. I’ve seen around 40 different countries, I’ve been on 100 different cruise ships, and I’ve seen the world in a way that I never thought I could because of my music. So, it’s a blessing. 

Denny Patterson: You got your start in Chicago?

Amy Armstrong: I did, but I didn’t know where I was going to start in Chicago. I moved to Boystown with two gay gentlemen, who I love very much. It kind of makes me laugh because people ask why I moved there, and I’m like, it’s because my best friends were moving there. I even made a joke being like, am I allowed to go to Boystown? They laughed and were like, girl, come on. So, I started working in Boystown at a thrift shop called Beatnix, and the guy who owns it, Keith, he was like, you should go to these open mics and such, and my first time ever singing was at a gay country bar called Charlie’s. They loved me! I was told to go talk to this wonderful drag queen named Fifi Depraved, so I did, and she was very direct. She goes, sing in my ear, and if you’re good, you can go up there. I sang “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, but I did it without any music, and people started tipping me. I made $42! I’ll never forget that night because I was so happy. I just thought, these guys love me and they don’t judge me. They like me for who I am and they think I’m funny, and that’s how it all started. 

Denny Patterson: And you have become a popular fixture within Chicago’s cabaret scene. What is it about this particular art form that you enjoy the most?

Amy Armstrong: I like it for myself because I can be free with what I do. I don’t portray another character and I’m not an impersonator. I’m Amy Armstrong. I can sing the genre of music, and I’ve had the ability to sing different types of music and play in all these different countries with different musicians. Here in Mexico, I thought, how am I going to find people if I don’t speak fluent Spanish? Fortunately, music is a language that everybody understands.

Denny Patterson: Do you still have a musical partnership with Freddy Allen?

Amy Armstrong: I don’t. He moved to Davenport, Iowa and got married, but we still have a wonderful friendship. He’s so sweet and calls me every week, and he’s currently working with a band that’s doing 30s and 40s jazz music. He’s also a florist, so he honestly couldn’t get any gayer (laughs). 

Denny Patterson: What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your own career?

Amy Armstrong: I’d love to put out another CD and use the people I use here in Mexico as my musicians. That would be great to do, and I want to start auditioning again. I was auditioning for Amazon Prime and stuff on Netflix, and I’d like to do that again because it’d be fun to have a bit role. Just something fun. Then the other thing, a friend of mine owns a production company, and they’ve been doing cartoons. I’ve already been a cartoon once, but I would love to be the voice of any kind of cartoon because that, to me, would be the ultimate goal. When I was little, I always said I would love to be a character in a Disney movie, but I would love to be a character in any movie.

Denny Patterson: Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Amy Armstrong: From June 2-10, 2024, I’m doing a cruise with Brand g Vacations. It’s on the Columbia River, so I’m very excited because I haven’t done a cruise in a long time. I’m also just excited to get back to Florida and perform at Sunshine Cathedral because, to me, that venue has one of the best acoustics I’ve ever heard. There’s already a high to being on stage, but when you can hear yourself in such a beautiful venue, it just makes your voice soar. I love that place so much! 

Stay up-to-date and connect with Armstrong by following her on Facebook and Instagram @AmytheDivaArmstrong. For more information and to purchase tickets for her upcoming Sunshine Cathedral performance, visit SunshineCathedral.org.