October 15

Margaret Cho Presents: Charlene Kaye: Tiger Daughter

with Charlene Kaye

Get ready for laughter, tears, and rock and roll glory as rising star Charlene Kaye brings her hit solo show, TIGER DAUGHTER: OR, HOW I BROUGHT MY IMMIGRANT MOTHER ULTIMATE SHAME (presented by Margaret Cho and directed by Jennifer Monaco) on a US tour. The show follows sold-out runs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Tiger Daughter details what happens when you rebel against your Chinese Tiger Mom’s dreams of you playing Carnegie Hall by time you’re 12, and instead become a slutty shredder in an all-girl Guns N’ Roses cover band called Guns N’ Hoses (“Welcome to the Vajungle!”)…among other questionable life choices. Your mother then has to watch the nightmare version of the American Dream she envisioned for her firstborn daughter play out in front of her eyes - all while stomaching the fact that she always secretly wanted to be a famous singer herself.

"For the past 20 years, I’ve shared this very public-facing story of being a musician. With Tiger Daughter, I finally get to share the private-facing story of my relationship with my mother that’s been running parallel to it this entire time,” says Kaye.

And what if you don’t have a Tiger Mom? “I don’t think you need to be Asian to understand the show,” Kaye says. “You just need to have a parent you’ve disappointed.”

All sales are final. Refunds and exchanges are offered only when a show is canceled or rescheduled.

Admission Policies

Patrons must be 18 or older to attend events or classes at the DC Improv. Any exceptions are clearly noted in the event descriptions.
There is a two-item minimum per customer. This can be any combination of food items or beverages. Bottled water and soft drinks count as items. (The two-item minimum does not apply to comedy classes.)
Coupons or passes for free admission cannot be used for a show listed as a "special event."

Seating Policies

This show will be seated by time of arrival. The earlier you arrive, the more options you'll have. Please note that the size of your party can affect what options are available to you, as certain tables and areas are designated for larger parties.
If tickets are designated as being at a "reserved table," your party will have a table to itself. For general admission or VIP tickets, if your party does not fill an entire table, you may be sharing a table with other patrons.

Tiger Daughter details what happens when you rebel against your Chinese Tiger Mom’s dreams of you playing Carnegie Hall by time you’re 12, and instead become a slutty shredder in an all-girl Guns N’ Roses cover band called Guns N’ Hoses (“Welcome to the Vajungle!”)…among other questionable life choices. Your mother then has to watch the nightmare version of the American Dream she envisioned for her firstborn daughter play out in front of her eyes - all while stomaching the fact that she always secretly wanted to be a famous singer herself.

And what if you don’t have a Tiger Mom? “I don’t think you need to be Asian to understand the show,” Kaye says. “You just need to have a parent you’ve disappointed.”

Charlene Kaye

Charlene Kaye, who releases music under the moniker KAYE, is a force to be reckoned with. An accomplished singer, multi-instrumentalist, actor, and stand-up comic, Kaye has carved out a unique path in the entertainment industry, beginning with her time performing with TEAM STARKID, the viral internet sensation founded by her University of Michigan classmate, Emmy award-winning actor Darren Criss. Since then, she has released multiple albums and opened for Arctic Monkeys, alt-J, St. Vincent, and Metallica. Rolling Stone Magazine gave Kaye’s 2019 single “Closer Than This” 5/5 stars and hailed her as “a fully realized pop goddess.” Her mother, meanwhile, thought the video had “no real good message other than selling sex” and rated the video 0/5 stars.

Kaye’s short-form comedy on Instagram Reels and TikTok is a phenomenon in and of itself. She currently has 200K followers on Instagram and counting, largely because of the mega viral “Every Taylor Swift Song” “Every Dua Lipa Song,” “Every Charli XCX song,” and “Every Chappell Roan Song,” which Chappell herself commented, “EXACTLYYYY YOU GET IT” with copious heart emojis.

Kaye’s recent expansion into acting and comedy has only attracted a larger following. She made a cameo as herself at Kendall Roy’s birthday party on HBO's hit series "Succession" and played synthesizers for Coldplay on Saturday Night Live while dressed as an alien. Her upcoming role as punk rocker Jade Power in the movie RON opposite comedy legend Margaret Cho further solidifies her ascent in the acting world.

10/15/2025 7:30 PM

Door Time: 6:15 PM

Other Showtimes

And what if you don’t have a Tiger Mom? “I don’t think you need to be Asian to understand the show,” Kaye says. “You just need to have a parent you’ve disappointed.”

All sales are final. Refunds and exchanges are offered only when a show is canceled or rescheduled.

Admission Policies

Patrons must be 18 or older to attend events or classes at the DC Improv. Any exceptions are clearly noted in the event descriptions.
There is a two-item minimum per customer. This can be any combination of food items or beverages. Bottled water and soft drinks count as items. (The two-item minimum does not apply to comedy classes.)
Coupons or passes for free admission cannot be used for a show listed as a "special event."

Seating Policies

This show will be seated by time of arrival. The earlier you arrive, the more options you'll have. Please note that the size of your party can affect what options are available to you, as certain tables and areas are designated for larger parties.
If tickets are designated as being at a "reserved table," your party will have a table to itself. For general admission or VIP tickets, if your party does not fill an entire table, you may be sharing a table with other patrons.

And what if you don’t have a Tiger Mom? “I don’t think you need to be Asian to understand the show,” Kaye says. “You just need to have a parent you’ve disappointed.”